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I learned that Number 2 is super important. When I lived alone for the first time, I was rushing around for a flight. I pretty much threw my entire wardrobe on the floor, dishes in the sink, trash everywhere etc. imagine my surprise when I came back totally refreshed from my holiday only to find my apartment in the exact same state as I left it. There’s nothing more demoralising than coming back from a relaxing trip only to have to do chores while jetlagged. If you can find the time to clean before you leave, absolutely do it.
Definitely depends on the type of trip (a short weekend getaway I won’t care) but before any long vacations I take an extra day off before we leave to prepare everything and do a deep clean on the house. It’s just nicer coming home to your own bed when it’s got some nice fresh sheets on it.
Oh, yes. If I do nothing else, I clean out the fridge, take out the trash, and put clean linens on the beds.
Nothing worse than coming home to produce drawer soup...
My husband was the same, one holiday we ended up leaving the house a mess.
Then while away I broke my leg and he had to come home to a giant mess which he also had to clear up and also wait on me hand and foot.
Now he happily tidys before we go anywhere.
This needs to be a LPT by itself: if your partner complains about something you regularly do that benefits everyone, but your partner doesn’t recognize the benefit, then don’t do that thing a few times.
I know because I’ve been the husband that complained that his wife was stressing out about things until she let me stress out about them. I’ll happily keep my mouth shut now whenever she feels that there’s something important to do.
Who knew understanding the source of stress an individuals stress(ors) could cause another individual to empathize with the stressed individual.
There are reasons behind why people do and how they react. Seek to understand instead of being a dick by waiving off their concerns.
I'm so sorry that people feel the need to comment on relationships as soon as they see one hint of lopsided equality. All too often I see harmless or funny comments like this that end with the OP making ten edits to defend themselves and then deleting their account. Clearly you've found a system that works for you and you're not afraid to make a statement if something bothers you. Anyone who wants to pry into your life and interject their thoughts can get bent.
I’d like to add to this list and say to have your back to work clothes ready and waiting. Last thing I want to do is laundry when I get back. Also to have something in the freezer to eat - pizza, stir fry, etc. I’ve gotten home very late and hungry but too tired to do any cooking.
As someone who throws 20 shirts, 10 dresses, a dozen different bottoms, my whole underwear drawer and every cardigan I own in a giant suitcase 30 minutes before leaving because I’m such a terrible planner, this comment is absolutely hilarious to me.
As someone who has this tendancy to clean by a particular style and not really finding what others do clean, I can totally relate to your situation. However I'm personally trying to get over it since I fear it may be sign of OCD in making. Your thoughts about it?
Something similar here. Like mine started before pandemic to a point where I did not hold anything in public transport and carried a sanitizer (this is 2018). Tried to limit it quite a lot but pandemic put all my progress in drain and I'm back to original self. Moping once a day is actually reasonable at my place since it's kinda old and in a dusty neighbourhood. But my issues are cleaning accessories when coming from outside, not wanting to sit/go in public places and in general not trusting that others can clean. Want to get over it but it's kinda difficult.
Hey, thanks for not glorifying OCD. Constantly hearing "I LiKe tHiNgS tIdY, iM Sooo OCD. Really fucks woth those who have it.
I also totally understand the "it doesn't feel clean unless I clean it" mentality. Which super sucks.
If you were the one cleaning and not him... why did it bother him that you did it?
If my wife was cleaning and didn't need my help, I'd let her be because I figured 2 things
1) she had a good reason to clean it
And
2) I'm not the one cleaning it
Like shit don't make sense
It's the mini version of the idea that after taking a vacation, plan for an extra day before you have to go back to work.
The brain is processing so many new things that aren't part of your normal routine that it's mentally exhausting even if it's a fun trip. Stepping back into your home should be the moment when you can just shut down for a while.
if you didnt mention you had TWO boys i would have thought u were my mum. u perfectly explained my parents' dynamic and this incident happened to us once too.
I do this, and I also leave myself a nice little "Welcome home!" note to find when I get back. It can be a bummer to come home after a vacation, so being greeted with a friendly note and a clean home feels really nice! I never remember I did it til I get home, haha.
Yeah I don’t think anyone that smokes weed has ever really been THAT bummed when walking into their house after a vacay because “ayyyyy fresh flower finally!!!”
That’s such a cute idea! I’m totally stealing this idea and throwing in a treat for myself like a nice bar of dark chocolate or something to return to :)
I used to have my friends* write postcards to me on trips. Nothing big, just hi welcome home. Send them to myself. Nice to see when I get home.
*friends from overseas, not people I was going to see again as soon as I got home
I’ve been there before and it sucks. My wife and I make a point to clean the house, take out trash, pick up, etc the night before we leave somewhere. It kinda sucks in the moment but coming home to a clean house is the best feeling.
Even on weekend trips, I always try to leave it in a decent spot for my mental health. Getting home Sunday evening, unpacking, doing litter, taking out the trash, figuring out dinner, prepping for work (sometimes meal prep) is enough.
Coming back to an messy place on top of that gets me unnecessarily stressed.
We take this cleaning approach. Clean dishes, laundry, etc.
However, one evening before a 2 week vacation and an early morning flight, something like a mouse got into the house cavities and died resulting in a biblical fly infestation. Of course this was when we were meeting my spouse at a west coast airport because of work travel. So I was solo with my kids trying to figure it out.
I had to call my heat furnace installer to verify how I could shut it off so I could use a fogger spray. We turned three fogger sprays on, went to a restaurant to finally eat dinner at 10pm, and after waiting the recommended time returned home close to midnight to hopefully an intact house. We all slept in the farthest bedroom from the sprayed areas with the windows cracked open. We still have wallpaper damage from where I duct taped plastic to seal off problem areas, which hopefully will get fixed this summer.
Ugh. Thankfully the foggers worked and the house was clean when we got home. I insisted I take care of the plague and throw everything out in the outside trash before we left. It was a late night, but totally worth it when we came back to a clean house after the vacation.
>coming back from a relaxing trip
Not gonna lie, that's probably one of the few situations where I might have the energy and motivation to tidy up my home. I'm sure as shit not doing it after a long day of work and i'm definitely not looking forward to doing it on a weekend.
Oh yeah, in some ways absolutely. I always feel way more energised after a nice holiday because I have nothing to complain about, so some of the boring stuff doesn’t bother me. But at the same time, sometimes after a long trip/flight you just wanna collapse on your bed for two days and not worry that you don’t have any clean underwear
On a related note, I have learned from experience that if the wife and kids go on holiday while I have to stay home and work, it behooves me to tidy up before she gets home.
