Monthly Article

The Travel Checklist
Summer is here, and it's time to plan a trip. Whether getting on a plane for a week away or in your car for a quick weekend, summer is the time most of us take a break.

Packing for a trip can be stressful. When I was single, it only took an hour. No big deal. Marriage changed all that. Suddenly I was partly responsible for someone else's stuff. My husband, not a seasoned traveler, always seemed to forget the one item he couldn't live without. By our third trip together, I was tired of spending time and money on duplicate items that we would never use again.

Remembering my military dad's camping list (printed meticulously on index cards), I began to compile our travel list. At first, my husband balked, thinking I had taken my normal list-making too far. Eventually, he admitted that it helped him to not worry about forgetting something important. Years later when we had our daughter, we added her items to our list.

Below is the actual checklist I use when traveling. It has been updated several times, but the basic format hasn't changed. Each time we take a trip, I print out the same list, using a pen to cross out items not needed for that trip. Many items (like travel-sized toiletries) are not on the checklist because they are kept in our suitcases all the time.

To create your own checklist for travel, work, a sport, or any other event for which you keep forgetting things, follow these easy steps:

• Make a list of all the things you usually need. Don't worry about categories; just picture yourself at your destination. What will you need? What do you usually forget?
• Group the items into categories that make sense to you (by room, family member, event, etc.). Where are these items normally found?
• Computerize the list, customizing it for your style. I use a Mac to get my list on one page.
• Update the list as needed. Take it with you. What are you still forgetting?

Before heading to the beach, the mountains, soccer camp, or Grandma's house, take a few minutes to create a checklist. You will save time and money, leaving more time to enjoy the journey.

View the travel checklist

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