Expert: Gary C. Dunn - 6/14/2005

Question
I'm on disability this gives me alot of free time can you give me some pointers on how to travel or live rent free on a budget.

Answer
Hi Pierre. Thanks for writing. Inveterate travelers have discovered that caretaking enables them to live and work in a variety of interesting locales - both in the U.S. and abroad. Positions may be for the long or short-term (including two-week housesitting stints for a vacationing homeowner), seasonal or year-round. Many newcomers to the caretaking field have been lifelong travelers. Most are motivated by the desire to explore another culture in depth. Caretaking offers travelers the opportunity to become a part of a community and experience life as the locals live it. Travelers can caretake resort properties during off-seasons, enjoying the use of the grounds and facilities. For travelers who are considering a move to another geographic area, caretaking allows them to experience life in a new location prior to spending time, money and energy relocating there. You might try www.caretaker.org for more info. Here are some typical listings from back issues of THE CARETAKER GAZETTE (Note: All landowners' phone numbers, addresses, emails, etc. have been removed from these sample ads)

 ALASKA
CARETAKER NEEDED late September to May on a self-sufficient comfortable Aleutian homestead. Free housing and stipend. Orcas, eiders, sea otters, caribou, hydroelectric power, Internet, loom, hot tub. Writers and naturalists have prospered here. Please call

 ARIZONA
COUPLE, or a single person able to handle isolation, is needed on a remote southern Arizona ranch. Caretaker, cooking, housekeeping, and maintenance responsibilities. Small salary, housing and insurance
provided. Please send a letter to:

 AUSTRALIA
CARETAKERS needed on the Great Keppel Island to look after a holiday house. Live in flat available, perfect for a single or couple. Please apply in writing to:

 BELIZE
HOUSESITTER WANTED during owner's absence and companion for exploring the jungle, fishing, snorkeling, coral reef and canoe trips. Have your own bedroom, living room and bath on 3rd floor overlooking the Caribbean. Pay for telephone, electricity, and your own food. Please write to:

 CALIFORNIA
HOUSE GUEST(S) wanted to occupy a mountain cottage(s). Full time. Located in the foothills, one hour from Sacramento. Bottom of canyon. Four miles from freeway. You can fish off the porch. Keep all gold found in the river. Must love outdoors, remoteness. Pets permitted. References required. No job. No addictions. Please leave a message, including your name and phone number at:

 COLORADO
LOOKING FOR a semi-retired or retired single or couple to maintain a private seven-acre estate, in Boulder. Separate caretaker's residence is provided. Please fax

 COSTA RICA
EVER CONSIDER spending time in a tropical climate? Within walking distance of one of the world's most biodiverse national parks? Located in southwestern Costa Rica, on the Osa Peninsula, our farm is just outside of Dos Brazos en el Tigre, 6 km downriver from Corcouado National Park. We are a working homestead looking to develop a crop or crops to be marketed in the Dos Brazos/Puerto Jimenez area. We are looking for a person or couple to help with daily chores. In exchange, we offer plenty of free time, a place to live, and meals. Please write:

 HAWAII
THIS FAMILY has just begun construction on a 25,000 sq. ft. home on their Hawaiian property. They need an attentive and intelligent person who can juggle many activities at once. A good strong manager is a real must. A 6,000 sq. ft. living space will be provided for the caretaker. Salary starts at $70,000 with health benefits included. Call:

 MARYLAND
A COUPLE or single person, nonsmoking, is needed for a single businessman, to live in and take care of a beautiful home and grounds in Roland Park. American and foreign citizens can apply. Salary negotiable. Living quarters provided. No pets. The last housekeeper was there for twenty-five years, before retiring. You must have at least three years experience. Please send a resume and references to

 IDAHO
CARETAKER(S) WANTED for very remote homestead near Hells Canyon, Idaho. Must have a 4WD vehicle and be self-reliant. Mild climate but winter access varies. Homestead has hydroelectricity & most amenities but no phone. Animals fine. Great free retreat for the  right persons. We just want someone to be living in our home. Send references and letter saying why this is the right situation for you to

 JAMAICA
YOU ARE INVITED TO SHARE in the benefits of our growing nature retreat, organic farm and alternative teaching center. Our ten-acre primitive retreat is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Home of a developing healing arts center, we are only 2000' from the Caribbean Sea, safe, secure, and private. The farm has a running river and artesian springs. We grow almost every tropical fruit and vegetable imaginable. We are registered with environmental groups and agencies worldwide as a bird and wildlife sanctuary. Live rent-free in exchange for light maintenance work such as weeding, raking, gardening, maintenance of fences and buildings, shopping for supplies, rototilling and weed-eating work. Applicants should be in good health, handy, and resourceful with a common sense understanding of the hazards of nature. Please send large SASE to:

 NETHERLANDS
WE ARE LOOKING for somebody who will live in our home and care for our dog and birds. The period is from January 1 - March 30. We live in a large house in a quiet street. Garden. Our small town is half an hour south of Rotterdam. For more info, please call:

 NEW YORK
ESTATE MANAGER needed. Position is based in New York City with extensive travel in US to employers' four estates. Must have extensive background in personal service either from a top-level domestic posts or hotel/hospitality experience. Accounting and event planning background helpful, as this family and their corporation entertain on a presidential level. Must be able to liaison with the staffs of the homes and the corporation. Must be a pro at budgeting, and hiring and firing. Must be a hands-on doer not above picking up a mop or serving the table. Starting salary to $100,000, plus an impressive benefit package. To apply, please call

 VIRGINIA
LOOKING FOR SOMEONE like me . . . Mother naturalist establishing retreat. Room/board exchanged for creativity and fulfillment of a dream. For more info, please

Copyright © 2005. The Caretaker Gazette. Published since 1983, the Gazette is a bimonthly newsletter that helps landowners and caretakers find one another. Subscriptions are$29.95/year.
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