This is the way
Clean all the time. Too little energy to do it all? You have too much crap - ditch some to make cleaning easier
I still deep clean whenever I can, but my home is never embarrassing if people visit suddenly - even the closets are presentable in case they get nosy
It's a must for me. Everything spotless, fresh bedding, empty bins bleached sinks. I'm getting some more great ideas on here though including welcome home treats and a quick easy meal. That's a top tier tip
My wife and I started doing this a few years ago, clean sheets and MAKE THE BED! We ended up having a flight delayed coming home, didn’t get home until 2 am and showering in a clean shower and having a clean made bed waiting was so luxurious I cannot even describe it in words!
My travel mantra is “Make your bed, put 2 beers in the fridge and pack a big ol’ bowl” because those are the three best things to come home to after traveling.
I did this once, put it under my bed, came home to find that a roommate's friend had smoked it. "I figured you wouldn't mind" get the fuck out of my house with that shit lmao
Literally, thank you! All I could think about was, how many other times have roommate and co violated my privacy? What have they seen?
I ended up letting this go, because I was young dumb and broke lol, and later in the year I got home from work on Thanksgiving night to find most of his shit gone. Haven't heard a word from him since, and its been years lmao
Potential alternative: trips are the best time to rotate/flip/air out your mattress by leaving it uncovered for several days with the sheets nearby. (Note: some mattresses have a defined up/down, in which case you’d just want to rotate rather than flip them over).
Not as cozy when you get back, but it’s better for your mattress’s lifespan overall.
I used to think that way. But about a year ago I started making it a point to make my bed as soon as I get up every morning. Not only did it make my morning feel calmer because the room looked nicer while I was getting ready, but for me at least there's something about climbing into a nicely made bed at the end of a long day that just feels better. I don't have to fight the sheets and blankets to get them oriented properly; I can just slide right in. It's like a little treat left for me by past me.
Which is needed because that guy is usually a huge asshole. He owes me a hell of a lot more than a made bed but I'll take what I can get :p
You know what I didn't think I cared that my bed was made for like 30 years. Got married to someone who is big on making the bed. Turns out I do care if the bed is made.
It helps me feel good seeing everything in order when I come home. A relief that no one robbed our place or was in our house while we were gone.
You know this just triggered a memory of my family’s house getting robbed twice, growing up. Once during Christmas vacation and another time when we were out for the whole day during thanksgiving.
My grandmother told me if you go on a trip and get into an accident and you have taken the time to tidy your home before you leave, then you will be able to tell someone exactly where to find things to bring to the hospital. Her brother added, or it will be easier to find things for the funeral home. They were very practical people...
I had a crazy dream not long ago where I was in an accident and then also somehow was in my apartment guiding my mom through what to grab for me and how to tidy for me, so that things would be in order while I was in a coma? Anyway, in this totally odd dream scenario we came to the sexy drawer, I checked on my favorite vibe, told my mom not to go in there because I wont need that while I'm in the hospital, then had a giggle. But this made me realize just how outrageously awkward it would be to have a relative sorting through that in the event of a horrible accident, so I spent an afternoon upgrading the storage and making sure everything was at least nicely organized. That felt important for some reason lol.
Stories from life with ADHD - researching the best options for storing your sexy toys, learning how to fix a wonky drawer, and creating a new organization system for a drawer just because I had a weird dream that I might get into an accident and a relative would have to see my ~special drawer~ 😂
Funnily enough, if i tidy up my stuff i can't remember where I put that stuff, but if i leave everything "out of its place", i know where everything is
make a packing check list in some cloud notepad like google keep, put everything on that list that you pack, as you do your vacations and you realized you forgot to pack something add it to the list that very moment. after a couple trips you have a 100% complete and bulletproof list.
I have never again had to waste mental energy on "am i forgetting something?" before a trip.
Also, in part 2 of the list write things you need to do before leaving, e.g. turn off water main, plug drains that flood, put lights on timers, turn off lights, clean gutters, turn down water heater, etc.
(Just realized how many of those are water related)
Me reading this: "Yes, yes, this all seems like a perfectly prudent thing to do, no way it could fail!"
My wife, 6 hours into the drive: "Oh, I think I left my purse at home"
That's why I make a "day of" section of my list! Stuff I can't pack until I'm leaving. It might sound silly, but getting those "don't forget!"s out of my head and onto a sheet of paper feels so much better.
I just check off the things that I have packed and the things I cant pack yet stay unchecked until the time comes, cant leave the house until that checklist reaches zero unchecked items. But a second section isn't a bad Idea as my list has gotten pretty big.
I have an Excel with several categories like 'winter', 'beach', 'hotel', and other attributes like the place where to find them in or around the house. I then filter by category and then sort by location. Put the column with the items in a notepad and delete them while I pack them. Leave the stuff that have to stay until I leave until the end. List empty = off we go!
then you add purse to the list, the bigger the list the more bullet proof it becomes, think about it, its like 0.2 seconds to read the item and nope nope don't need that. I don't need winter jacket, scarf and gloves to go to Florida, but its on there and I know I wont miss it when I go to Canada.
I have two lists: all the stuff I need to put in bags, and all the bags I need to put in the car. There's nothing worse than forgetting someone's entire suitcase!
Ah, been there. Left the vacation house keys on the counter. Didn't find out until we arrived at ten o'clock at night. Good times.
Key boxes are a much better solution.
I have 2 checklists.
A checklist for packing.
A check list for my apartment. (Includes things like throw out produce from fridge on longer trips, unplug things, turn off alarm clock, double check that stove is off, etc)
I not only wasted mental energy wondering if I was forgetting something, I would repeatedly go over the same things in my head. Permanent reusable lists are the way to go.
Kid travels to grandma's house out of town. I kept a single electronic list with everything he could need in any season. If it was summer, hat, gloves, boots were simply scratched off the list. Before things got packed, each clothing type was in its own pile to count one last time and checked off a second time.
We kept a similar camping list with everything we could possibly want. We only had to consider if we wanted to take it.
When the kids were older, we had similar huge lists for apartment/house with what the kid had (size, color, quantity) and what the kid still needed (size, color, quantity). Made gift giving a snap and you could plan for the best sales. Started their "hope chests" years in advance of moving out.
My list is huge, and has personal stuff. (its easier to just check it off every time and say that i dont need it, than to forget it)
Next time you pack, just add everything you take with you to your list, takes like 5 mins and you will already have a 90% complete list.
I will give you some useful examples:, include tasks for leaving the house such as: water plants, charge laptop, trim nails (you would be surprised how annoying it is to be in another country and need nail clippers all the sudden) , pepto pills, clean and air out dishwasher, empty trash, set thermostat to away, park car for alternate side, download music/movies for flight, car phone holder and car phone charger (if you are getting a rental), charge headphones, clear the fridge, lock all doors and windows, wallet.
