Vacation Plans? Tips for Packing Lightly

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Packing heavy can be very stressful. If you're checking a bag, you're worried about being over the weight limit, and then when you get to your destination, you have a hundred pounds of bags to lug around with you. Here are some tips for packing less and traveling more comfortably.

1. Plan every outfit for the trip: If you pack your suitcase by item and not the outfit, you'll pack all the clothes you like without considering how you will wear them. You can take a piece of paper and draw different boxes on it. Plan out every outfit based on what you will do on the trip. For example, you can write down "daytime casual" or "daytime active" if you are going on a hike. Write every single item that you are going to pack. You'll be shocked at how much less you pack when you do this. You can take things from other days to wear twice.

2. Pack with a specific color palette: Having a particular color palette for your entire wardrobe makes your life much easier. When you pack this way, you can mix and match your items more quickly. You can get more wear out of each item, so you don't have to pack as much.

3. Stop packing your fantasy self: The term "fantasy self" is the imaginary version of yourself that you would like to be. For example, if you are traveling to New York for a week, don't take 30 crop tops because you're picturing those beautiful actresses with the perfect outfit for different times of the day. Instead of taking four pairs of heels, pack one pair. This is not a TV show; you don't need four outfit changes a day.

4. Pack items and fabrics that can be worn multiple times: Jeans are an excellent option for wearing the same item for days without washing them. You can also look for brands that offer anti-stink clothes meant for traveling.

5. Stop catastrophizing over what you might need: It is easy to pack "just in case" items for a trip, and you rarely need them. You overload your suitcase with all these extras, and you get home and never use them. The mentality that you should adopt is unless you are going literally to the middle of nowhere, you can probably find anything you need on that trip.

Also read: HOW TO COMMIT TO ANOTHER WITHOUT LOSING OUR OWN?

6. Consider the cost of checking a bag vs. buying at your destination: One of the main reasons most people would even consider checking a bag is because of liquids. You can have too many that wouldn't fit in a carry-on approved bag, or there is a bottle that doesn't meet the airport requirements. It could be cheaper to give up on those liquids and buy them at your destination and not take them home with you than pay for an extra bag each way.

7. Break items into smaller quantities: If you're packing vitamins, don't pack the entire jar—instead, portions out into a reusable bag or a little pill container. Don't bring a big pot of moisturizer; get a tiny jar and save some out into it. Now you are ready to enjoy your vacation!