3 Tips to Avoid Forgetting Something When You Travel

by Janis on April 1, 2015

We’ve been road warriors traveling frequently for business and fun for 20 years.

Still, despite all of the best intentions, we’ve both have plenty of experience with forgetting something important when we travel.

Like the dress shoes Mr. Jones forgot last week during a business trip. Or the make-up bag that I’ve left on the counter at home, rather than sticking it in my carry-on. Or the black belt that matches your black pants. Or the suit that’s perfectly folded in the dry cleaner bag inside your suitcase, but when you arrive in your hotel, you realize the wrong pants are in the bag, rather than the ones that match the suit coat.

All of these situations cause stress that is very unpleasant, especially for business and/or international travel.

Here are 3 tips to avoid forgetting things when you travel

1. Make a packing list, and cross off each item as it goes in the suitcase or briefcase. This list does not have to be elaborate. Before a big trip I make a list on the notes app in my iPhone, adding to it whenever I think of something I want to take. I also generally make a quick handwritten list on a card or a sticky note, of anything not packed the night before that I have to travel. Generally, there are things that I need to add in at the last minute in the morning before leaving the house. Examples of last minute items are jewelry, shoes, makeup, sunglasses, medicine, computer and phone charging cords, etc. Having the last-minute sticky note lets me check off each item as it goes into my bag.

2. Keep duplicates of things you travel with regularly but tend to use until just before your departure. When you wait to put things in your bag at the last minute before you rush out the door is when things tend to get accidentally left of the counter.

Here are some examples of duplicate items that we try to keep ready for travel at all times. :

A quart-size plastic bag with duplicate toiletries and make-up essentials. Having a bag with duplicates means that you can keep your “liquids” in 3.4 ounce or smaller sizes always packed with your luggage– ready to go on short notice. You only need to refill as you use them up.
Duplicate charger cords for computer, tablet and phone. Travel versions of computer cords are often significantly lighter as well; these duplicates can stay in your briefcase at all times.
A dedicated travel jewelry bag packed with a pair of earrings, a necklace and /or a bracelet that goes with most outfits.
A copy of all of your travel documents that can be pulled up on your smartphone. We use Dropbox cloud service to store a copy of all of our travel documents for each trip.

3. If you do forget something, don’t panic. If you are traveling a day early, place an order on Amazon for next day delivery of the socks and underwear that you packed in a travel cube, but then left on the dresser. If you have Amazon Prime, you can get next day delivery of many items for just $3.99 each to your hotel. Charging cords are frequently left at hotels; ask at the front desk if they have a spare that you can borrow. Or, do a quick Google search for the nearest mall to pick up what you forgot.

As Mr. Jones likes to say, if you’ve got your passport and credit cards, everything else is optional.

Have you forgotten an item when you were traveling? Please share with your story in comments below.

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