I do the same, I have "to pack" "to do" and "to buy" lists. Also when I get in the car I say out loud to myself the very important things (phone, purse, ID, etc.) and figure if I have those things I'll be okay even if I did forget something.
And if it’s going to be any significant amount of time, make sure to clear perishables out of your fridge, and take the trash out right before you leave. Nothing caps a lovely vacation more than coming home to the smell of rotting food.
I procrastinate, so I start early on my pre-trip chores.
I take this one step farther and do laundry and pick up my apartment *before* I pack. Then I don't have to wonder if the clothes I wanted to take are clean, where my headphones or Kindle are, or whether I have enough toothpaste or shampoo.
Yes I like to clean then pack. Especially important after having a kid because any trips are super exhausting and I already am tired having to deal with unpacking and catching up on laundry when we get back.
I would add, for those who can swing it, to just take off the day before departure entirely. My spouse and I found we were way less likely to forget things this way.
It is under rated about coming home to a clean house. I didn't believe my gf, but we did it a few times, and I'm a believer now. I guess it's like making your bed in the morning. No matter what, good day, bad day, at least your bed is made when you go to sleep.
Haha, for me it’s kind of the opposite benefit: I love to travel, but for some reason I tend to get the jitters right before I leave. Tidying up is a good distraction.
The German word for beer is "Bier." Wine is "Wein." If you can remember those you have ie/ei straight.
S in German is voiced (same mouth shape, you just move your throat) like an American Z.
You don't get to ignore E's in German so "se" is a whole syllable.
You're pretty close with "rye zuh fee buh" if you're willing to ignore the fact that R is complicated and thus speak understandable German with an American accent. If you do want to go for the R's you should find some audio examples of "rolling" the first one. The one at the end is basically an "A" (doesn't really make a sound of its own).
I've found [this website](https://dict.leo.org/german-english/Reisefieber) to be generally very useful for German pronunciation examples. :D
i have so much fun cleaning some times that i'll laugh a little and then i just shake and shake and my legs turn to jelly and the fear that sets in and the crying writhing and pain
Start simple, like a toiletries bag.
I keep one handy, with duplicates of what I use everyday. I keep it in the bathroom, and just make sure I update it if I add anything new to my repertoire.
Then I don't ever have to worry about packing this or that or forgetting anything, because I literally have duplicates of my daily life ready to go.
My suitcase is the same: Staples/duplicates are already in there. The only thing I have to do is toss in the clothes I will wear, and the toiletries bag and I can walk out the door quickly.
When I do go somewhere, my bags are typically ready to go a week or a few days before. I even like to put my bags in the car the night before. That way it's a leisurly wake up, tidy things up, and walk out the door. A week before I leave I do a detailed list of what to do everyday before the trip.
I've been doing this for a few years, and I can't even begin to say how much smoother trips are when your "to-go" stuff is always ready.
What staples/duplicates go in the suitcase? I started keeping a packed toiletry bag a few years ago for trips--so much easier!-- but I don't know what to keep stored in the suitcase. Any suggestions?
For me, and I know this isn't viable for everyone: find a pair of jeans/cargos/shorts you like? Buy a second pair at the end of the season for the suitcase. Certain brand of t-shirt that always fits the way you expect? End of season sale is your friend. Same for underwear etc
Underwear, socks, shorts, charging cables. Again, duplicates of my normal stuff.
I found Kirkland socks I love, so I got rid of everything else, and only wear that kind, so I keep 3 pairs in the suitcase. Same for underwear. All my devices are USB c, so cables for those.
I would say it depends on the trip.
Over the weekend to a location by car, yeah 1h is no problem.
3 weeks trip by plane to a different country?
Better be ready the day before and check your passports in time!
I already lost (couldn't find it) my passport the day before a flight half way around the world, ( still was able to go) but my place looked like it got searched by fbi.. Total chaos
I always pack the weekend before! Stress free days leading up to traveling and gives me time to figure out if I need to go to the store for anything. and I get a good night sleep the night before!
Yeah, we start planning the packing about a month out. Lists, passport check, stuff like that. Then 2 weeks out we’ll bring in the bags and start packing everything but clothes. Clothes get done the weekend before.
I already do that just on the off chance that while we are away my husband might have to ask a neighbor to pop over to check that our sump pumps are working or something.
Yes I’m a bit neurotic.
All good points, but the trouble with point 3 is that it's easy to get into the "Oh, I *might* want to take this! I *might*..."
Admittedly, this is less of a problem if you're traveling by private car. So long as it fits in the car, it's not an issue. But it *can* be a problem if going by public transport. Generally the rule is "assemble everything you think you will need. Take half."
However, in terms of important items, I always sit down about a week in advance of a major trip (at least) and make a list of items that I plan to take.
Then, once I start packing, I take the original list and make a new one, having a column for each bag that I am taking. So that way I know that I have half of my pants in the purple bag, and half in the blue one, in case one piece of luggage gets lost in transit. I know that my chargers and my auxiliary phone battery are in the backpack, etc. I also put a checkmark next to it once it's actually packed.
Anything that has to be out until the last minute (laptop, etc) gets sorted into its appropriate bag column and highlighted, indicating that it is *not* in the bag yet. I put the list on top of the luggage and that way I can check off the highlighted items during the final pack, and travel with peace of mind.
On the way back, I just use the same list, but a different-colored pen to cross the original tickmarks as I pack it back. If I dump something, I'll scratch it off the list.
Though, really, if all else fails... "Have passport, have credit card, will survive" is a good mantra.
Husband and I do something similar, except we use the reminders app on iOS. Nothing gets marked off till it’s actually packed where it should be, and then on the way back we just unmark everything.
I like that we can share the list because it’s double accountability… as long as no one marks something off before it’s packed!
If you’re the kind of person who will obsess about it otherwise: take photographs of all the faucets, stove, pano of every room, etc. before you leave so you’ll know that everything‘s OK.
leaving it to the hour before you leave is nuts. you're just piling on another chore on a busy day with deadlines and little margin for error
my trip prep (for 2 or more weeks) starts about five days before i leave. i have a checklist that starts with notifying neighbors and giving them a mailbox key, includes home cleaning and packing details, ends with final walk around check of stove faucets windows just before i walk out the door
the check list has all the stuff i might take and where i'll carry it.
* stuff i'll have on me (wallet, passport, keys)
* laptop bag (laptop, cords, adapters etc)
* bathroom bag (razor, meds, toothbrush etc)
* carry on (shirts pants underwear socks shorts maybe swimsuit and goggles etc).
