Save Money, Time, Stress and Back Pain: PACK LIGHT

 

There are a few ways to get around the airlines’ high cargo rates. You could start by taking JetBlue Airways or Southwest Airlines, neither of which charge for the first checked bag (yet). Gotta love Southwest’s dissing of the other airlines in this regard. “We Love Your Bags” “Grab Your Bags..Its On!”

 

Some people think that the solution is to simply ship your luggage ahead. It’s not. A 30 pound package (less than most pieces of checked luggage) from New York to Florida will cost you $116 for two-day delivery with FedEx. Overnight will cost you a painful $150. Three business days is a lot cheaper: $25, but for that rate you might as well keep your belongings with you for three days and just check the baggage.

 

 

So sending your bags ultimately isn’t much more convenient, and certainly not cheaper than just biting the bullet and checking bags. Which leaves what? Simply packing well. Get your bag down to carry-on size if at all possible and you can avoid charges entirely. That’s about 22″ x 14″ x 9″ in most cases. That’s not much, but you can do it. One key is to pack things that are versatile. Here are some simple tricks you can use to consolidate your stuff. :

*Plan to do a little laundry along the way. Most hotels and cruise ships have fairly reasonable rates for one or two day service. Some even have do-it-yourself laundry facilities. You may not really want to do laundry while on vacation, but if you can save $50 or more in checked luggage fees by doing so, would that not be worth it?
*Flip-flops can substitute for sandals
*Buy swim trunks that look like shorts (they can double)
*Jeans are durable, hide dirt, and are increasingly appropriate for many occasions.
*For beach locations, sarongs double as beach towels and take nearly no space. They don’t have to be absorbent if it’s warm there.
*Pack black: dark clothes hide dirt, while white shows it faster.
*Pack “disposable” clothing. My friend P.S. buys a cheap multipackage of “disposable” underwear at Wal Mart and then just uses and disposes as he goes-es. You can also just take old t-shirts or anything that might be on its last leg. As you wear each outfit, discard or donate it. Your suitcase will empty and make room for souvenirs.
*Aside from I.D., tickets, your device chargers, and money, you really don’t need much. Don’t forget that you can also rent stuff on site: think skis, or beach towels or even hiking boots.

*Lay your clothes flat like a stacked sandwich and then roll them together. It’s a great way to save space and it keeps things from wrinkling.

 

In short, you could bring everything you want and suck your wallet dry, haul and lift stuff thats too heavy for your own self and contribute to environmental issues (i.e. more luggage by more people means more weight on planes equals more fuel consumption) …but why?? Live by the rule of simplicity and take just what you need — and save.