'I traveled for an entire year for free — and saved $15K'

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How one backpacker traveled an entire year for free - and saved $15k

Backpacker Hailey Learmonth traveled around Australia for free by petsitting and driving company vans to various locations - and saved $15k doing it.

A backpacker traveled around Australia for free by pet-sitting — and has saved thousands of dollars doing it.

Hailey Learmonth headed to Australia in Jan. 2023 after googling "how to travel for free," as SWNS reported.

For over a year, Learmonth looked after people's pets in exchange for staying in their homes, for anywhere between six days and three months.

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The traveler has looked after dogs, cats, chickens and cows in Brisbane and the Gold Coast Hinterland, living rent-free and saving $15,000 that she would otherwise have spent on accommodations, according to SWNS.

The opportunity has given her the chance to explore all the "underrated" places in Australia while saving thousands on rent, nights out and booze, the same source said,.

Hailey Learmonth, 27, shown above, headed to Australia in Jan. 2023 after googling "how to travel for free." From then until she left the country in May 2024, she stayed in other people's homes while taking care of their pets and homes. (SWNS)

Said Learmonth, a freelance social marketer originally from Canada, "Dog-sitting is definitely the way to go if you are trying to save money."

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At the start of her journey, Learmonth created a profile on Trusted House Sitters and was matched with paying customers.

"It was a crazy experience. I’ve never lived that rural before, especially not on a farm," she said of one stay.

"I’ve never lived that rural before, especially not on a farm," said Learmonth, pictured at one of the places where she worked. (SWNS)

During her stint on the farm, Learmonth traveled around a 40-acre piece of land with the farm’s dogs. "We’d go to this dam and they’d paddle in the water. The cows would follow us down and everything!"

She even got fresh eggs for breakfast from the farm’s chickens.

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While traveling throughout Australia, Learmonth took freelance jobs and had a few stints in coffee shops to keep a steady income stream.

She saved the money she earned because she didn't need to spend money on rent.

"All in all, I saved around $15,000, and I was able to use the money … to go on road trips that I wouldn't have been able to afford before," Learmonth said, per SWNS.

While traveling in Australia and watching people's animals, Learmonth (pictured) had a few stints in coffee shops to keep a steady income stream. (SWNS)

"I was lucky enough to have my friend visit me toward the end of my time there, so I used the money to stay in nice Airbnbs and go out for nice meals."

Back home in Canada now, Learmonth said she plans to travel again this summer and will use dog-sitting to save money.

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"It is always an option, especially as I work remotely — I am still thriving in the area of cheap travel," she said. "It is a really cool way to experience remote-working and explore a new area."

What to know

Those considering house-sitting or pet-sitting in another country should keep in mind that a work visa may be required, an attorney advised.

"Most countries define ‘work’ broadly under their immigration statutes," Chad D. Cummings, attorney and CPA in Naples, Florida, told Fox News Digital. 

Travelers should inquire whether the host country offers a short-term service visa or cultural exchange classification that permits such activity, an attorney said. (SWNS)

"If you provide a service that would ordinarily be performed by a paid local, even in exchange for non-monetary compensation like accommodation or meals, you are likely in violation of local labor or immigration codes." 

Every country maintains its own visa classification system and methods of enforcement, he said. "The legal analysis depends entirely on local law," he added. 

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"Travelers should treat house-sitting abroad as a legal contract, not a vacation favor," Cummings recommended. "The safer course is to assume that house-sitting, even informally arranged, is a contract for services."

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The traveler should inquire whether the host country offers a short-term service visa or cultural exchange classification that permits such activity, he said.

"Travelers who fail to conduct proper due diligence may find themselves detained, fined or barred from entry."