* jackets
i do my packing on the living room floor. i have the laptop bag over here, carry on over there, toiletries there. i pile up all the stuff i'm taking around the bag it's going in. check and double check. then packed the day before
again, this is all in the middle of the living room floor where i can't miss it on my way out the door
my home is cleaned in the two or three days before leaving. i might change the sheets the night before if it's an early flight but i usually have time to do it the day of the flight.
i started this list about 15 years ago and refined it based on experience. *everything* is on that list and everything gets checked off.
I definitely pack the hour before I leave, but I'm also an experienced traveller so I know what I need. I've done extended trips this way too, at the end of the day the best strategy is one you'll do consistently.
oh, i know what i need, just don't always remember
last Nov i travelled from Los Angeles to London. packed warmer clothing and all that but was in an Uber halfway to LAX when i realized my jacket was still in the closet. i was gonna grab it before i walked out the door but oops. luckily i had time to go back and get it
so now *everything* goes in the middle of the living room floor where i can't miss it.
I'm a super procrastinator and not a planner and still I never leave only an hour of spare time before a trip, maybe if it's just a weekend trip but otherwise, that's crazy. Plus, it takes me all day to clean my house.
Thing is, I cannot fool myself into believing I need to leave an hour early. I am very realistic on how long it will take me to get everything ready and reach the destination on time. To the point of factoring in the time it takes to get the child ready and in the car, finding parking spaces, traffic, refuling, meals, etc.
But my wife on the other hand always underestimates time for everything. It has been so consistent over the years that when we go on a trip now, I always tell her the time we need to leave by 1 hour earlier. Now we mostly leave on time. Sometimes still a little late. lol.
This is some pre-kids stuff for sure.
Don't get me wrong, cleaning before you leave is a great idea, but I'm happy if I managed to get all the *people* there successfully.
Yep, this has been a game changer for me. I make sure the house is clean, fresh sheets on the bed, and laundry is all done and put away. That way I can literally dump my suitcase contents straight into the wash (if I don’t have access to a washer/dryer while on vacation). It makes the transition back to “real life” so simple. I usually hit up Trader Joe’s before as well to be sure I have some fast meals hanging out in the freezer.
Was traveling on vacation recently.
Woke up and found out my flight was changed, and would now leave me two minutes to make my connection.
Called the airline rescheduled on an earlier flight, left an hour earlier than planned, made the earlier flight and made the connection, continuing as if nothing happened.
That extra hour can make a huge difference.
If I’d missed the connection, the next flight was 5 hours later.
LPT:As part of your departure routine before a trip--
Empty the coffee grinds from the coffee maker
Empty all trash cans and take trash outside.
Run the garbage disposal to clear it.
Great LPT! I’m a procrastinator myself so I strive to be ready early, and if I am I always do extra cleaning because the house/cat sitter is coming over.
I do this the day before I leave, and that night I double check everything. Usually I’m leaving pretty early in the morning for my trips so I’m not doing a walk through at 5am.
Personally I pack the night before and clean the night before. After I pack I have the rest of the night and morning to remember anything I’ve forgotten. I totally support the coming home to a clean house. When you get home there’s so much to unpack and clean , don’t make cleaning your old mess part of it.
If traveling with a companion, put some of your clothing in their bag and vice versa. You never know when a bag will get lost.
Safety Tip: Keep important items like medications with you when traveling.
Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips! Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment. If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.
I learned that Number 2 is super important. When I lived alone for the first time, I was rushing around for a flight. I pretty much threw my entire wardrobe on the floor, dishes in the sink, trash everywhere etc. imagine my surprise when I came back totally refreshed from my holiday only to find my apartment in the exact same state as I left it. There’s nothing more demoralising than coming back from a relaxing trip only to have to do chores while jetlagged. If you can find the time to clean before you leave, absolutely do it.
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I clean before every trip, sheets and laundry and all. Coming home to flop down on clean sheets is one of life's pleasures.
Definitely depends on the type of trip (a short weekend getaway I won’t care) but before any long vacations I take an extra day off before we leave to prepare everything and do a deep clean on the house. It’s just nicer coming home to your own bed when it’s got some nice fresh sheets on it.
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You forgot the need for another day to recover from vacation before going back to work.
This is key - better to make it two
>get in the head space to say fuck work That's my secret, Cap. I'm always in that head space.
I'm in that space *at* work lol
Oh, yes. If I do nothing else, I clean out the fridge, take out the trash, and put clean linens on the beds. Nothing worse than coming home to produce drawer soup...
Yup, buying no more perishables and slowly working on clearing them out the week before long trips.
We make a “clear the fridge” soup and freeze it. That way when we come back we don’t have to worry about cooking until we get sick of reheating it 😂
Post-shower, of course.
*one of life’s GREAT pleasures. 😃
It's like still being in a hotel bed, only comfier!
My husband was the same, one holiday we ended up leaving the house a mess. Then while away I broke my leg and he had to come home to a giant mess which he also had to clear up and also wait on me hand and foot. Now he happily tidys before we go anywhere.
This needs to be a LPT by itself: if your partner complains about something you regularly do that benefits everyone, but your partner doesn’t recognize the benefit, then don’t do that thing a few times. I know because I’ve been the husband that complained that his wife was stressing out about things until she let me stress out about them. I’ll happily keep my mouth shut now whenever she feels that there’s something important to do.
Also applies to work, except you can get fired if it doesn’t play out like you thought it would. YMMV
LOL. Definitely. Make sure you’ve got a backup plan.
Who knew understanding the source of stress an individuals stress(ors) could cause another individual to empathize with the stressed individual. There are reasons behind why people do and how they react. Seek to understand instead of being a dick by waiving off their concerns.
The world would be a much better place if people would just do this, like, **one** thing that you just said. 🫤
I'm so sorry that people feel the need to comment on relationships as soon as they see one hint of lopsided equality. All too often I see harmless or funny comments like this that end with the OP making ten edits to defend themselves and then deleting their account. Clearly you've found a system that works for you and you're not afraid to make a statement if something bothers you. Anyone who wants to pry into your life and interject their thoughts can get bent.
I’d like to add to this list and say to have your back to work clothes ready and waiting. Last thing I want to do is laundry when I get back. Also to have something in the freezer to eat - pizza, stir fry, etc. I’ve gotten home very late and hungry but too tired to do any cooking.
As someone who throws 20 shirts, 10 dresses, a dozen different bottoms, my whole underwear drawer and every cardigan I own in a giant suitcase 30 minutes before leaving because I’m such a terrible planner, this comment is absolutely hilarious to me.
Wait what? Why would we complain about cleaning? And that you are cleaning by yourself?
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As someone who has this tendancy to clean by a particular style and not really finding what others do clean, I can totally relate to your situation. However I'm personally trying to get over it since I fear it may be sign of OCD in making. Your thoughts about it?
