When I went away for 3 weeks in May, I advertised my place rent free in exchange for pet sitting. Considering the going rate for rent around this hood is in the $1200/mo range, I literally had to interview people for the "job".

A young couple fit the bill, and they kept my place clean and nothing was broken or stolen. And most importantly, the cats were alive and well, so I gave the couple a $20 Starbucks card when I came home. I felt maybe I should've given them more, but hey, I saved them $900 in rent so I think it was a pretty sweet deal for them.


And going off on tangent a bit, but I hate the concept of tipping, especially in restaurants where the waitstaff give poor service and still feel entitled to a tip. What's most insulting is when they automatically charge a specified amount of tip to your bill - sorry, but tips should be earned, not expected.