Mike and I are both coffee lovers. On our nomad journey, we’ve quickly learned that not everyone feels the same. We’ve stayed at homes with no coffee maker at all. We’ve stayed at homes with pod coffeemakers that use instant coffee granules rather than coffee grounds. And everywhere we’ve gone, we’ve had great coffee – because […]
Author Archives: Nicole Gustas
The Cheapskate’s Guide To Luxembourg: How to Have a Cheap Good Time in an Expensive Country
Luxembourg is number five on the list of most expensive countries to live in. If you’re a cheapskate, is it possible to have a good time there? Yes, absolutely! Luxembourg has a huge number of free or cheap things to do that will keep you busy. Plus it’s loaded with gorgeous scenery that makes it […]
How to Keep a Taxi From Taking Advantage of You
Everywhere from Sydney to Phuket to Rome to Prague, we’ve had taxis try to take advantage of us. Sometimes, they’ve succeeded. Here are some of the scams we’ve run into, and how we’ve learned to avoid them. The Long Way ‘Round Scam Many years ago, before Google Maps was a twinkling in Larry Page’s eye, […]
Getting Caught With Your Pants Down: My Story
I’m about to admit something embarrassing: I’m not perfect. My posts may make it look like I always get it right, but sometimes I make huge mistakes. Here’s the story of one of those times. We had one day to go on our housesit. We were dedicating our entire next day to cleanup in order […]
In Praise of Lesser Known Destinations
Lots of people who look into housesitting imagine themselves taking care of a luxury penthouse in New York City, a beach house in the Maldives, or a fin de siecle apartment in Paris. I’ve even had someone say to me, “I’m ready to do my first housesit! Can you hook me up with something in […]
How to See Australia’s Animals for Free Around Brisbane
There are many places near Brisbane where you can pay admission to see Australia’s unique animals. However, maybe you’ve already visited those spots and now want a chance to see those animals out in the wild. There are a couple of places near Brisbane where you can see native animals without spending any money at […]
Want Cheap Fun? Have You Visited Your Local Botanical Garden?
Are botanical gardens on your radar? They’re beautiful, calming and often free. Don’t you mean botanic garden? Don’t be pedantic! That’s my job. They’re called both Botanic Gardens and Botanical Gardens. Fine, you win on a technicality. Isn’t it just a bunch of plants? Okay, yeah, technically. Botanical gardens are big collections of plants from […]
How to Stay Safe: Nomading in an Uncertain World
Our first year of nomading was completely smooth, with no travel disruptions. 2019 became difficult toward the end, and 2020 is starting out in flames – literally. Whether there’s a strike, a political incident or a natural disaster, how do you foresee it and how do you plan your next move? Tourism Sites May Not […]
Housesitting on Another Continent? Here’s Some Household Differences
Before we did our first house-sitting gig in Europe, we prepared ourselves for a life without a dishwasher. Surprise! Dishwashers are just as common in Europe as they are in the US. However, there were many other ways in which standard European kitchens differed that took some adjustment. The difference wasn’t just in kitchens. There […]
Is a City Attractions Pass The Best Way to Save Money?
Museum or Heritage Passes May be Better for Nomads City attraction passes are a popular way for tourists to save money by paying a flat fee for admission to many top tourist attractions. But if you’re a nomad, are they really the best option? Or are there other options traditionally marketed to locals that may […]