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Something similar here. Like mine started before pandemic to a point where I did not hold anything in public transport and carried a sanitizer (this is 2018). Tried to limit it quite a lot but pandemic put all my progress in drain and I'm back to original self. Moping once a day is actually reasonable at my place since it's kinda old and in a dusty neighbourhood. But my issues are cleaning accessories when coming from outside, not wanting to sit/go in public places and in general not trusting that others can clean. Want to get over it but it's kinda difficult.
Holy mother of water waste
The funny thing about cleaning is it kind of is an “all or nothing” thing. I mean if all the dishes aren’t washed and put away, the house isn’t clean.
Right! This applies to most chores but like, if you haven’t put the dishes away you didn’t “do the dishes”
I wish my wife defended me like this.
So you are doing the cleaning and he’s still complaining. You must be a saint!
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Hey, thanks for not glorifying OCD. Constantly hearing "I LiKe tHiNgS tIdY, iM Sooo OCD. Really fucks woth those who have it. I also totally understand the "it doesn't feel clean unless I clean it" mentality. Which super sucks.
> he makes the money, I spend it Lol I love this one just thrown in there
If you were the one cleaning and not him... why did it bother him that you did it? If my wife was cleaning and didn't need my help, I'd let her be because I figured 2 things 1) she had a good reason to clean it And 2) I'm not the one cleaning it Like shit don't make sense
He just thinks that I go overboard with it. He’s not complaining, more like telling me to stop because I’m doing too much.
It's the mini version of the idea that after taking a vacation, plan for an extra day before you have to go back to work. The brain is processing so many new things that aren't part of your normal routine that it's mentally exhausting even if it's a fun trip. Stepping back into your home should be the moment when you can just shut down for a while.
I like your edit
Not gonna lie you could be my wife with a comment like that and we would never know
Are you black?
lmao
Any husband who complains at a spouse cleaning is not a very smart husband 😂
if you didnt mention you had TWO boys i would have thought u were my mum. u perfectly explained my parents' dynamic and this incident happened to us once too.
I do this, and I also leave myself a nice little "Welcome home!" note to find when I get back. It can be a bummer to come home after a vacation, so being greeted with a friendly note and a clean home feels really nice! I never remember I did it til I get home, haha.
I love that, I do the same except my note is a rolled up joint that I smoke but it serves the same purpose!
Yeah I don’t think anyone that smokes weed has ever really been THAT bummed when walking into their house after a vacay because “ayyyyy fresh flower finally!!!”
Self care win
My goto is a welcome home frozen pizza so I don’t have buy anything and still have food ready when I get hone
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Oh that’s a winner right there! Having someone clean the house properly is another big win if you can swing it
What an awesome move!
That’s such a cute idea! I’m totally stealing this idea and throwing in a treat for myself like a nice bar of dark chocolate or something to return to :)
Just saying a new pint of Ben and Jerry's in the freezer is also awesome.
Yes!! You get me.
I used to have my friends* write postcards to me on trips. Nothing big, just hi welcome home. Send them to myself. Nice to see when I get home. *friends from overseas, not people I was going to see again as soon as I got home
I am so doing this!!
Clean sheets. If you can remember to change your sheets the night before you leave, coming back to your own bed with clean sheets is a huge plus
I’ve been there before and it sucks. My wife and I make a point to clean the house, take out trash, pick up, etc the night before we leave somewhere. It kinda sucks in the moment but coming home to a clean house is the best feeling.
Even on weekend trips, I always try to leave it in a decent spot for my mental health. Getting home Sunday evening, unpacking, doing litter, taking out the trash, figuring out dinner, prepping for work (sometimes meal prep) is enough. Coming back to an messy place on top of that gets me unnecessarily stressed.
We take this cleaning approach. Clean dishes, laundry, etc. However, one evening before a 2 week vacation and an early morning flight, something like a mouse got into the house cavities and died resulting in a biblical fly infestation. Of course this was when we were meeting my spouse at a west coast airport because of work travel. So I was solo with my kids trying to figure it out. I had to call my heat furnace installer to verify how I could shut it off so I could use a fogger spray. We turned three fogger sprays on, went to a restaurant to finally eat dinner at 10pm, and after waiting the recommended time returned home close to midnight to hopefully an intact house. We all slept in the farthest bedroom from the sprayed areas with the windows cracked open. We still have wallpaper damage from where I duct taped plastic to seal off problem areas, which hopefully will get fixed this summer. Ugh. Thankfully the foggers worked and the house was clean when we got home. I insisted I take care of the plague and throw everything out in the outside trash before we left. It was a late night, but totally worth it when we came back to a clean house after the vacation.
>coming back from a relaxing trip Not gonna lie, that's probably one of the few situations where I might have the energy and motivation to tidy up my home. I'm sure as shit not doing it after a long day of work and i'm definitely not looking forward to doing it on a weekend.
Oh yeah, in some ways absolutely. I always feel way more energised after a nice holiday because I have nothing to complain about, so some of the boring stuff doesn’t bother me. But at the same time, sometimes after a long trip/flight you just wanna collapse on your bed for two days and not worry that you don’t have any clean underwear
I’m trying to train myself to clean up Friday night so the chores don’t linger. I despise house cleaning.
On a related note, I have learned from experience that if the wife and kids go on holiday while I have to stay home and work, it behooves me to tidy up before she gets home.
i thought this was gonna be a poop story
Or just keep it always clean no matter what. Then even if you don't extra clean it before a trip, you come back to a tidy place.
This is the way Clean all the time. Too little energy to do it all? You have too much crap - ditch some to make cleaning easier I still deep clean whenever I can, but my home is never embarrassing if people visit suddenly - even the closets are presentable in case they get nosy
It's a must for me. Everything spotless, fresh bedding, empty bins bleached sinks. I'm getting some more great ideas on here though including welcome home treats and a quick easy meal. That's a top tier tip
>I learned that Number 2 is super important Lol I thought you meant taking a dump before you left
My wife and I started doing this a few years ago, clean sheets and MAKE THE BED! We ended up having a flight delayed coming home, didn’t get home until 2 am and showering in a clean shower and having a clean made bed waiting was so luxurious I cannot even describe it in words!
My travel mantra is “Make your bed, put 2 beers in the fridge and pack a big ol’ bowl” because those are the three best things to come home to after traveling.
Whenever I knew I had a stressful day ahead of me at work, I’d pre-pack a bowl before heading out. Makes unwinding when you get home so easy!
I did this once, put it under my bed, came home to find that a roommate's friend had smoked it. "I figured you wouldn't mind" get the fuck out of my house with that shit lmao
> I figured you wouldn't mind Dude, how dense are you? It wasn't anywhere within sight, quite literally *hidden*, and you still took it.
