Loving and Leaving: The Pet Sitter’s Guide to a Healthy Goodbye

man-and-dog2The results are in – Australia is one of the most prolific pet-owning nations in the world! Almost two thirds of Australian homes include at least one pet, and our furry, feathered or finned friends offer their owners an amazing array of psychological and physiological benefits.

Of course, along with the bonuses of pet ownership comes a significant level of responsibility. Among other considerations, pets should enjoy a safe, loving environment, a good diet, and be given regular health checks.

They should also be suitably cared for when their owners are away on holiday. While a reputable kennel or cattery can provide a solution, many owners dislike the idea of consigning their pets to an alien environment in which they may experience a considerable degree of insecurity and anxiety. Continue reading “Loving and Leaving: The Pet Sitter’s Guide to a Healthy Goodbye”

A New Lease on Life: You’ll Love Our Rising Rent Quick Fix

piggybank2Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more expensive, your rent goes up … again!

While Sydney and Melbourne are generally at the top of the leader board, demand for rental properties has pushed prices up right around Australia.

Now commanding a weekly rental starting at around $400 (that’s $20,800 for 12 months) in less popular areas, to over $1,000 (we won’t frighten you with the math) in on-trend suburbs, the days of the readily affordable two bedroom unit in Sydney are long gone.

Add your annual utilities bill  – gas, electricity and sometimes water – to those super-sized rent payments, and the chances of saving your hard earned dollars for any big ticket items, let alone a deposit on that dream home of your own, quickly shrink from slim to very, very skinny.

So, why not hop off the rental roundabout and join the growing ranks of house and pet sitters who are loving their rent-free life?

You’re thinking that there must be a catch, right? Understandable – but no, absolutely no catch! Continue reading “A New Lease on Life: You’ll Love Our Rising Rent Quick Fix”

Making Cents of Your Savings: 5 Surprisingly Easy Steps to a Wealthier You

cat1aDoes it feel like your hard earned dollars are disappearing into a bottomless black hole? Well, now is an excellent time to fight your way out of the money mire by creating a personalised savings plan that includes some exciting goals. And surprisingly, that’s not as hard as you might think.

Planning ahead by following these five suggestions, could make all the difference to your financial future:

  1. Write it Down: Written goals are clear, measurable and motivational – and statistically, that makes you far more likely to succeed. So, take pen to paper and list your financial goals. Do you want to clear your credit card debt? Save for a house deposit? Buy a new car? Travel around the world? Enjoy the process of listing your goals, because setting this plan is the start of creating a great new life for yourself. When you’re done, calculate the amount required to achieve each goal … and yes, write it down.

Continue reading “Making Cents of Your Savings: 5 Surprisingly Easy Steps to a Wealthier You”

Where to go to escape the cold

dog-879962_1920We’re so lucky in Australia to have, what I consider, quite mild winter weather in comparison to other parts of the world.

There’s no shortage of wonderful winter fun to be had, but for those of us who don’t like the temperature dipping too far below 20 oC, there are some marvellous ways to avoid the winter chill. You just have to know where to go.

Head North

Queensland and the Northern Territory are ideal for winter getaways. Temperatures in Queensland rarely drop below 20oC degrees and low rainfall during this time means you have more opportunity to get out and about. The ‘Dry Season’ in the Northern Territory, which spans from May to October, usually has warm, dry sunny days and cool nights, with temperatures typically ranging from 21 oC to 32 oC, and the humidity levels are much lower at around 60–65%. Continue reading “Where to go to escape the cold”

5 tips to keep your house tidy with pets

-dog2We love our dogs, but we don’t want our homes to smell like them. Here are some tips to keep your home tidy and clean when you have one or more fur-friend sharing your home.

Removing pet hair

Brushing your dog every day will cut down the hair flying around in your home. It will also remove any flaky skin by distributing natural oils through your dogs coat. Not only will regular brushing save your home and furniture from unruly hair and mess, it will also provide you with some important bonding time with your fur-friend. To remove hair from clothes, use a tape roller and always have one readily available around the house. For the furniture, an upholstery tool will do the job nicely. Continue reading “5 tips to keep your house tidy with pets”

Places to visit this Autumn

-early morning2The weather is cooling, the leaves are falling and bursts of red, orange and brown make for fantastic photo opportunities at every turn.

It’s Autumn in Australia and we’ve picked out some interesting places for you to visit, where the season is celebrated with activity, striking visual vibrancy and foodie delights.

NSW

Lying at the foot of an extinct volcano, Orange is a great place to unwind and relax and immerse yourself in the region’s sumptuous food and wine. The fertile volcanic soils produce stone fruits to olives, fungi and grapes. Take a walk through the Orange Botanic al Gardens or the city’s Heritage trail to get to know the history of the area, or visit the limestone caves of Borenore Karst Conservation Reserve to see one of Australia’s first gold mines, which lies just beyond the border of Orange. Continue reading “Places to visit this Autumn”

See Sydney for free

Post 2.1 imageVisiting Sydney doesn’t have to be an expensive experience. There are loads of free or budget conscious events available for young and old and for the entire family.

For a no cost scenic exploration on Sydney – get your feet moving and walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge or visit the steps of the Sydney Opera House. The Royal Botanic Gardens are not far from here where you can admire 30 hectares of tropical plants, green lawns and ponds and simply relax while you overlook the harbour.

There are wonderful weekend markets around the city which feature entertainment, fresh produce and interesting arts, fashion and souvenirs. Continue reading “See Sydney for free”

Enjoy Free Aussie Summer Fun

Free Summer Fun Campaign banner_JanHouse and pet sitting is part of this new ‘shared economy’ phenomenon. At Mindahome, we’re here to help Aussies with similar motives connect.

It’s part of the Aussie spirit. Home and pet owners need a caring and animal loving person to look after their pets and home while they’re away, and house sitters are looking for an adventure. The fact that home owners engage house sitters for free and house sitters stay rent free – is a bonus! Continue reading “Enjoy Free Aussie Summer Fun”

Breaking down the costs of pet care

Our pets are our companions and give us unconditional love, so when we have to go away, we want the best care for them.

Aside from the mental and emotional aspects of pet care which every pet owner considers when leaving their pet, there is also the practical financial expense that needs to be considered.

Research has shown that boarding your pet in a kennel, cattery or other such facility can prove expensive, especially during peak holiday periods such as Christmas, New Year or public holidays and also if you have more than one pet that requires care.

Below is a table of some of the daily costs associated with pet care in Australia and how much it could set owners back this festive season. Continue reading “Breaking down the costs of pet care”

5 surprising facts about pet sitting

dog-2Pet sitting is about a bond with the pet that you care for and understanding their needs, routines and moods. So here are some facts that you may not have known about pet sitting that will highlight the important role pet sitters play in caring for treasured pets.

1. 84% of Mindahome house and pet sitters say that caring for and meeting different types of animals is a benefit of house and pet sitting

2. A survey of Mindahome pet sitters revealed that 94% admit to talking with the pets they care for, 65% watch TV with the pets and 25% sleep with the pets they care for. Continue reading “5 surprising facts about pet sitting”