Now that summer is here I know a lot of us will be traveling in the coming months! This is a quick list of things I put together

that I knew I needed to remember to do before I leave, but I thought it would be fun to share it with all of you!

1.   One of the last things you should worry about while you’re away is an overflowing mailbox! I already scheduled a hold on my mail for while I will be away, you could do it online at this link! 

2.   If you’re going somewhere that could appear unusual to your bank, be sure to call them or the credit card company to let them know of your plans and where you’ll be traveling.

3.   If you’re going somewhere with a different currency, check to see what the exchange rate is. While some advisors say not to exchange currency until after you get to your destination, I think it’s a good idea to go ahead and get some money in case of an emergency, or at least enough for a taxi after you arrive.

  4.   Check your phone plan! Even if you are staying in the same country, you might want to adjust your data plan. If you are leaving the country, you might want to look in to whether your carrier offers an international plan, or if you could switch rates while you’re away.

5.   If you’re traveling out of the country, check to see what kinds out outlets you’ll have access to. Some hotels will have converters you can rent, but its best to check ahead of time and plan accordingly!

6.   Before you make a list of things to pack, check on the hotel website to see if they have their amenities listed! That way, you can skip packing your hairdryer/straightener/alarm clock if they will have one for you.

7.   If you’ll only be gone a short-ish time, you can use a liter soda bottle to water your plants! This post from Scissors and Spice shows how you could do it with a regular sized water bottle! Even if you aren't traveling for long, her post is super helpful for quick trips as well! 

8.   If you don’t have lamps that can be controlled by your security system, or “smart bulbs” that can be controlled with a smartphone, it might be wise to invest in some outlet timers!

9.   Check the weather, its good to have a general idea of the climate where you’ll be traveling anyway, but the week before you go, you’ll be able to get a better idea of what the weather in your destination is actually doing!

10.  Check with a friend or neighbor! The few times I’ve left town recently, its been really nice when I’ve been able to have someone run over and make sure everything looks okay, if you have a security system, be sure to give them the passcode, or plan a time for you to disarm the system remotely, in order to avoid a big headache!

   Come back Wednesday for a recipe idea!  Also, if you haven't already found my Facebook page, it can be found here! I am working to set up an email subscription(where you could receive updates when I post a new update!) but until then, Facebook is probably the best way for you to stay up to date!