My Travel Packing Checklist

I travel a lot. Sometimes for work. Sometimes for pleasure. Between that and my around-the-world trip back in 2006-2007 I have learned a lot about packing. My packing checklist has evolved (and still changes a little from time-to-time) from this experience. Stuff is heavy and checked bags can cost money. I minimize this to make my life on the road as easy as possible.

The List:

Clothes:

• 2 pairs of shorts
• 1 pair of jeans
• 1 nice button-up or polo shirt
• 4-5 t-shirts
• Socks and Underwear (depends on trip length)
• 1 pair of sneakers and 1 pair of flip flops
• 1 light jacket (such as a fleece)
• 1 black belt

I adjust the clothes numbers depending on season and length of travel. Work trips are usually 2-3 days so I bring 2 t-shirts, 1 work shirt, and enough socks and underwear to cover the duration. For travel of 7 days or more I bring the above with 7 underwear and 7 pair of socks.

Higene:

• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Hair brush
• Deodorant
• Floss
• Mouthwash
• Razor w/extra cartridges
• Nail clippers
• Shampoo
• Bar of soap
• Small bottle of lotion
• Shower Towel
• Toiletry bag
• Roll of toilet paper (essential!)
• Trident (for times when I cannot brush teeth)

Utility Items:

• Swiss Army Knife -- so many useful tools in one package!
• First Aid Kit - I bought a small one and overstuffed each item in it
• Meds: Tylenol (pain/headahce), Anti-diarrhea pills, antacids
• Spray sunscreen
• Camera, camera case, camera USB cable, memory cards, mini-tripod
• USB Flash drive for storage
• Netbook laptop (long trips only)
• Backup paper copies of all Credit/ATM cards and Indentification docs
• iPod/iPhone and charger + headphones
• $100 USD emergency cash
• Light snacks for extended travel
• BIC lighter
• Pen & Pencil
• Small notepad
• Small book for reading

This list may seem like a lot but the majority of the items are pretty small and light. When I pack for a month long trip everything I carry weighs around 20-25 pounds total. The majority of these items can be bought at your destination if forgotten. Having less keeps you from taking a long time to pack and wasting energy on moving the heavy bag(s). It also saves time, money, and stress. Pack light and travel happy!

Focus Reminders: The basic principles

I write a good bit of very specialized and specific posts here. I realized that sometimes it is good just to get back to basics. I have compiled a simplified list of principles that drive my financial decisions on a daily basis. I realized I never put them all on one post to summarize.

Principles that I believe in:

• Pay yourself first: Add up your life sustaining expenses, set an amount, and save it first. Then remainder is the budget for incidentals and "fun stuff". Payday is a good time to transfer to savings.
• Set goals. You cannot get anywhere if you don't have a defined direction to go! You have to take the time to workout where you want to be, financially and otherwise, and create goals and a deadline to get there. Chances are most of the goals require money at some stage and financial planing to reach them.
• Exercise frugal practices: Find a second use for everything (food containers, shopping bags, etc.). Use coupons when you can. For going out use sites like groupon and half off depot to save money. Be sure to use up all gift certificates so they don't go to waste!
• Save for and invest in experiences. This is the big one. Stuff costs us money. More than just the price tag. Storage, electricity, gas to go buy it, etc. Experiences create memories and conversation topics. My favorite is world travel. I do it as much as I can. You will certainly enjoy skydiving way more than an iPad or the $300 boots you want.
• Track your spending. This is probably the most important principle! In order to get and stay out of debt and save money you must track every penny you spend. There are tons of options that range from paper and pencil to Quicken to the various online tools. None of the other stuff matters if you cannot see where your money is going and do something about it!

These are the most basic principles that drive everything and I do.  I curb spending by reminding myself that "If I buy this then it ultimately slows down my goal of traveling the world and not having to work full time." In my case this is an easy sell for me as I would rather be out there enjoying life instead of sitting at a desk!