From pet-sitting swanky homes to buying cancelled trips, here are creative ways to save on travel | Canada Voices

Between creeping grocery bills, soaring auto insurance costs and the challenge of keeping credit card debt in check, travel has slipped pretty low on the priority list for many of us.

More than six in 10 Canadians who responded to a recent CIBC survey said they’re choosing not to travel during the holidays this year, with 31 per cent citing budget constraints.

While there’s no shortage of advice circulating on how to save on holiday travel, the reality is that getting away will always tend to be expensive during the narrow window when students, families and a flurry of workers are all trying to escape at once.

But travellers who aren’t tethered to exam schedules, office closures or statutory holidays have much more room to manoeuvre – and save. Here are a few creative money-saving tips that have crossed my radar recently.

TrustedHousesitters

An 18th-century home in Bermuda, a sprawling Arizona retreat with a pool and a Christmas-themed hideout in Creemore, Ont. – those are just some of the spots retiree Patricia Watt has stayed at virtually for free over the past few years using TrustedHousesitters.

The Britain-based online platform connects pet owners who need someone to care for their fur babies with travellers looking for free stays around the globe. (Spoiler alert: the properties are often stunning, but make sure you do your due diligence by vetting the owners thoroughly.) “There’s no money to change hands,” Ms. Watt told me, though both sitters and homeowners pay an annual membership fee of around $200.

Ms. Watt’s first sit involved a cuddly chocolate lab named Doug. She later visited Bermuda twice in one year to care for three different cats. In Creemore, she watched over two Labradoodles – and five chickens. “I got fresh eggs every day,” she said.

Despite not being home for the holidays, Ms. Watt said the owners decked out the whole house for her and her son. “How nice is that?”

SpareFare

“If you’re flexible, time is your best friend,” says Erik Ritland, owner of SpareFare.

The platform allows travellers to buy and sell non-refundable bookings – flights, hotels or entire vacation packages – often at steep discounts. (The company saw business spike during the recent Air Canada strike.)

For sellers dealing with emergencies, strikes, breakups or natural disasters, it lets them recoup money that would otherwise be lost. For buyers, it can translate into savings of 20 to 30 per cent off the original price, Mr. Ritland told me.

SpareFare is part of a lineup of companies that have recently cropped up to cater to flaky travel including Roomer, Plans Change and TransferTravel.

Google Flight Deals

AI-powered travel tools are everywhere, but separating what actually works from what doesn’t is an exhausting endeavour. From my early tinkering, however, I can tell you that Google’s Flight Deals proves promising.

Launched in Canada this fall and still in beta-testing, the AI-driven search tool helps flexible travellers surface the best-value options.

Enter in where you’d like to go, how you want to travel and a broad time frame; the tool will then work its magic to generate deals that roughly match your parameters. For the especially adventurous among us, the “explore deals” tab serves up a mix of itineraries – from Samaná in the Dominican Republic to Cagliari, Italy to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – with many round-trip fares under $500.

In the spirit of travelling on a budget, have a listen to this recent Stress Test podcast I just co-hosted with Globe personal finance editor Roma Luciw. It’s a big-travel, small-budget blueprint for 2026.

Do you have any unconventional tips to add to the list? Drop me a line at [email protected].

Mariya’s consumer reading list

Canadian household wealth hits record highs

Economic doom and gloom aside, Canadians grew their total wealth to a record-high of $18.4-trillion in the third quarter of 2025, marking a two-year streak where net worth increased for eight consecutive quarters. But, as always, there’s a catch.

We’re in for a K-shaped Christmas

A new Angus Reid poll found that Canadians feeling the most financial pressure anticipate little relief next year while those facing “very low” financial pressure will expect even less of it, pointing to a bigger divide between this country’s most and least wealthy.

Your kids want in-game currency this holiday season

Gen Alpha has officially swapped Legos for digital economies on their holiday wish list, and the average parent intends to spend around US$737 on game-related gifts, according to a U.S. survey by the Entertainment Software Association.

Look out for these loyalty program changes in 2026

Loyalty programs like to keep us on our toes. Updates roll out fast and frequently. Barry Choi walks us through the key updates to know for next year.

Chart of the day

One in five workers is a government employee. Should Canadians be worried?

Today’s financial tool

A search engine that allows you to scour Reddit for discussions about any stock tickers.

Callout:

Are you a baby boomer who put downsizing plans on hold to accommodate an adult child living at home, or to preserve your kids’ ability to come back home if they need to? For a Globe story, journalist Kelsey Rolfe is looking to speak with retirees and people close to retirement who are hanging onto the family home for these reasons. Her email is [email protected].

In the social sphere

Social Media

Do you really need a cash wedge in retirement?

Money-free zone

Didn’t inherit the good-gift-giving gene? This guide includes no-nonsense questions to ask yourself before getting someone a present.

ICYMI