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Does it take you forever to pack when you go away? Are you always forgetting essential items? Do you have to make multiple shopping trips before you leave? You may think you are disorganized, or this is just what you have to do when you go on a trip. Don’t get too disappointed yet. You just need a checklist. Yes, a checklist. Here are three tips to save you time and money with a travel packing checklist.
1. Use a travel checklist. After searching the internet before a recent flight, I thought TravelSmith.com had the ultimate travel checklist. It’s a free printable. You can download it as a pdf. There’s a separate clothing section for men and women. Both clothing sections are categorized by basic, dressy, casual and outerwear. It also included a list of toiletries and travel essentials. It makes it easy to plan what you need for your trip.
2. Bring the Checklist with You Keep the travel checklist in a plastic bag where you store your toiletries and other travel essentials. You can make sure you don’t leave anything behind when you pack your clothes again to return. This way you can have it handy for the next time you travel too. When returning from a trip, you can double check the list to make sure you didn’t lose anything during your travels. You won’t have to purchase items again if you keep good track of them.
3. The Highlight Checklist Method The list can help you restock items once you get home. If you ran out of coffee, you would write it on a shopping list. I’m sure you would do this for many items you need to get at the grocery store. Why not do the same thing for your travel checklist? When you unpack, highlight items you will need next time. Keep it inside the bag so you don’t lose it. For example, maybe you used all of your bandages while you were away. Highlight that item so you already know what you’ll need for a future trip. So, at a glance, you will have a ready-made shopping list handy.
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