If you are live-in you also get accommodation, heat and power etc for free - so that is also part of your pay. I knew one sitter in ChCH who found it particularly useful in the leadup to her exams as she had the run of my office and computer for revision etc, and my internet access. It depends on your personal circumstances if you find it useful - I would have been more than happy to get a job doing that when I first got here for free accommodation, but there were no openings ...