Planes, Trains, and Travel Essentials

I live a fabulous life, jet setting to an exotic location every other week to explore new wonders. I wish! I do travel from time to time for business and fun experiencing trial by fire to learn there are key items that would benefit any trip: plane, train, or automobile (or bike or foot or boat...).

Plastic Bags: Do not throw away the bags you get from the grocery store or while shopping! I repeat, do not toss these bags away! As a budget conscious citizen (a deal hunter trained by my mom), instead of throwing away bags I keep these in a box in my pantry. These bags separate dirty clothes, shoes, or other items that may spill from everything else.

Surge Protector/Extension Cord: Why are outlets in inconvenient places 90% of the time?! Who can reach behind the bed or wants to use a plug on the opposite side of the room? Leave the frustration to less savvy travelers and bring a surge protector and/or an extension cord. No more choosing between a light in the room or a charged phone!

Reward Accounts: Before you even start any sort of travel, sign up for the reward programs for any airlines or hotels that you plan to use. Points quickly accumulate, especially if you travel for work. These points can be traded in for lots including future flights and stays. To sign up, go to each company’s website, almost all have free reward programs.

Destination Information: Pretty obvious, how will you know if you don’t have the information for the destination: contact name, phone, address, etc. Bring a hard copy just in case your phone or laptop runs out of battery.

Comfy Shoes: You will be walking and nothing is worse than walking on blisters. While you’re packing your comfy shoes, go ahead and throw in a couple of bandaids just in case.

Extra Socks/Undies: Just bring extra…

Accessible Charger: You do not want to dig through your suitcase when you need a charger, just keep one handy either in your purse or backpack for when you need it.

Payment Methods: It’s a good idea to contact your bank or credit card company if you are traveling and plan on using your debit/credit card frequently. Otherwise your card may be locked and payment inaccessible for loss prevention to prevent against identity theft. Also bring some just in case cash for sketchy places where you may not be comfortable using your card.

Rough Itinerary: You don’t have to plan out each minute of your day, but having a list of places you would like to go or things you would enjoy including the name, location, cost and hours of availability will save a ton of time and headache. Instead of spending an hour deciding what to do, you can check your list and slot things based on convenience.

Suitcase with spinners!: Once I began traveling more frequently for work, I hated dragging my two-wheeled suitcase. It was hard to maneuver and would bang into corners. While grumpily pulling my bag, I saw my first suitcase with spinners…Pure magic! 4 wheels that turn in any direction and are easily maneuverable. I was instantly determined to procure one of these magical pieces and now happily count myself as one of the owners of a suitcase with spinners.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the blogger and are not necessarily those of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas or the Federal Reserve System.