Go Discount Shopping Before You Pack
For frequent travelers, it feels like you're always on the road,
on your way to the airport, or waiting in line at hotel
registration. Most of all, it feels like you're constantly
packing and unpacking your luggage. Even those of us who travel
less frequently - a trip home to visit our mother and father at
the holidays, a quick trip to the mountains to enjoy the great
outdoors, and an annual vacation - can find packing and
unpacking a hassle. The good news is that, with a little
forethought and a bit of discount shopping, traveling can be
hassle free.
The first step in organizing your travel is to invest in good
luggage. If you're a frequent traveler, quality luggage will
hold up well over the course of your journeys. If you're a
weekend or vacation traveler, your luggage will last for years
and you won't have to worry that the materials will crack or
degrade.
The next step for smooth travel is to make a master list. Over
the course of a week or two - and long before your departure -
think about every item that you might choose to take along on
your travels. Include different kinds of clothes (career,
dressy, casual, sleepwear), shoes, toiletries, jewelry, perfume,
cameras, and anything else that you might need or want while
you're away. Then make a similar list for every member of your
family who travels. Include toys and books for the kids,
magazines for you or your spouse, and anything else they may
need while they're away. You might even want to make a master
list of instructions to leave for the person who will take care
of your pets while you're away. Keep your list on your computer
in a word processing file. When it comes time to pack for a
trip, you can make a copy of the list and delete anything you
know you won't need. What remains is the list of items you'll
take with you. When you keep a master list, you don't have to
reinvent the proverbial wheel every time you're faced with an
empty suitcase.
The final step in combating the challenge of packing and
unpacking for a trip is to do some discount shopping. You can
approach discount shopping in a number of ways. Frequent
travelers find that discount shopping provides them with an
opportunity to have a second set of clothes, toiletries, and
even perfume that they then keep stored in their luggage. When
it's time to hit the road, more than half of their packing is
already done. When the come home, the clothes get washed,
folded, and placed back in their luggage.
For those who travel less frequently, discount shopping is a
means for traveling light. You can buy travel-size toiletries so
you don't have to lug around large containers of your favorite
products. You can also use discount shopping to stock up on
clothes you use everyday, such as undergarments. More than one
person has been known to purchase new underwear and socks prior
to a trip, then pack their old items that needed to be replaced
anyway, and throw them away - during their trip - after they've
been worn. This gives them more room in their luggage for the
souvenirs and gifts that they pick up on their trip.