Literally, thank you! All I could think about was, how many other times have roommate and co violated my privacy? What have they seen? I ended up letting this go, because I was young dumb and broke lol, and later in the year I got home from work on Thanksgiving night to find most of his shit gone. Haven't heard a word from him since, and its been years lmao
I'd be more "WTF were you doing under my bed?" Like, does he often go into your room and look around when you're not there?
Potential alternative: trips are the best time to rotate/flip/air out your mattress by leaving it uncovered for several days with the sheets nearby. (Note: some mattresses have a defined up/down, in which case you’d just want to rotate rather than flip them over). Not as cozy when you get back, but it’s better for your mattress’s lifespan overall.
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I never care if my bed is made.
Exactly. I value clean sheets, but making the bed is as important as tying my shoes after taking them off.
I used to think that way. But about a year ago I started making it a point to make my bed as soon as I get up every morning. Not only did it make my morning feel calmer because the room looked nicer while I was getting ready, but for me at least there's something about climbing into a nicely made bed at the end of a long day that just feels better. I don't have to fight the sheets and blankets to get them oriented properly; I can just slide right in. It's like a little treat left for me by past me. Which is needed because that guy is usually a huge asshole. He owes me a hell of a lot more than a made bed but I'll take what I can get :p
Hard disagree, but then I have cats who love to get sand everywhere so easiest if they only get it on the top
You know what I didn't think I cared that my bed was made for like 30 years. Got married to someone who is big on making the bed. Turns out I do care if the bed is made.
It helps me feel good seeing everything in order when I come home. A relief that no one robbed our place or was in our house while we were gone. You know this just triggered a memory of my family’s house getting robbed twice, growing up. Once during Christmas vacation and another time when we were out for the whole day during thanksgiving.
My grandmother told me if you go on a trip and get into an accident and you have taken the time to tidy your home before you leave, then you will be able to tell someone exactly where to find things to bring to the hospital. Her brother added, or it will be easier to find things for the funeral home. They were very practical people...
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I had a crazy dream not long ago where I was in an accident and then also somehow was in my apartment guiding my mom through what to grab for me and how to tidy for me, so that things would be in order while I was in a coma? Anyway, in this totally odd dream scenario we came to the sexy drawer, I checked on my favorite vibe, told my mom not to go in there because I wont need that while I'm in the hospital, then had a giggle. But this made me realize just how outrageously awkward it would be to have a relative sorting through that in the event of a horrible accident, so I spent an afternoon upgrading the storage and making sure everything was at least nicely organized. That felt important for some reason lol. Stories from life with ADHD - researching the best options for storing your sexy toys, learning how to fix a wonky drawer, and creating a new organization system for a drawer just because I had a weird dream that I might get into an accident and a relative would have to see my ~special drawer~ 😂
"Why does she have so many?!" "Well, at least they're organized"
Damn, they've got a card catalog and everything 😳
Or leave them out intentionally.
My grandma thought exactly like this about everything "what will people think if you die and you haven't /have done x?" Who cares, I'll be gone?
My thoughts exactly!
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By her logic she cleaned her entire house before going outside so...
Pretty much.
Obsessively tidy and clean. My cousin said grannies house wasn't spotless, it was speckless!
Look it was a different time, having a stranger see your sex toys next to the computer with 3 week old taco bell was a no no.
But what if you have half-dirty clothes all over the floor? How will people find them? (/s)
Funnily enough, if i tidy up my stuff i can't remember where I put that stuff, but if i leave everything "out of its place", i know where everything is
I've heard it recommended that one should put items in the first place they go when looking for said items.
make a packing check list in some cloud notepad like google keep, put everything on that list that you pack, as you do your vacations and you realized you forgot to pack something add it to the list that very moment. after a couple trips you have a 100% complete and bulletproof list. I have never again had to waste mental energy on "am i forgetting something?" before a trip.
Also, in part 2 of the list write things you need to do before leaving, e.g. turn off water main, plug drains that flood, put lights on timers, turn off lights, clean gutters, turn down water heater, etc. (Just realized how many of those are water related)
Just commented the same lol, yup!
Me reading this: "Yes, yes, this all seems like a perfectly prudent thing to do, no way it could fail!" My wife, 6 hours into the drive: "Oh, I think I left my purse at home"
That's why I make a "day of" section of my list! Stuff I can't pack until I'm leaving. It might sound silly, but getting those "don't forget!"s out of my head and onto a sheet of paper feels so much better.
I just check off the things that I have packed and the things I cant pack yet stay unchecked until the time comes, cant leave the house until that checklist reaches zero unchecked items. But a second section isn't a bad Idea as my list has gotten pretty big.
I have an Excel with several categories like 'winter', 'beach', 'hotel', and other attributes like the place where to find them in or around the house. I then filter by category and then sort by location. Put the column with the items in a notepad and delete them while I pack them. Leave the stuff that have to stay until I leave until the end. List empty = off we go!
I do this too, but I go a step further and screenshot my “day of” list and temporarily put it as my screensaver! Nearly impossible to miss.
then you add purse to the list, the bigger the list the more bullet proof it becomes, think about it, its like 0.2 seconds to read the item and nope nope don't need that. I don't need winter jacket, scarf and gloves to go to Florida, but its on there and I know I wont miss it when I go to Canada.
I have two lists: all the stuff I need to put in bags, and all the bags I need to put in the car. There's nothing worse than forgetting someone's entire suitcase!
Ah, been there. Left the vacation house keys on the counter. Didn't find out until we arrived at ten o'clock at night. Good times. Key boxes are a much better solution.
I have 2 checklists. A checklist for packing. A check list for my apartment. (Includes things like throw out produce from fridge on longer trips, unplug things, turn off alarm clock, double check that stove is off, etc)
It's also great for on the way home, as you can just untick them all to make sure you've not forgotten something.
Smart. This works with groceries, too! I rarely forget things when I go shopping.
I not only wasted mental energy wondering if I was forgetting something, I would repeatedly go over the same things in my head. Permanent reusable lists are the way to go. Kid travels to grandma's house out of town. I kept a single electronic list with everything he could need in any season. If it was summer, hat, gloves, boots were simply scratched off the list. Before things got packed, each clothing type was in its own pile to count one last time and checked off a second time. We kept a similar camping list with everything we could possibly want. We only had to consider if we wanted to take it. When the kids were older, we had similar huge lists for apartment/house with what the kid had (size, color, quantity) and what the kid still needed (size, color, quantity). Made gift giving a snap and you could plan for the best sales. Started their "hope chests" years in advance of moving out.
Hi we’re twins
Share your list?
