726
7 min 23 sec

Medical Examiner Fetches New Paws-ibilities With Pet Sitting Hustle

No permanent home, no problem! This Seattle medical examiner pet sits her way to New York City and an early retirement.
Animals Service Sharing Economy Starter Platforms Unique Ideas

Subscribe Now For A Free Five Step Tutorial

What It's About

A how-to guide on living in NYC rent-free!

Business Model
Service
Skills Required
Pet Sitting & Organization
Complexity
Low
Profit Potential
Medium

Words of Wisdom

But what happens when Jen doesn't have something lined up? Well, worst case scenario, Jen budgets money for nights where she doesn’t have anything booked and needs a hotel, which is usually only between five to ten times a month.

Fun Fact

Did you know? “Three dog night” is an Australian Aboriginal saying meaning it’s so cold you’d need to cuddle with three dogs to keep you warm while you sleep.

Notes from Chris

Episode 726
Jen Tserng’s rent-free living is made possible by busy New Yorkers and their pets. Originally a burnt-out physician from Seattle, Jen has now called New York City home for the past three years just by living in other people’s houses and taking care of their pets when they’re away. This is all thanks to one app, a love of animals, and a desire to earn extra money.

Jen had pets for most of her life. When she wasn’t rescuing small dogs, she was saving them from puppy mills or giving foster dogs a loving home. When she stumbled upon Rover, an app that offers on-demand dog walking, as well as other pet-related services, she saw the opportunity to get paid doing what she loved: hanging out with furry, four-legged friends. So, to supplement her income as a medical examiner, Jen signed up as a freelance dog walker and pet sitter on Rover.

One afternoon, with a cup of coffee in hand, Jen created her Rover profile. Because she had lots of experience with pets, she decided to set her rate at $45 an hour. The requests trickled in slowly, but that was all she needed to get started. It took her a while to become established as the go-to freelance dog walker in Seattle, but she quickly began to gather five-star reviews, and, eventually, referrals to other clients off the platform. Demand increased, and Jen noticed that she was enjoying her life outside of work more than she ever had before.

A year later, she decided that the alluring pull of the freedom of being able to set her own hours (and get out of the stressful career she wasn’t exactly enjoying) was too strong. So, she quit her job, packed her bag, and set her sights on New York City.

Living in New York City can be a serious financial burden. But through house and pet sitting, Jen has been able to earn between $60,000 to $100,000 a year and save $40,000 of that. All without worrying about rent, bills, or whether she forgot to buy enough toilet paper. She just needs to cover her food and cell phone bill, which runs her under $600 a month. And all she needed to get started with Rover was an initial background check that cost her $25.

She usually makes around $180 a day while working seven days a week. Slower days net about $120, while holidays like New Year’s and Memorial Day see spikes to upwards of $350 a day. Since holidays are so lucrative, she has to be strategic about when she takes time off. But all that income, combined with a very frugal lifestyle, means Jen can build a serious stash of savings. Last year, she managed to save $45,000 and still take 10 weeks of vacation.

While it might sound like fun, games, and fur, Jen’s side hustle turned real-life hustle isn’t without its challenges. Her income is steady now and she doesn’t have to pay rent, but that comes with also not having a ‘home base’ of her own. Jen is the first person to admit that her hustle might be stressful to some people but says that it is perfect for where she’s at right now. She’s single with no kids and doesn’t have a ton of stuff to cart around, so she doesn’t mind packing it all up every five-ish days.

Jen says it was initially scary to move from side hustle to full-time pet sitter, but she’s glad to went for it. Her goal is to save $500,000 and retire early. She’ll live on her savings (frugally) by making her way around the world for free using international pet sitting sites. The paws-ibilities are endless!

 
  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Rover | Jen Tserng: Learn more about Jen and what she's up to over on her Rover page!
  • Rover: The platform that Jen used to find people to pet sit for

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter


Download Episodes By Months:

Season 6 (2022): JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |

Season 5 (2021): JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |

Season 4 (2020): JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |

Season 3 (2019): JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |

Season 2 (2018): JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |

Season 1 (2017): JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️


Learn More

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for my past 5 websites. It's cheap, flexible, and you can get support 24 hours a day.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!


Learn More

Quote of the Day
"I’m definitely more motivated every because I’m running the show, and I like the flexibility a lot more. I think I just want to be a career housesitter and travel the world!​​"
—Jen Tserng #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.


Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.


Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!





To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau