1 Pack a bag to carry home souvenirs.
2 Buy an expanding suitcase. Travel out with it small size. The extra space on the way home can be filled with souvenirs.
3 Some people travel with disposable underwear. Others wear old underwear which they discard at the destination.
4 I used to buy multi-packs of underwear when they were low-price after Xmas and midsummer sales. I would save a pack or two for my next travel trip. No need to hunt for and check numbers of underwear. All folded compact, clean, excitingly new, in a plastic see-through container.
5 Last Night Meal
If you are on a budget and staying with friends or family who are also on a budget, instead of taking them out for your last night, cook them a special meal. Cook enough for the leftovers to be frozen for them for later.
6 Food and drink gifts
If they are likely to prefer to stay in because they cook, or in some countries such as Indonesia they employ a cook, plan to take a bottle of wine or ask if there is any food or drink or other item they would like from your home country or country of departure.
Print the recipe and pack it. Leave it with your hosts. (Take a photo of your dinner. Find a mask to frame your photo online.)
7 Pack Suitable Clothes
Have a scarf (cravat or bow tie for a man) and jewellery to turn a black tee-shirt or day dress into an evening outfit. Have one black outfit in case you go to a funeral. Have a suitable outfit for a wedding or farewell dinner, even if you are not invited to one before you leave home.
You don't want to have to spend time and money hunting for clothes when you had a little silk shirt at home which was perfect for a smart event. I used to be surprised when a casual trip turned out to include a grand event. When my flight to India was delayed, a man on his way to a wedding invited me and several others to the wedding.
A sporty travel trip to a Florida golf course started and ended with meeting the hotel manager and the local mayor for a formal dinner.
A trip to Singapore was extended when we were invited to a colleague's housewarming combined with her anniversary.
8 Pack Cards
If you are going to a wedding overseas, to save time, pack a congratulations card and a tiny card to attach to a gift.
Pack a thank you card. or draft your thank you letter to send to your hosts as you travel to the airport home. That's when you have their email handy and know their names and how to spell their names.
If you end up with too many souvenirs, buy another new travel bag. Airport bags are expesnive but often sturdy top of the range brands such as Samsonite.
A cheap shop called Valu is at Expo, one train stop away from Changi airport in Singapore. The Valu shop has a range of inexpensive suitcases on four wheels, different colours and styles every time you visit.
Author
Angela Lansbury, Travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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