How Much to Pay Pet-sitter?

P.

Hello. I realize costs are different in San Antonio. However, when I have someone taking care of my dog? I pay them $25 a day. Why that much? Because gas isn't cheap and their time is important to me as they are taking care of my beloved pet.

I would say $15 per day and the bag from the trip.

You should recognize that you effectively "hired a professional" - you asked a woman who works with a vet to check in on your lizard. She would probably be capable of detecting problems if there had been any problems, and, she could obviously quickly bring your lizard to the vet if necessary - luckily your lizard was apparently fine all week, but you had someone capable of handling any issues at "an advanced level" just in case.

"$20 and a cute purse" is maybe what you would give a 12-year-old who watered your favorite plant for you every day while you were away! No special skills.

For this woman, I'd say $15/day or $20/day. The purse as an extra is up to you, if you know her well enough to know if she would like it.

ETA: As MilitaryMom says, think about this woman's hourly rate at her job...even if she didn't spend an hour each day with your lizard, she spent part of an hour plus gas. Also, as Margie says, you could always do a nice gift card instead of cash. (You could put cash or gift card into an envelope and stick it inside the purse.)

My kids pet sit for neighbors. To take dog for 5 min walk to have a BM, and feed, they get $10. So $20 for twice a day.

We paid a friend $25 (gift card) a week to keep our fish at her place (for a week at her house, **we dropped the fish aquarium at her house for her so no inconvenience at all for her). All she had to do was feed them twice a day.

ETA: Read through the answers. I think there's confusion as to whether you mean for whole week or per day - and this depends on if she's going out of her way, or popping in on her way to work.

If she just offered to do it and isn't expecting payment (if this wasn't discussed), and you just want to thank her, (our kids always discuss this beforehand), then I would pay her $40 or $50 (whatever you feel is appropriate if she had to go out of her way) and the bag and a thank you card.

I would do $20. She took time from her day to drive to/from your home. Her time is worth at least that plus there is drive time and gas involved.

I always try to err on the heavier side vs the cheaper side because you might want her to come back some day.

She had 15 minutes of driving time per day and probably 5-10 minutes in the house, right? So call it 25 minutes times 7 days, or just under 3 hours of work plus gas. If you pay her $10, you are saying that her time is worth $3.33 an hour and she has to pay for her gas? What's minimum wage where you live?

Unless you are talking about a daily rate vs. a total, I think that's pretty insulting. Definitely give her a minimum of $25. It's a lot cheaper than buying a new lizard! Vacation pet care expense is part of the cost of owning an animal. If you'd hired someone from Care.com, it would have been $15 a visit!

Maybe she wants the bag, maybe she doesn't. My guess is, she did this for the money. Perhaps you should work these things out ahead of time. She's a professional.

I guess I'd be giving her more than $20. If it was a good friend that you were "trading favors" back and forth with, I think it would be different. At a minimum, I'd figure out about how much time it took her each day to drive over and feed/water and based on her normal hourly rate at her job, probably compensate her about the same, plus a little something for gas. The bag is nice, but really, I feel that is compensating her for making it so convenient for you, not really for the work and gas she did. I guess look at it this way, if you go a little overboard, she will definitely do it again (and maybe then you guys can work out a number you both agree on in advance - she might say hey, I'd love to and this time PLEASE don't pay me or just $20 is totally fine).

Err on the side of caution and you will always come out ahead :)

you're talking per day, right?

$20 per day.

$10 would be fine if it were the kid next door. but this gal drove to your house every day for a week. even if it's a short drive. even if your pet is easy.

especially considering she works at a vet and presumably would know if your dragon got sick.

khairete
S.

I would have given her more, maybe $50 at the very least, if not $100. Even if she's not cleaning poop, she is still having to wake up earlier every morning just to go to your place to feed the dragon and then fight traffic to get to work, plus the cost of gas she is spending daily, and I guess she is having to come back in the evening to feed her. She also has a high level of experience and education. People pay extra when they hire a qualified nanny with CPR knowledge versus a teen from the neighborhood, for example.

$10/day is fine but if she did this for 7 days I would just round up to $100.

I hope you don’t mean $10 or $20 total 😳 I'd say $10 per day minimum... she had to drive to your house, etc.

You mean per day, right? For that level of care I think $10 per day is fine. Covers her little bit of extra gas and time.

I thing $10 would do just fine.

I'd say $10 per day.