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Money Saving Monday: Travel

October 12, 2009 at 7:30 am 1 Comment  

money-saving-mondayI hope you enjoyed our first Money Saving Monday. I loved seeing the new ideas from around the web! I can’t wait to see what you all come up with for this week’s travel theme. The hubby and I just returned from a quick overnight in Chicago. Of course, I did all the usual things right—checked Priceline and Hotwire for the best hotel deal, filled up the car at the best price in advance and planned our meals to fit into our budget.

What I failed to do was properly pack to avoid unexpected purchases. I was so busy preparing my little sister for a weekend with four kids (hers plus mine)—buying snacks, preparing meals, making up the beds—that I didn’t organize myself well at all. We were halfway to Chicago for a concert when the hubby suddenly remembered our tickets were tucked safely on a memo board in the kitchen. Thank you, Ticketmaster, for reprinting them at Will Call. That was about when I realized I had also forgotten to pack my necessary medications. I also thought we were going to need to pick up some toothbrushes on that errand, but the hubby apparently tucked them into our bag unconsciously when he finished using his that morning.

Let this be your “what not to do” lesson. If I had sat down to create an actual packing list, then followed it I could have saved $30 and a lot of stress. It’s time to go back to an old packing system. Years ago, I laminated a generic packing list for each family member, then consulted it before each trip. I also packed the list with us, which helps be sure the hotel is cleared out when it’s time to go back home. Not only did it help keep me organized, but it allowed the girls to be more involved in the process as they could easily follow the list. The lists are so old that my almost 4-year-old’s list includes diapers & a pacifier so it’s obviously time to update. My list looked a little like this:

  • Clothes
  • Pajamas
  • Undergarments
  • Shoes, socks, tights
  • Toiletries
  • Jacket
  • Dressy clothes?
  • Medications (prescriptions & OTC as needed)
  • Tickets?
  • Maps/Itinerary?
  • Hotel/Flight Confirmation
  • Camera
  • Extra batteries
  • Cell phone/laptop & charger
Now, we want to hear your own ideas! The rules are simple: write about saving money on the given topic, mention MSM and link back to Inexpensively in your post, then come back here to add your permalink in the Mr. Linky. Be sure to grab the banner to let everyone know you’re participating! If you do not have a blog of your own, you are welcome to share your tips in the comments. Then, check out the great tips from our contributors and readers. Join us again next week to share frugal tips on party planning—my family is hosting several in the next few months so I’ll take all the help I can get!

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Money Saving Monday, Travel

About Heather Sokol

Heather Sokol is the founder of Inexpensively. She has been married to Spencer for many, many years. Together, they have five kids, fourteen pets, seven fish, and a web development company. What they lack is sanity.

More from Inexpensively

  • VacationMoney Saving Monday: Vacations
  • ShoppingMoney Saving Monday: Black Friday
  • Health and BeautyMoney Saving Monday: Medical Expenses & Prescriptions
  • CleaningMoney Saving Monday: Cleaning

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  1. Just Heather :: Whirlwind Getaway says:
    October 12, 2009 at 2:32 pm

    […] to unpack. Because it takes an awful lot of stuff to go away for just one night! (Even when you forget half of what you needed.) I really do want to tell you all about it (okay, not all)—especially the […]

    Reply

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