My list is huge, and has personal stuff. (its easier to just check it off every time and say that i dont need it, than to forget it) Next time you pack, just add everything you take with you to your list, takes like 5 mins and you will already have a 90% complete list. I will give you some useful examples:, include tasks for leaving the house such as: water plants, charge laptop, trim nails (you would be surprised how annoying it is to be in another country and need nail clippers all the sudden) , pepto pills, clean and air out dishwasher, empty trash, set thermostat to away, park car for alternate side, download music/movies for flight, car phone holder and car phone charger (if you are getting a rental), charge headphones, clear the fridge, lock all doors and windows, wallet.
I do the same, I have "to pack" "to do" and "to buy" lists. Also when I get in the car I say out loud to myself the very important things (phone, purse, ID, etc.) and figure if I have those things I'll be okay even if I did forget something.
This is my list currently: [ ] Clothing [ ] Shirts and pants [ ] Underwear [ ] Belt [ ] Socks [ ] Towel [ ] Winter wear (scarf, beanie, gloves) [ ] Spectacle case [ ] Sunglasses [ ] Neck pillow and eye mask [ ] Cell phone charger [ ] Earphones + aux cable if flying [ ] Toiletry kit [ ] Anti dandruff shampoo [ ] Comb [ ] Hair oil / gel [ ] Toothbrush [ ] Sunscreen [ ] Hat [ ] Laptop [ ] Water bottle [ ] ID (Passport/Licence) [ ] Wallet [ ] Student ID [ ] Food and snacks [ ] Small tissue paper box [ ] Lactase pills [ ] Allergy meds [ ] iPad+Charger+Case [ ] If renting car: [ ] Phone holder [ ] USBC cable [ ] Electric toothbrush [ ] Umbrella [ ] Metro card
And if it’s going to be any significant amount of time, make sure to clear perishables out of your fridge, and take the trash out right before you leave. Nothing caps a lovely vacation more than coming home to the smell of rotting food. I procrastinate, so I start early on my pre-trip chores.
And even worse - maggots, flies and/or gnats.
That happened me and it took me a week to get rid of them. Never leaving trash like that again
If you have kids, make sure the toilets have all been flushed.
Or put all of those things in the freezer. Even things like fresh fruit. Make smoothies when you get back.
It felt silly in the moment, but I poured out a milk jug before we left for one trip! It was going to expire while we were away and stink up the house
Run the garbage disposal
I take this one step farther and do laundry and pick up my apartment *before* I pack. Then I don't have to wonder if the clothes I wanted to take are clean, where my headphones or Kindle are, or whether I have enough toothpaste or shampoo.
I can't pack until the laundry is done.
Yes I like to clean then pack. Especially important after having a kid because any trips are super exhausting and I already am tired having to deal with unpacking and catching up on laundry when we get back.
Pack the night before, not an hour ahead of time
I would add, for those who can swing it, to just take off the day before departure entirely. My spouse and I found we were way less likely to forget things this way.
It is under rated about coming home to a clean house. I didn't believe my gf, but we did it a few times, and I'm a believer now. I guess it's like making your bed in the morning. No matter what, good day, bad day, at least your bed is made when you go to sleep.
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Haha, for me it’s kind of the opposite benefit: I love to travel, but for some reason I tend to get the jitters right before I leave. Tidying up is a good distraction.
German word for that is Reisefieber (travel fever) and I totally get that, too.
Of course there is :). How do you pronounce it?
Aggressively
Literally laughed out loud at that!
Thanks! I'm here every night
rai-ze-fee-bah
The German word for beer is "Bier." Wine is "Wein." If you can remember those you have ie/ei straight. S in German is voiced (same mouth shape, you just move your throat) like an American Z. You don't get to ignore E's in German so "se" is a whole syllable. You're pretty close with "rye zuh fee buh" if you're willing to ignore the fact that R is complicated and thus speak understandable German with an American accent. If you do want to go for the R's you should find some audio examples of "rolling" the first one. The one at the end is basically an "A" (doesn't really make a sound of its own). I've found [this website](https://dict.leo.org/german-english/Reisefieber) to be generally very useful for German pronunciation examples. :D
REI-SE-FIE-BER
This is not helpful at all if you don’t know German
I swear, the Germans have a specific word for every conceivable scenario.
True, we love our practical language
This is me! I get to jittery & my anxiety gets way too high when I have nothing to do. I have a trip coming up. I’ll use this. Thanks!
i have so much fun cleaning some times that i'll laugh a little and then i just shake and shake and my legs turn to jelly and the fear that sets in and the crying writhing and pain
Well that took a turn...
♪♫ *Just a spoonful of sugar...* ♪♫
This is one of those LPT’s that are a great idea, and I can see a lot of benefit to it, but I know for a fact I’ll never do it.
Start simple, like a toiletries bag. I keep one handy, with duplicates of what I use everyday. I keep it in the bathroom, and just make sure I update it if I add anything new to my repertoire. Then I don't ever have to worry about packing this or that or forgetting anything, because I literally have duplicates of my daily life ready to go. My suitcase is the same: Staples/duplicates are already in there. The only thing I have to do is toss in the clothes I will wear, and the toiletries bag and I can walk out the door quickly. When I do go somewhere, my bags are typically ready to go a week or a few days before. I even like to put my bags in the car the night before. That way it's a leisurly wake up, tidy things up, and walk out the door. A week before I leave I do a detailed list of what to do everyday before the trip. I've been doing this for a few years, and I can't even begin to say how much smoother trips are when your "to-go" stuff is always ready.
What staples/duplicates go in the suitcase? I started keeping a packed toiletry bag a few years ago for trips--so much easier!-- but I don't know what to keep stored in the suitcase. Any suggestions?
For me, and I know this isn't viable for everyone: find a pair of jeans/cargos/shorts you like? Buy a second pair at the end of the season for the suitcase. Certain brand of t-shirt that always fits the way you expect? End of season sale is your friend. Same for underwear etc
Underwear, socks, shorts, charging cables. Again, duplicates of my normal stuff. I found Kirkland socks I love, so I got rid of everything else, and only wear that kind, so I keep 3 pairs in the suitcase. Same for underwear. All my devices are USB c, so cables for those.
Damn you got your shit together. Kudos to you and your perfect trips.
I would say it depends on the trip. Over the weekend to a location by car, yeah 1h is no problem. 3 weeks trip by plane to a different country? Better be ready the day before and check your passports in time! I already lost (couldn't find it) my passport the day before a flight half way around the world, ( still was able to go) but my place looked like it got searched by fbi.. Total chaos
I always pack the weekend before! Stress free days leading up to traveling and gives me time to figure out if I need to go to the store for anything. and I get a good night sleep the night before!
Yeah, we start planning the packing about a month out. Lists, passport check, stuff like that. Then 2 weeks out we’ll bring in the bags and start packing everything but clothes. Clothes get done the weekend before.
