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I gave up my corporate job to travel full-time and live in other people’s homes for free

by with No Comment Xpandfy

A few years ago, I was working a traditional 9-to-5 corporate management job in the San Francisco Bay Area.

After nearly a decade in my field, I had a car, a home, emergency savings, and no debts to pay off. I’d done everything “right” and accomplished things many strive for, but I wasn’t completely satisfied.

Then, in 2022, I left my job, booked a one-way flight to Italy, and began traveling full-time. What I thought would be a short break turned into over two years of seeing new countries while living entirely off my savings.

I kept thinking, “When am I going to get tired of constantly moving around … and how can I extend this lifestyle until that time comes?”

In an effort to stretch my savings further and extend my travels, I started house-sitting.

House- and pet-sitting has helped me keep traveling and stretch my savings


Woman smiling with cat

By 2022, I wanted something different for my life. 

Alanna Parrish



I came across the idea to house-sit while looking for ways to travel more economically. In return for looking after someone’s home while they are away, I get a place to stay.

For me, this felt like an amazing trade and a way to avoid paying for hotels or rentals. Sometimes, I’m also paid for these gigs — especially if pet-sitting is involved.


Woman smiling taking selfie while holding

I’ve watched homes and pets in many different cities. 

Alanna Parrish



Once I started, I expanded my network through travel, and I discovered a high demand for house-sitters, not only in the United States but also outside of it.

So far, I’ve watched pets and homes in more than 15 different cities, including some international ones.

I’ve woken up to ocean views in Honolulu; explored the food scene in Santa Fe, New Mexico; biked along Chicago’s Gold Coast; and discovered hidden-gem cafés throughout Greenpoint and Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

I love the freedom that comes with this lifestyle and the connections I’ve made


Woman smiling with cat on her shoulder

A lot of my house-sitting gigs involve watching pets. 

Alanna Parrish



Many people’s biggest living expense is rent or housing, but I don’t have to worry about budgeting for those. I try to line up my sits so that I don’t often need to pay for hotels or rentals, either.

This has completely changed the way I live. I love the freedom that this life brings, not only financially but also emotionally.

Since I’m staying in actual homes and often for longer periods, I’m better able to explore different cities and neighborhoods the way locals do, rather than as a tourist passing through.


Perosn holding e-reader, coffee, on sunny balcony

It’s been nice experiencing some neighborhoods as a local. 

Alanna Parrish



I get to meet homeowners from all over the world who’ve been incredibly generous and welcoming, often going above and beyond to make sure I feel at home in their space.

Building these relationships with the homeowners and their animals has been such an amazing part of this experience. I take it very seriously that people are trusting me to live in their spaces and care for every home and pet as if they were my own.

It’s not always easy to live this way, but I’m enjoying it


Woman standing in front of columns and arches

Before I started house-sitting, my life looked very different from how it looks now. 

Alanna Parrish



This lifestyle is not for everyone. I live out of a suitcase and often don’t know where I’m going next.

I am constantly planning where I will be living and how I’m going to get there. Sometimes I am booked months in advance; other times, I am figuring things out a few days before or dealing with last-minute cancellations.

The uncertainty can be stressful, but the trade-off has been worth it for me in the end.

These days, I work remotely while juggling paid sits and free ones so I can keep traveling. I don’t know when I’ll settle down and stay in one place again.

For now, this lifestyle fulfills my desire to explore, connect with others, and discover new places. And I still have a list of cities that I would love to visit — both in the United States and internationally.

Whether I see them through house-sitting or not, I don’t see myself slowing down anytime soon.




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I quit my job because I couldn’t afford to rent or buy a house. I then moved to Thailand, where the cost of living is cheaper.

by with No Comment Xpandfy

My stable job in the UK allowed me to save, but rental prices in my area would have taken up a huge portion of my income. Each month, I withdrew from my savings as everyday expenses became luxuries. I still had bills to pay, such as car finance, insurance, gas, phone, and a contribution to my parents’ mortgage.

I couldn’t move out of my parents’ house at 28. My goal was to buy my own place, but this was unrealistic. Renting was just as high as a monthly mortgage payment. Saving for a down payment while renting in the UK was impossible on a single average salary.

Even though I was employed, I couldn’t afford the life I wanted. I felt like I was surviving, not living. I was craving financial freedom and independence, but the UK couldn’t offer them.

Two years prior, I had traveled around Thailand and fallen in love with the food, the pace of life, and the value for money. It was a country that had always been on my mind, and eventually I reached a point where I couldn’t live comfortably in the UK anymore. I felt financially stuck and embarrassed that I was still living with my parents.

The only way out was to quit my job, become a freelancer, and relocate to Bangkok — a city filled with opportunity where housing costs half as much as in the UK.

Staying in the UK no longer felt sustainable

For months, I was figuring out what to do. I could spend years trying to catch up, or I could change my environment and live a more affordable lifestyle.

After researching Thailand and reminiscing about my travels there, I realized it was the perfect country to start my own business as a freelance writer.

While I was backpacking there previously, I ate freshly cooked meals for as little as $1. I looked into rental listings in Bangkok, and I was shocked. A modern one-bedroom condominium with a gym and swimming pool costs as little as $400 a month.


Sally seaton sitting at a table in a restaurant with bangkok skyline in the background

The author in Thailand.



In comparison, the average rent in my area of the UK was around $1,200 — more than a third of my monthly salary before bills. In Bangkok, I could pay half that and have more space and amenities.

I had been building a freelance writing business alongside my 9 to 5 job to create freedom to live in Thailand. By the time I decided to leave, I had one client secured. It didn’t guarantee stability, but there was no positive future for me in the UK.

Last June, I handed in my notice and booked a one-way flight to Bangkok. Within a month, I said my goodbyes, packed up my life, and left the UK behind.

My life in Thailand costs less, I get more, and I’m happier

Moving to a new country alone and starting my own business was terrifying, but I knew it would eventually give me the financial independence I couldn’t find in the UK.

Now that I’m my own boss, I still work hard. But the difference is that I’m building something for myself. In the eight months I’ve lived in Bangkok, my client base has grown. I earn slightly less, but my money stretches further.

I rent my own condominium for $500 a month, which includes a swimming pool, a gym, and a coworking space. My electricity bill is $40 a month, and water costs just $2.

Things that once felt like luxury in the UK are now part of my everyday life. I buy fresh fruit from local markets. I pay $6 an hour for a weekly cleaner. I don’t cook; I eat out every day without calculating whether I should skip it to save money.

Getting around is affordable, too. I no longer own a car. A train journey costs around $1, and bike rental rides start at $1.

Since moving to Thailand, I’ve embraced what the Thais call “sabai sabai” — a stress-free way of life. For the first time in years, I feel fulfilled, financially free, and happy.




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