Saving While Traveling

   I am taking a trip to Pennsylvania on Thursday to see my best friend Piper. It's a 3 night, 4 day trip and I'm flying. With bag check fees for nearly every airline, travelers could be spending $50 or more for round trip luggage expenses. I did check on airlines with no bag checking fees, but none of them fly into Allentown, PA. Bummer. So my goal now is to pack light and bring two carry-ons only. I personally have never done this before.

   While selecting my 4-day wardrobe, I had to be creative. Every girl needs a brown shoe and black shoe option. I settled on my tan boots (flat) and knee-high black boots with a slight heel. For exploring or walking around town, going out at night, or just bumming around, one of these two options should cover me. I'll wear one on the plane and pack the other. I also needed to be wise with my coat selection. I chose a tan leather jacket and a black trench coat. This should cover fun, evening, and snow/rain. However, neither of these coats are very heavy - good for packing but not good if it's freezing, which it may be. So I opted for thick, long sleeve sweater/shirt options to layer and two pairs of jeans. I also packed a dress and tights, a few scarves, one pair of pajamas, versatile undergarments and a pair of gloves. I managed to squeeze in a clutch purse and a belt too.

   Packing your toiletry bag can be tricky. Everything liquid has to be 3oz. or smaller. And I believe it has to be enclosed in a plastic ziplock bag. To save a little here, (if you don't already have) buy a couple 3 oz. travel bottles. They can be filled with shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc. that you already have at home instead of spending $20 in travel size products at the drug store. Avoid packing other items that you likely don't need such as a hair dryer. They are big and bulky and chances are, the person you're visiting or the hotel you're staying in has one you can use anyway. For the ladies, if you have a large make-up bag, don't take the whole thing! You won't need 25 eye shadows on a 4 day vacation. Pick out the items you need for every day wear and a few extras like colored eye liner and one or two shadows that match the outfits you packed. Put those things in a smaller bag to save space.   

   By taking only 2 carry-ons and not checking a bag, I consider this an immediate savings of at least $50 for myself. So I'll take $50 and transfer it today into my savings account so I'm not tempted to blow it on my trip! (See savings ticker above)