Before you leave for your dream destination, make sure to take care of a few things. Below you will find 5 things to do before you leave on vacation.

The 5 things you should do before you leave on vacation:

1. Call your credit card company.
2. Pay your bills.
3. Put a vacation hold on your mail
4. Leave copy of your itinerary.
5. Always check the weather.

1. CALL YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPANY

No matter if you travel often or not, you should always call your credit card company before you travel. I have had the unfortunate experience to be in a foreign country, trying to make a purchase and not be able to because the card was declined. This wasn’t because I didn’t have any credit, it was because the credit card company was trying to protect me from fraudulent charges.

I had to call them and straighten everything out. It was a simple phone call but if you don’t have access to a phone, trying to make a call can be an arduous process. So, let your CC company know where you will be traveling before you leave. And if you have a CC or debit card through your bank, let them know.

2. PAY YOUR BILLS 

Before you head out for the trip of your dreams, make sure your bills are paid so you can come home to electricity, water, and your car will still be in your driveway. You certainly don’t want to come home and have a pile of bills waiting for you, right? Ease your mind by paying for things before you leave which will

3. PUT A VACATION HOLD ON YOUR MAIL

One thing that can be an attention getter is an overstuffed mailbox. There is no reason to broadcast to everyone that passes by your residence that you are not picking up your mail. You can go to the post office near your home and ask for a vacation hold, and all of your mail will be saved for you at the post office. When you return from vacation, your mail will be waiting for you (but no bills! See #2).

4. LEAVE A COPY OF YOUR ITINERARY WITH SOMEONE YOU TRUST

It is very important that someone know where you are, especially if you are traveling to a foreign country. When I was a Tour Manager, I would send my parents an Excel spreadsheet that had all my hotel information, the dates I would be staying in each hotel, and my flight information.

This way, they could look at the spreadsheet at anytime and know where I was supposed to be. Now that I’m no longer a Tour Manager, I still let them know where I will be staying by give them the address of the apartment or hotel I’m staying. If I’m staying in a hotel I give them and my friends the number to the hotel and my room so they can get in touch with me in case my cell phone doesn’t work. It’s a simple gesture but it makes those who love you feel better.

5. ALWAYS CHECK THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR YOUR DESTINATION

via GIPHY

I was traveling with a friend of mine and when we got to our destination, she didn’t have the correct clothing. I asked her why she didn’t pack accordingly and she said, “But it’s always hot here! I just knew it would be warm.”

Well, it wasn’t. It was chilly and not at all suitable for the summer clothes she packed. She had to buy a jacket, a pair of pants, and a pair of shoes because she was really cold. Even if your destination is know for a certain type of weather, make sure to check before you pack so you can pack accordingly.

 

Here are 2 bonus tips!

Clean out refrigerator

• Have you ever come home and your refrigerator stinks? I have. And it stinks! (See what I did there?) Anything that may be rotten when you come back needs to be thrown out or given away.

 print essential documents

• most people rely on their tablets or smartphones for their essential documents. Please do not do that. Batteries die, internet service can be interrupted and then when you need your information you can’t find it. Print out your confirmations and anything else you need for your trip so that you will be prepared.

I hope these tips have helped you, is there

anything you do before you leave?