If you’re anything like me, a lot of preparations need to be made before leaving for vacation. Sometimes I wonder if the hassle is worth the trip – but it always is.
Just because you’re taking a break from your day-to-day routine doesn’t mean you need to take a break from your green habits, though. Here are some easy ways to pack and prepare for your next vacation:
Packing
When planning what to pack, try to take only what you’ll need. This will give you more space in your luggage for souvenirs, and it will also be easier to lug around. (If you’re traveling by car, you’ll get better gas mileage with a lighter car.)
When packing your toiletries, try to choose reusable containers for personal care products.
Hold your mail
So your mail doesn’t pile up in your mailbox and become a dead giveaway that you’re on vacation, put a hold on your mail with the U.S. postal service. I remember the days when you needed to fill out a postcard to request the service – it’s made easy now on the Internet.
Home prep
For some reason, I always feel compelled to leave a spotless home before I leave for an extended period of time. While I end up exhausted before I head out the door, I do appreciate coming home to a clean home. There’s actually a lot more to do around your house before you leave on a trip, though.
In the kitchen, use up food or drinks that will go bad during your trip. Coming home to a fridge reeking of sour milk or spoiled meat is not fun. Compost fresh fruits or vegetables that will go bad – or pack them for your trip if you have room for snacks. Be sure to unplug your microwave, coffee maker, blender, toaster, and any other kitchen appliance before you leave. As long as you’ll be back soon, keep your refrigerator plugged in – but raise the temperature to the warmest setting.
In the rest of your house, don’t forget to unplug electronics like your TV, DVD player, computer, scanner, printer, gaming systems, router, and stereo. And don’t forget to unplug your cell phone charger and take it with you.
Before you leave, tend to your home’s heating and cooling systems. Turn your water heater to the lowest setting, turn all air conditioning units and fans off, and turn down your heat.
Now that you’ve done all of that, are you ready to go?
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