House swaps and dog walks: Travelers find cheaper alternatives to lodging

FILE PHOTO: Lillian Smith, 30, from Mississippi, U.S., rides in a taxi as she goes on a tour in Bangkok, Thailand May 13, 2023. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lillian Smith has spent about eight of the last 12 months traveling around the world, hitting France, Morocco, Japan and South Korea. Her cost for lodgings in that time? About one night in a hotel, along with the time she spent walking dogs, watering plants and changing litter boxes.

"I have always dreamed of traveling to Japan but didn't have the budget for hotels and Airbnbs," said the 30-year-old freelance designer from Mississippi. Her solution was to agree to house-sit, walk dogs, and care for plants for people around the globe.