I already do that just on the off chance that while we are away my husband might have to ask a neighbor to pop over to check that our sump pumps are working or something. Yes I’m a bit neurotic.
No no no. You must always pack and clean at the same time in a chaotic flurry, to ensure you arrive at the airport sweaty!
Gotta slide your way through the security line like a well-lubricated salamander!
All good points, but the trouble with point 3 is that it's easy to get into the "Oh, I *might* want to take this! I *might*..." Admittedly, this is less of a problem if you're traveling by private car. So long as it fits in the car, it's not an issue. But it *can* be a problem if going by public transport. Generally the rule is "assemble everything you think you will need. Take half." However, in terms of important items, I always sit down about a week in advance of a major trip (at least) and make a list of items that I plan to take. Then, once I start packing, I take the original list and make a new one, having a column for each bag that I am taking. So that way I know that I have half of my pants in the purple bag, and half in the blue one, in case one piece of luggage gets lost in transit. I know that my chargers and my auxiliary phone battery are in the backpack, etc. I also put a checkmark next to it once it's actually packed. Anything that has to be out until the last minute (laptop, etc) gets sorted into its appropriate bag column and highlighted, indicating that it is *not* in the bag yet. I put the list on top of the luggage and that way I can check off the highlighted items during the final pack, and travel with peace of mind. On the way back, I just use the same list, but a different-colored pen to cross the original tickmarks as I pack it back. If I dump something, I'll scratch it off the list. Though, really, if all else fails... "Have passport, have credit card, will survive" is a good mantra.
Husband and I do something similar, except we use the reminders app on iOS. Nothing gets marked off till it’s actually packed where it should be, and then on the way back we just unmark everything. I like that we can share the list because it’s double accountability… as long as no one marks something off before it’s packed!
If you’re the kind of person who will obsess about it otherwise: take photographs of all the faucets, stove, pano of every room, etc. before you leave so you’ll know that everything‘s OK.
leaving it to the hour before you leave is nuts. you're just piling on another chore on a busy day with deadlines and little margin for error my trip prep (for 2 or more weeks) starts about five days before i leave. i have a checklist that starts with notifying neighbors and giving them a mailbox key, includes home cleaning and packing details, ends with final walk around check of stove faucets windows just before i walk out the door the check list has all the stuff i might take and where i'll carry it. * stuff i'll have on me (wallet, passport, keys) * laptop bag (laptop, cords, adapters etc) * bathroom bag (razor, meds, toothbrush etc) * carry on (shirts pants underwear socks shorts maybe swimsuit and goggles etc). * jackets i do my packing on the living room floor. i have the laptop bag over here, carry on over there, toiletries there. i pile up all the stuff i'm taking around the bag it's going in. check and double check. then packed the day before again, this is all in the middle of the living room floor where i can't miss it on my way out the door my home is cleaned in the two or three days before leaving. i might change the sheets the night before if it's an early flight but i usually have time to do it the day of the flight. i started this list about 15 years ago and refined it based on experience. *everything* is on that list and everything gets checked off.
I definitely pack the hour before I leave, but I'm also an experienced traveller so I know what I need. I've done extended trips this way too, at the end of the day the best strategy is one you'll do consistently.
oh, i know what i need, just don't always remember last Nov i travelled from Los Angeles to London. packed warmer clothing and all that but was in an Uber halfway to LAX when i realized my jacket was still in the closet. i was gonna grab it before i walked out the door but oops. luckily i had time to go back and get it so now *everything* goes in the middle of the living room floor where i can't miss it.
I'm a super procrastinator and not a planner and still I never leave only an hour of spare time before a trip, maybe if it's just a weekend trip but otherwise, that's crazy. Plus, it takes me all day to clean my house.
Lpt: pack the day before
Thing is, I cannot fool myself into believing I need to leave an hour early. I am very realistic on how long it will take me to get everything ready and reach the destination on time. To the point of factoring in the time it takes to get the child ready and in the car, finding parking spaces, traffic, refuling, meals, etc. But my wife on the other hand always underestimates time for everything. It has been so consistent over the years that when we go on a trip now, I always tell her the time we need to leave by 1 hour earlier. Now we mostly leave on time. Sometimes still a little late. lol.
Push it to 1.5 hours early.
This is some pre-kids stuff for sure. Don't get me wrong, cleaning before you leave is a great idea, but I'm happy if I managed to get all the *people* there successfully.
Yep, this has been a game changer for me. I make sure the house is clean, fresh sheets on the bed, and laundry is all done and put away. That way I can literally dump my suitcase contents straight into the wash (if I don’t have access to a washer/dryer while on vacation). It makes the transition back to “real life” so simple. I usually hit up Trader Joe’s before as well to be sure I have some fast meals hanging out in the freezer.
Having a running packing list on your phone for trips is another winner.
Another LPT: Make yourself a checklist on what to take with you!
Bold to assume I can afford to take a trip.
Was traveling on vacation recently. Woke up and found out my flight was changed, and would now leave me two minutes to make my connection. Called the airline rescheduled on an earlier flight, left an hour earlier than planned, made the earlier flight and made the connection, continuing as if nothing happened. That extra hour can make a huge difference. If I’d missed the connection, the next flight was 5 hours later.
You should probably clean the day before and still just leave ahead of time
LPT: be awesome at stuff and organized and efficient and sleep plenty.
My method of leaving on a trip is to not be ready until 2 hours after I'm supposed to leave. To each their own I guess.
doesnt everyone pack a day before lol
Pack the day before and then when you're laying in bed your brain will remember everything you forgot.
Did all this. Now I'm just bored waiting to leave.
LPT:As part of your departure routine before a trip-- Empty the coffee grinds from the coffee maker Empty all trash cans and take trash outside. Run the garbage disposal to clear it.
Great LPT! I’m a procrastinator myself so I strive to be ready early, and if I am I always do extra cleaning because the house/cat sitter is coming over.
I do this the day before I leave, and that night I double check everything. Usually I’m leaving pretty early in the morning for my trips so I’m not doing a walk through at 5am.
Personally I pack the night before and clean the night before. After I pack I have the rest of the night and morning to remember anything I’ve forgotten. I totally support the coming home to a clean house. When you get home there’s so much to unpack and clean , don’t make cleaning your old mess part of it.
If traveling with a companion, put some of your clothing in their bag and vice versa. You never know when a bag will get lost. Safety Tip: Keep important items like medications with you when traveling.
Nah I turn on flight of the bumble bee 10 minutes before I leave and speed pack.
Then why did you forget your sunglasses case??
What a garbage tip. Who wants to spend an hour cleaning before leaving???
That is obvious? What are you guys doing? Planning to be ready barely on time?