Hey friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I’m excited to be back for another edition of Tip Tuesday. Today is all about packing! Though, I don’t have a packing list ready for you just yet, with these tips, you’ll be more conscientious of what and how much you pack to help cut down on your luggage, and, therefore, save money!
When air travel became part of my life in 2013, I learned pretty quickly the importance and ease while traveling to pack lighter! My packing routine consisted of making lists for packing, packing multiple bags, and trying to lug it all around the airport and hotels/resorts. I realized that unorganized lists just weren’t enough.
I once infamously packed 8 bags for a 10 day trip to Hawaii for only 2 people!!!! #insane It wasn’t even to a cold destination that actually constitutes more clothing! It was a mess to gather it all, load it into the car, and get it to our resort room. The bell hops literally thought we were moving in!
That to This?
So how did I go from that to this?! The answer is fairly simple, and it has everything to do with our trip itinerary.
Each trip we take, even if it is a relaxing weekend away, I make an itinerary. This keeps me “down to earth”, as in not booking too many activities in one day or overall. After our trip itinerary is finalized, I work on planning outfits accordingly.
the trip Itinerary is key to not overpacking!
So, I start out with our completed itinerary. {See my itinerary planning tips here.} From there, I think about the outfits I’ll need for the activities of that date. Some days require multiple outfits, especially if we’ll be outdoors and make plans for the evenings. I print out the itinerary, and began jotting down notes on what outfit pieces I need/want to wear for that particular day. Sometimes, I repeat pieces, but for the most part it is usually just jeans, as I don’t mind wearing them over & over.
Once I have everything written down, I type the clothes out on the itinerary. It ends up looking like the itinerary below. I save this into my phone so I have the itinerary and outfit plans easily accessible. I do carry 1-2 extra outfits just in case something happens, but I keep those to small, easily packed pieces that don’t take up much space. Shoes are always kept to a minimum, with more options for warmer locations since flip flops take up less space.
From the list, I begin packing, first clothes, then adding in undergarments, accessories, toiletries, and electronics. I’ll share my full packing list soon, but this should give you a good idea on how I keep outfits in check. This all may seem absolutely crazy, but it 1000% saves me from packing 8 bags of clothes & shoes I won’t even wear half of!
I hope this big tip makes you think twice about how & what you pack, and saves you the headache of toting around way too much luggage. Do you have any packing tips of your own? I would love to hear them!
