Travel Tips. From Check In to Carry On.

It’s finally here! Vacation is only 7 days away and the excitement has you overly pumped before the nagging thought of packing comes to mind. From what to pack to which size luggage to pack your items in, all races through your head like NASCAR. And no matter what your goal is to avoid check baggage fees and carry on your luggage but it seems impossible since you’ve now packed your entire Spring, Summer and Winter wardrobes. 

Many times we’re so excited about traveling and landing some place we’ve never been that we actually pack as if we’re not coming back home! I know I’ve been guilty of this in the past. Below I’ve shared some tips and suggestions on how to pack light by only bringing items and clothing you will actually need while traveling. If you lighten your bag by packing only the essentials, you can save $50 or more per round trip flight!

Where Are You Going and for How LONG?

Ding! Ding! Ding! The magic question! Pack your bags according to your length of stay. For instance, a 4 day/3 night getaway should not warrant for 15 rounds of changing clothes. My gosh not even at the Grammies do they change that much! Chances are you’ll only need about 2 pairs of slacks/pants, 4 shirts, 2 pairs of jeans, 1 dress that you can dress up or down and 2 pairs of footwear; 1 pair for day and the other at night. And don’t be afraid to bring along laundry detergent.

Apply The Shirt to Pants Rule

Reminder the Shirt to Pants Rule? The rule says this: for every 1 pair of slacks or pants you should have 2 dress shirts or 2 blouses to make it appear as if you have 2 different outfits. Well that same rule applies for traveling! This rule can also be applied when packing footwear. And don’t be ashamed to bring your favorite pair of sneakers or shoes. If they fall apart while traveling, at least that’s one less item to bring back. Or, you can always use that as the perfect excuse to buy another pair while on your journey! Remember your goal is to avoid checked baggage fees by packing smarter.

Footwear in Bag First

There was a time where I would throw my footwear on top of the clothes I put in my luggage and wondered why it would never close or would appear bulky. Later, I discovered that if I placed my footwear in a draw string bag and then place them in my luggage it would afford more space and wouldn’t appear bulky. Place your footwear in a plastic bag first then into your luggage. This alone illuminates that bulky look and gives more packing room.

Packing Cubes

By far the Packing Cube is a traveler’s best friend next to visiting the island of Jamaica! Packing Cubes come in packages that offer various sizes for your travel needs. You can pack all clothing items in one bag and footwear in another. It saves time, money and space.