Budgets and Packing...

Good afternoon, more travel musings from me to, well, me...

So today is the last day of my three day weekend. I think I shall spend it lounging on the couch and drinking lemonade... It's about 100 degrees outside.

So I was up last night budgeting my summer and compiling packing lists. I decided, by the end of the summer, I would like to be more efficient with my packing lists and more frugal with my budgeting. I'm pretty good at not splurging unnecessarily right now, but I want to get better at it.

San Diego was one of my first overnight drives and I enjoyed it so much, I want to do trips like that all the time. I'm a meticulous planner and most of my friends are pretty easy going and don't like to plan, so it makes it easier since I love to plan things. San Diego was around $300 total. I had saved up tip money for a few weeks and I always try to use my piggy bank (yes I have one, they really come in handy) for road trip gas money. I've made a habit of putting all my loose coins in it for a few years now and you'd be amazed how much you easy it is to pay for gas after a couple months. San Diego was a little bit splurgey but I'm starting to cut down.

I also packed more than I realistically needed although there were only a few pieces I didn't use. I don't mind overpacking for a road trip since I have a car to cart around my stuff, but for weekend getaways, I'm strictly a carry-on only kind of girl. Even if my bag is heavy or kinda stuffed at the end of the trip, if it's carry-on size, I lug it to the gate. Most of the flights I take are full, so I've never had an issue checking it at the gate for free on the way home (when the bag is the heaviest). I do, however, like to wear something different for each activity (bad habit, I know), especially if it's hot and sticky out. I'm coming up with a new formula for my overnighters, and I'm going to try and stick with it:

• Outfit for evening (dress or skirt and top or extra top for the shorts)
• Spare top (which doubles as a pajama top)
• Outfit for next day activities (extra top or dress)
• Extra top for hiking/biking/sightseeing
• Swimsuit
• Cover-up
• Extra underwear
• Sandals
• Heels

I have a set of travel toiletries that I always keep in a special case so I can throw it into an overnight bag whenever necessary. Hell, sometimes this stuff comes in handy just for an afternoon out. 

Anyhow, enough of that, I'm off to lounge around...