A vacation is something that comes with thousands of preparations. Even if you are leaving for one week, it’s bound to take you several days to make sure everything goes smoothly while you are away.
Can’t think of that many things to do before leaving? These important tips can help you make sure you enjoy your vacation to its fullest extent and make your return worry-free.
1. Call Banks and Credit Card Companies
If you are traveling out of the state or the country, make sure credit card companies and banks know about your plans. The majority of cards won’t work beyond the local area to protect you from fraud.
It’s quite unfortunate to find out that you can’t pay when you need it the most. The card may work one or two times and then start getting declined.
2. Pack All Immediate Essentials in Your Carry-on Luggage
Luggage gets lost. Often. Even if you’ve never experienced this before, you have to be prepared for the mishap. Most likely, you’ll get your luggage back in one or two days. So make sure you can live these days without it.
The majority of airlines have reasonable limitations for the carry-on bag parameters. You can pack a spare set of clothing, bathroom amenities, and even a pair of extra shoes. Take advantage of this option to avoid stress during the first days of your vacation.
3. Take Less Clothing
Unless you are planning to attend events and parties every day, you don’t need to bring your entire closet with you. You can easily enjoy a one-week trip without bringing luggage. Surprised? You can pack all your stuff in one carry-on bag or backpack.
Seasoned travelers know this. Beginners don’t believe them. So if you are one of the non-believers, pack as much as you think you need. But when you come back home, count the stuff you’ve never put on during your trip. You’ll be surprised.
4. Use Shoe Space
When you are packing shoes, there is plenty of unused space left inside them. You can stuff your socks or deodorant sticks inside each shoe to make sure you are using all space fully.
5. Roll Clothing
Rolling clothing can save you plenty of space in your bag. Even though it may get somewhat wrinkled, most hotels and apartments have irons to fix the problem. Consider investing in items that don’t wrinkle too much or bring a wrinkle release spray with you. Hang all items on hangers and chairs when you get to the hotel. The majority of them will straighten out on their own.
6. Use Ziploc Bags
Put all your toiletries in a Ziploc bag. Your luggage goes through plenty of wear and tear as it makes its way through the airport. All this throwing around could force bottles to open.
If you are bringing toiletries onboard the plane, make sure all of them are packed in one transparent bag. Some airlines will ask you to show all bottles containing liquids during the checkup. If they are hidden in different corners of your bag, the process will be highly inconvenient.
7. Bring Duct Tape
Damaged luggage is highly common. Even the toughest luggage bags have a tendency to crack when handled in airports. If you don’t have duct tape packed, you may have a tough time carrying your damaged bag.
8. Pack Extra Bags
They could be plastic or textile bags for you to use when going shopping or carrying wet stuff from the beach. Remember, if you are going to Europe, you may face a big shortage of plastic bags in countries that take care of the environment. A simple plastic bag at the nearby grocery shop could cost you up to $10.
9. Invest in Travel Adapters
If you are going out of the country, you are likely to face different electrical outlets. Make sure to buy an adapter before leaving. They could be tough to find in the country you are traveling to.
10. Clean the House
Why would you clean your home before leaving it? Coming back to a dirty house is frustrating. When you return from your vacation, you are bound to have thousands of tasks waiting for you anyway. Don’t make clean up one of them.
It’s always more fun to clean up while anticipating the vacation than after coming back.
11. Manage Your Fridge
Many people know that they should clean out their fridge before leaving in order not to come back to spoiled food, mold, and unpleasant odors. However, leaving the appliance empty could reduce its lifespan.
According to appliance repair experts at hartmanappliancerepair.com, the refrigerator stays in its top shape when there are items inside. Whatever is inside the appliance acts as a cooling element, thus reducing the strain on its motor. The fridge cools down the items so they can reciprocate.
After you clean the fridge out, put water bottles or pots filled with water inside.
12. Unplug Electronic Devices
Don’t just leave your house “as is” even if it’s squeaky clean. You need to do a few things to ensure it stays in its top shape during your leave. The most important one is to unplug electronics.
When your computer, TV, microwave, and other electronics are plugged in, they use energy. Keep your energy bills to a minimum by unplugging. This can also protect appliances from unexpected power surges and electrical storms.
13. Leave Keys
Even if you’ve prepped your house for the vacation perfectly, it’s not protected against force majeure events. That’s why someone should always have access to keys while you are away.
Meanwhile, losing keys during vacation isn’t uncommon. You wouldn’t want to replace locks after coming back from your trip, would you?
Make sure you lock all the doors, windows, and other entrances to your home.
14. Take out the Garbage
This may seem obvious, but many people forget to remove the garbage before they leave. You can imagine the terrible smell they come back to. Taking out the garbage should be the last thing you do before leaving the house.
Have a fun and safe vacation!
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