A huge leap of faith.

[Scottyboi]

Probably do in fairness. We have a mobile scaff but it was no good on that set up due to the dormers. Plus its Ireland, its all cowboy shit over here. I won't do anything I'm not comfortable with.



That's not even how I got up either. We had a slating ladder up the back.

It's sketchy as fuck that lol one little trip or slip and you're fucked. I need to get on my own roof soon and it's an end terrace higher than that, don't think I will do it without a scaff though it is a long way down.

 

[Tuearts right boot]

Yup. Only expenses are your transport costs to and from the location, and normal living expenses when you're there. You have to be an animal lover though.

Trusted Housesitters website or app. You look after someone's house and pets while they go away on holiday. The host gets to leave their pet in its familiar environment, and have their property cared for while they're away.

Our most recent sit was looking after two cats in a mansion in Prestbury, January this year, for 9 days. We were free to do whatever we liked, so long as the cats were safely looked after. We had a lot of free time to explore the area.

Our first sit was in a lovely large house in Harrow. At the same time, we settled our son into his rented accommodation, for his first teaching job there. We had a wonderful time walking their two energetic dogs.

Another great sit was on the 25,000 acre Holkham Estate in Norfolk, looking after a couple of dogs again. Beautiful setting, lovely dogs, comfortable house, close to loads of beaches and historic towns and villages.

A great, inexpensive way of visiting new places. A friend of ours recently spent a month in Australia. £100 per year registration, covering membership fees and insurance - money well spent, and great for healthy retirees.

Clients of ours, a retired couple have just got back from Spain after house sitting for 9 weeks. My wife's been itching to do this for a few years but we have 2 dogs.

 

[Tuearts right boot]

I retired as soon as I could in my 40s. Lucky enough to be financially secure otherwise we couldn’t, obviously. But if anyone is in that position then I don’t understand why they wouldn’t fuck working off asap; traffic jams, no time for fun stuff, restrictions, petty politics and bureaucracy and spending hours with people you‘re not particularly close to - absolute shite.

We get one life, make the most of it!

Some of us, me included would be bored out of their tiny mind. I need to work but only at what I want to do. Social interaction, challenges met, finance obviously, a general need to actually get up early and do something worthwhile.

 

[Nebuchadnezzar]

It's sketchy as fuck that lol one little trip or slip and you're fucked. I need to get on my own roof soon and it's an end terrace higher than that, don't think I will do it without a scaff though it is a long way down.

And quite rightly you should as well.

Make no mistake, I won't be doing this forever. Right now it's easy money and stress free, and I genuinely mean that. Even on the worst days, and the sketchiest moments, I'd take this over my last experience.

 

[BlueMonkey79]

Don't think I could.

When i got furloughed in Covid, after the initial week the novelty soon wore off.

I've always been on the go doing something. Wether it's working or helping mates restore cars or general household jobs.

It's a bit of a way off, but retiring scares me.

 

[mancity111]

I spoke with a close friend of mine today, he is 55 years old and I know he has been stressed with work for a good while.

He told me a few weeks ago that had made the decision that his mental health is more important than anything else, and he wanted to pack in working. He is in a well paid job, mortgage free, no debt and his kids have left home. He told me that he has around £50k in savings and over £250k in his pension pot, he just thought that he isn't prepared to deal with the daily grind anymore. At the time I thought he was just sounding off, jump back to today and he has only gone and done it, given his notice and not looking back.

He is taking 12 months out to chill out and "find himself", going to take a few holidays and go to the gym each day to get himself fit. He is going to see where things take him and enjoy life for a while. I should mention that his wife is doing the same, it seems she is fully on board with it and was just waiting for him to pull the trigger.

But it got me thinking, would I be prepared to do the same? It just seems like a huge risk to take at a time when he is doing so well financially, then again his mental health is more important. I'm not sure that I could.
There would be the worry about getting back into work in 12 months time, would I even want to go back to work? I doubt it. And the fear of eating into the savings each month and the dread of any major unexpected expense.

On the other hand I think he has just become my new hero, he hasn't ever been the impulsive type but seems to have gone all in this time. He got me thinking when he said, at 70 years old is he ever going to regret having a year out to do the things we wanted to do while still healthy enough to do so.

Anyone else have made a leap of faith like this and how did it work out?

I did the same abu13 at least from the 9-5 working for a company and or a supervisor but in my case some of it was a decision as for a range of reasons it was given much more focus when my father passed away suddenly and I decided to take mum in with the family which was fine timewise as the children were soon to leave home.

It was easy for me because my mother saved me from going off the rails in my petulant and rather destructive youth when I treated the woman in my life to put it mildly poorly time wise.

I am now 64 and looking after my dementia stricken mother full time and use my spare time to earn some passive income that is enough to keep me comfortable.

its worked out well , I have a good , tight family and I want my mothers remaining days to be with the people she loves and avoid a nursing home at all costs.

Life is way too short and you realise this much more as you get older and more conservative all the more but as difficult as it may seem you cannot let money or lack of it and work rule your life , I found our the hard way and wasn't clever and unselfish enough to find this out until about 20 years ago.

If you love your work whether its with a company or on your own stay at it for as long as you can as it keeps your mind on song but always make time to smell the roses and enjoy the simple things in life if you have a partner or not.

Funny enough looking back it wasn't nearly a big leap of faith as I thought it would be and if anything I should have done so earlier.

 

[Semper aggressus]

Some of us, me included would be bored out of their tiny mind. I need to work but only at what I want to do. Social interaction, challenges met, finance obviously, a general need to actually get up early and do something worthwhile.

It‘s amazing how you can fill your time, but with enjoyment instead of working. I’m in my local amateur dramatics society and play 5 a side every week so still socially active, plus at home there’s gardening, making Airfix kits, a bit of diy, plus we go out a lot hiking and to restaurants and on holidays. I do way more now than when I was working!

 

[Paladin]

I have a friend who does this, tells me he's never had a bad experience. If I tried it I'd get a horse or some such which would keel over within 5 minutes of the owner leaving the property :/

We've not had a bad experience either. We've done the hard yards to build our reputation, and now can pick and choose the nicest offers.

We only choose dogs and cats. Avoid horses, but there are plenty of those if that's your thing. Our last sit last year was for Barry Norman's daughter, in Hammersmith. Lovely house, sedate dog, plenty to do around there.

 

[Paladin]

Clients of ours, a retired couple have just got back from Spain after house sitting for 9 weeks. My wife's been itching to do this for a few years but we have 2 dogs.

We started after our dog died. It sates the desire to be with animals without the long term commitment.

 

[Tuearts right boot]

It‘s amazing how you can fill your time, but with enjoyment instead of working. I’m in my local amateur dramatics society and play 5 a side every week so still socially active, plus at home there’s gardening, making Airfix kits, a bit of diy, plus we go out a lot hiking and to restaurants and on holidays. I do way more now than when I was working!

Yes, but my name's not Reginald.