Do you constantly overpack your suitcase? Coming from a person who travels for a living, here are some hacks that will save you BIG TIME at the airport.
If you're anything like me, you want to be a light packer but for one reason or another items keep finding their way into your suitcase. With a little organization and efficiency, you can save a lot.
Here are 6 tips to help you avoid that overweight bag fee at the airport on your next trip!
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1. Pack Your Accessories In An Over-The-Door Travel Organizer That Closes
At the very top of the list because it's the easiest thing you can do to not get stuck at TSA and/or lose your hygiene products in the trash can. Buy a Super cute travel organizer and fill it with all your makeup, accessories, and toiletries (the travel-approved sized ones at least.) When it's time to pack store it at the top of your suitcase. If worse comes to worst and your bag does come up as overweight no matter how much you re-organize one of two things will happen: 1. The attendant will feel for you and check the bag anyway out of the kindness of their heart…do not abuse this, please! 2. You can pull out your previously packed and ready-to-go little accessory bag and carry it on board as a "purse" instead of trying to figure out what items to throw in the trash. This leads me to my next point.
2. Make Use of Your Carry On And Personal Item
Do you ever wonder how people can travel all over the place with carry-on only? They are SMART with their space! You get a carry-which can be as big as a size approved duffel or suitcase AND a personal item… A small purse should never be your personal item if you're looking to take advantage of as much space as possible! You can always bring a purse or even a travel pouch then later stick it in a good travel backpack and remember if worse comes to worst, no one is going to weigh that backpack-it's the size that matters to fit below the seat or in the overhead compartments.
Try to leave some space at the top in case you need to shuffle some things out of your suitcase last minute.
3. Invest In A Good Travel Backpack
No matter where I'm going you won't catch me without a good travel backpack. Minimum requirements are still comfortable when you need to stuff it to the brim, but it has a sleeve for my laptop, lots of space for extra clothes, hidden pockets that I use for my passport and wallet, and an exterior charging cord for my phone.
Learning how to make the space you have work for you is vital. Check out some of my favorite travel backpacks on amazon here.
4. Buy A Suitcase Scale To Keep In Your Front Pocket
Suitcase Scales are always worth the price and more accurate than a bathroom scale ever will be. I always keep one in the front pocket of my suitcase so I don't lose it in-between trips and if I haven't gotten enough use out of it, my friends definitely have.
A really easy way to keep track of your stuff and not have to wait until you get to a busy airport to dump all your things on the ground.
5. Pro Packing Tip- Break Your Companies Bank, Not Yours
If you're traveling often for work, some companies not only will cover extra suitcase fees but depending on your job, you may even be allowed extra weight. For example, some crewmembers who work onboard ships-commercial and industrial- are allowed extra weight in each suitcase as long as they can prove they are working on the sea. (It's hard enough to pack for months at a time as is let alone within a weight requirement! Trust me!) If your company is constantly sending you to and from, and you feel yourself getting whacked with additional travel costs, it's time to have a chat with your boss. If you're essential enough to have a plane ticket/meals/hotels/transportation fees etc. covered for you, additional weight may be an easy cost for the company to stomach.
6. Buy A Smaller Suitcase
I have a big purple suitcase that I'm in love with and I love having room to re-organize all my things for longer trips, But this suitcase always gets me in trouble. I make sure it's under the weight limit and before long I catch myself shoving random extra things inside because it's the only suitcase with space. By the time I'm at the airport, I have no idea how I could have possibly added 10 pounds into the pockets.
I'm putting this last on the list because it sounds so obvious but honestly, it's an easy solution that I overlooked for years. If your suitcase, even at max capacity cannot physically hold more than the weight limit, than you'll be forced to limit yourself and won't waste as much time weighing your suitcase over and over again.
Are you a frequent traveler? I wanna know your best packing tips in the comments below!
Make sure to check out some of my favorite amazon packing must haves for long trips and under $10.
Sending love from Indiana <3