First things first, if you are in a position that you don’t have extra money to spend on vacations or outings, this may not be the article for you. There are ways to spend time with family or loved ones that don’t include going bankrupt. If you are in a season of saving, continue to do so and refer to this article again when you are ready.
STAY LOCAL
Staying local makes for a less stressful and usually cheaper option. Depending on personal circumstances you can’t always take vacation time, or perhaps money is tight; thus only leaving you with a night or two. Setting up camp in the backyard and having a sleepover under the stars in the comfort of your fenced yard could be just as fun and memorable as heading out of town!
FOLDING vs. ROLLING vs. SHOVING
Some people swear that rolling clothing saves space. Others say you should roll bulky items and fold thinner pieces, and there are probably some people that just throw items to pack over their heads and hope it lands in the suitcase. What works for some doesn’t work for everyone; pack your clothes one way and then when you’re packing to come home, switch it up, and see what feels right for you. Amazon also sells packing cubes that you can use to organize your clothes in your suitcase, undergarments in one cube, shirts in another, etc. Or pack a cube a day, and when you need to get yourself or family members ready, you can just hand them their daily ‘cube’.
STOP OVERPACKING, SERIOUSLY
Stop packing things ‘just in case you need them’, you probably won’t. I know it is tempting to pack for every single thing that ‘could’ happen and I am here to tell you that you probably won’t run into Beyoncé and need that cocktail dress to attend her backstage after-party. Leave it at home. Planning what to pack ahead of time will help stop you in your tracks of packing everything in your closet just in case. If you find yourself packing things just in case, there’s a good chance you won’t need them or use it on your trip.
Don’t be afraid to wear a pair of jeans more than once on your trip, most people won’t even notice, or care. Depending on your trip, you would most likely get away with one or two pairs of shoes. Chances are you won’t remember what you were wearing when you hiked that waterfall so don’t overthink packing.
LISTS SAVES LIVES
That statement is not wrong if you think about it. Start by making your packing list for your next trip of things you will need. You can make it as detailed or as simple as you want to. You could divide it into what to pack in each suitcase, what to pack in the car, pack by room; there are so many options. While you’re out if you wish you would have packed something, put it on a note on your phone on your packing list to remember to pack next time. For example, if you forgot your toothbrush, you could go to the dollar store and buy a cheaper version to keep with your gear. Lists can also be useful if you are busy leading up to your vacation and will need to pack quick. You can create your packing list on your lunch break or downtime so when you get home you’ve eliminated the time you play the “I wonder what I need to pack” game and just get down to business.
OUTDOOR TRAVELING
If you’re looking for an outdoor adventure and don’t want to be overwhelmed with having to pack for tent camping and all that comes with it, the best alternative is a teardrop trailer. A teardrop trailer is a streamlined, compact, lightweight travel trailer, which gets its name from its teardrop profile. Though their size seems small, it gives you some pretty big opportunities. Being lighter than most other camping trailers it goes where you go and can be carried by most cars.
If you’re looking to take a family vacation, just remember that more doesn’t mean better. Traveling with more than you need can end up being more stressful due to having to pack more than you need. Remember the rule of thumb that if you’re packing just in case, that there’s a good chance you won’t use it and you can simply go ahead and leave it at home. To help save yourself some time when you start packing for your trip don’t forget to make a list of the things that you need to pack so that you can grab them quickly instead of having to think of what all you’re going to pack.
