Sixty Plus Surfers - Home and Pet Sitting Can Help you Save

Posted on 2 July, 2019

Homesitter Jim Slaughter with Ella the Scottish Terrier

Ofgem recently announced that energy bills will increase by more than £100 a year from April 2019, after the regulator said it was lifting two price caps because of rising wholesale costs.

With utility bills set to rise and winter the most expensive time for heating bills, home and pet sitting can be an ideal way to save money on bills. Homesitters tend to be retired people in their 50s, 60s and 70s who stay in people’s homes when they go away, keeping the home safe and secure and looking after any pets.

According to Alan Irvine, Managing Director of Homesitters Ltd, people can make savings on their winter bills, especially those that take on several assignments a year, with average savings of around £128.58 per four weeks that they are away.

Alan says, “Most retired people are on a fixed budget and many look to supplement their retirement income. Home and pet sitting is a great option that many won’t have thought of, which is both flexible and offers a modest remuneration. Attractions include the chance to travel throughout the UK, staying in people’s homes and looking after people’s pets.

“Homesitting also provides an opportunity to make savings on household bills. For homesitters that take on a lot of assignments, particularly during winter these savings can make a big difference to those on limited incomes and boost their income,” adds Alan.

As well as the savings on bills, home and pet sitters employed by Homesitters Ltd can earn around £560 per month for one hour 45 minutes of duties a day including a daily food allowance. Homesitters are also reimbursed for their travel to and from the assignment.

One couple that have been home sitting for over three years is Jim and Ros Slaughter, a retired couple from Chichester in their early 60s. The couple are very active and in retirement they wanted to do something a bit different but still purposeful.

Jim explains, “Getting a part time job or setting up a business didn’t really appeal because we didn’t want to be tied into a routine anymore. We wanted the freedom to travel extensively, visit new places and meet new people.”

Jim and Ros love being able to pick and choose their assignments around their own travel plans. They particularly enjoy home sitting over the winter as they have a place in Spain where they spend 10 to 12 weeks a year and they like to travel there by car stopping in different places on the way.

Jim says, “Home sitting is really fun but it’s also purposeful. We can do it as much or as little as we like, combining all our interests together and spending time with animals is the best part of all.”

Another retired couple in their 60s, June and Mick Palmer from Berkshire also enjoy home and pet sitting over the winter months. The couple own a mobile home in Wales so they love the fact home sitting is flexible so they can make sure they have time free to spend there too.

In the past, they had owned several pets and both are great dog lovers. The couple wanted to make the most of their retirement and home sitting appealed as it combines looking after dogs and going on walks with staying in different parts of the country.

June says, “Home sitting gives us a chance to stay in gorgeous locations and get out in the countryside. We joined the National Trust so we can visit lovely houses and gardens wherever we are based. We love looking after the animals which have included cats, guinea pigs and chickens, but most of all we love walking the dogs – we go out with them for two hours or more and it’s great exercise for us.”

For more information on becoming a homesitter visit www.homesitters.co.uk

To read the original post by Sixty Plus Surfers magazine, please visit www.sixtyplusurfers.co.uk/pet-care/

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