You already have your luggage, 3 oz. bottles for toiletries and your identification handy before your trip but you’re not as organized as you’d like to be when flying. You may think you don’t have time but don’t get discouraged yet. Your packing methods may be to blame. If you ignore them, you may waste your precious time and money.
Here are three travel packing tips to make you more efficient while packing.
1. What Would a Flight Attendant Do?
After reading a New Yorks Times article, I learned that rolling your clothes, basing your outfits around your shoes, and bringing lightweight, washable items are key for streamlining your wardrobe when packing for a flight. The added bonus is, it can save you money on baggage fees, if you can pack the bare essentials.
2. Have Bag Will Travel
Be sure to stock up on plastic bags that zip before your trip. Separate your shampoo and other products that might leak. If something spills, you may need an extra bag on hand to quickly transfer items into a new bag. I also like to put my shoes in plastic bags so they don't touch my clothing in the suitcase. See-through bags are recommended by the airlines. It also make it easier to get through security at the airport.
3. Try The Take Stock Packing Technique
Keep items stocked and ready to go in plastic bags in your closet for future trips. After I returned from a recent trip, I kept my shampoo, conditioner, soap, and all other essentials in a plastic bag in my closet. I also replenished anything that is missing. It significantly cuts down the amount of time I spend packing for next time. It also helps me avoid spending all at once, especially before the trip.
Karen Cordaway has been a lifelong money-saving enthusiast with an MS in Education. She writes about money tips on her blog and is a contributor to Mamiverse.com. Her topics often include food, travel, education and DIY projects. She was recently featured on a Fox News website. For tips like this, check out her blog at MoneySavingEnthusiast.com.
Great tips here.
Agree with you 100% on the light weight cloths and shoes. Taking stuff for ‘just in case’ are gone, so as you say it is very important to plan your packing if you want to save money on extra baggage fees.
Thanks for sharing.
Damayanthi
I just went on a trip and overpacked. We got free checked bags because it was international, but I went a little overboard.
I did that too, you’re a guy though.. shouldn’t that make things easier? 😉
I had to bring a suit. Those take up a lot of space.
I love the tip about keeping items stocked. That would save me so much time to.
I always have my travel bag ready to go with small shampoo, small soap, small toothpaste, and everything else I need in one spot.
Go figure, I have another post about this lined up to be posted… (swear to God I didn’t see this post before and I wrote mine about a month ago) I did a little packing experiment!
Ha ha! I am looking forward to seeing it.