S Hooks:

When you travel light, it usually means you end up carrying most of your belongings near or on your person. A side effect of this is that during the course of your excursion, you’ll need to create hanging space where none exists. For my money, the best way to do this is with an s hook. You can get large ones at the hardware store, but the ones with the wider curves tend to be thicker and heavier than necessary. I like to pick mine up at Ikea in the kitchen section. They’re thinner, still sturdy, and have a wide enough s curve to accommodate shower poles, restroom stalls, door knobs and the cross bars on a Southeast Asian tuk tuk. They also have the flat versus the round variety, which provides greater flexibility in my opinion.

Electrical Adapters:

Speaking of travel gear you can buy at hardware stores, electrical adapters are another extremely flexible vacation or business travel item. While the adapters that allow you to switch from a European plug to a North American one are helpful, what I’m talking about here are the adapters that allow you extend a single outlet into one that allows you to charge three or more items. This comes in handy during an airport layover when outlets are scarce. If all the outlets are taken, it’s no big deal to ask someone to unplug their machine for a second while you expand the power access.

Bandanas:

Thin, quick-drying and easy to pack, the travel uses for bandanas are many. Use one for a small picnic surface, to wash your dishes and even as a wash cloth. Of course, they also make great napkins for inexpensive street food purchases. If you have room, consider packing several. You’ll be surprised how often you’ll need them once you get used to having them around.

Lip Balm:

Aside from its obvious use, lip balm can serve a number of uses on the road, saving you money and luggage space in the toiletry department. The key is to purchase an unscented balm with no color tinting. Once you do, you can use it for a variety of skin care tasks. Rub some on your finger to treat dry spots on your heels and elbows. Your balm will remain sanitary for lip use, and you’ll have fewer cosmetic items to pack. The same idea applies if you need to moisturize the inside of your nostrils in dry weather conditions such as high-altitude villages or desert climates. Another great idea is to use your lip balm as a cuticle treatment. It saves having to pack nail oil, and doesn’t need to be included in your one-quart bag of liquids required by airport security.

Bobby Pins:

Sure, bobby pins can help you have great hair for less. French twists, bang management and more can all be accomplished with hair pins in a color that coordinates with your natural shade. But have you considered allowing them to do double duty as bookmarks, emergency zipper pulls and on-the-fly paper clips? All these things are possible with bobby pins. They can also help you securely close bags of food in your hotel room, and are much more space efficient than chip clips.

When trying to travel light, packing multipurpose items that don’t take up a great deal of space is crucial. These five items are among my favorites. What do you use to create a more streamlined life on the road?

Photo Credit: Lastonein

Storage:

Even with a copilot, the ability to easily reach your road food is important. One organizational strategy is to fill canning jars with nuts, dried fruit and other vegan road trip items and store them in a sectioned wine bag. This keeps the jars upright and snack items orderly. Seat covers with storage pockets on the back and sides provide easy-to-reach spots for things like packages sunflower seeds, wet wipes and zero waste lunch kits.

Supplies:

Your road trip supply list is a personal choice. Those traveling with food allergies may need to avoid things like peanut packs and string cheese, while the hard core carnivores might prefer road eats like beef jerky and hard boiled eggs in the cooler.

Hot dog rolls:

Hot dog rolls are a great resource for creating meals that travel well, because only one side is susceptible to leaks, compared with the four sides of a standard sandwich.  With the roll’s opening facing straight up, it’s possible to easily grip your sandwich from all sides. Try out a few different sandwich ideas for a meal is easier to eat, with fewer dry cleaning bills.

Pullovers with purpose:

Road trips with time crunches are stressful. When you must stop, make it count. Rest areas are perfect for pet travel and family road trips alike.  Make sure you remember to give your pet a romp session and make time to enjoy some road trip snacks. Pulling over for gas? Make sure to hit the restroom and recaffeinate. On multi-day road trips, look for gas station signs from the highway that are posted with numerous other resources. This is a good indication of a more populated area, with a high probability of finding a grocery store. Stocking up on healthy grocery items during a mid-day gas stop will save you having to deal with it at the end of the day, when you’re tired and hungry.

Tailgating:

Use the grill boxes at rest areas and camp grounds to whip up some kabobs and explore other tailgating menus if you’re on a longer journey. Some stations also come with electrical access, which means you can make sandwiches with a press, fire up a hot pot for flavored rice and boil water for tea and coffee.

Picnics:

There are plenty of picnic lunch ideas suitable for eating on the road. Take advantage of scenic turnoffs and urban parks with convenient parking to grab a fast lunch before hopping back on the highway. You’ll skip the time it takes to get seated at a restaurant, wait for your order and stand in line to pay your bill. Bonus? You’ll probably be eating healthier too.

Picture Credit: Kfoodaddict

Food: Breakfast is one of the most affordable meals to enjoy while traveling. When possible, consider choosing an eco option. Locally-supplied restaurants offer travelers a chance to vote green with their pocketbooks while still experiencing a relaxing vacation. For example, Max’s Harvest in Delray Beach, Florida is a farm-to-forks venue offering surprisingly reasonable Sunday brunch selections. Sustainable snack options include hand-cut rosemary chips and gourmet deviled eggs, both available for $5.

Supplies: Cosmetics, sunscreen and other personal care products are available in reasonably-priced eco versions suitable for travel. HandSan, an organic spray-on hand cleaner from Bio Green Crystals is packaged for easily tucking into your messenger bag or day pack and rings in at roughly $6 per travel-sized bottle. Similarly, Badger, an all-natural body care company sells $3 tubes of USDA – certified organic lip balms in flavors such as Madagascar vanilla, highland mint and tangerine breeze.

Accommodations: Researching your chosen hotel’s green efforts in advance is a great way to stay informed. I try to pay particular attention to linen-laundering procedures and the venue’s selection of personal care products. Does the hotel encourage you to be more conscientious in your requests for fresh towels or drop off more than you would reasonably need? What types of soaps and shampoos are stocked in your room? On a recent visit to the Plantation at Crystal River along Florida’s nature coast, I enjoyed cruelty-free shower and hand soaps with sustainable packaging as well as paraben-free shampoo and conditioner.

Activities: The venue also offers legally-guided manatee snorkeling tours for less than $50 per person, along with low-impact kayaking tours, bird watching and a variety of other ecological activities. Interacting with nature is one of the most inexpensive ways a traveler can keep it green on the road. Parks, nature trails and more can be accessed for free around the world. For those who want to take it up a notch, volunteering is an affordable way to have a higher-end experience for less. Govoluntouring.com provides a variety of international eco packages, including marmot conservation in the French Alps, low-carbon desert living in southern Spain and lion encounters in Zambia.

Photo Credit: Pictures of Travel Places

Rent: If you’re only in town for a short time and want dazzle without baggage drama, consider renting any gowns, suits and other clothing necessary for that theater performance or other special event. Online companies like Rent the Runway and Wear Today Gone Tomorrow allow customers to rent designer duds for up to 90 percent off retail. Simply have the tricky-to-pack garments shipped to the necessary destination instead of your home.

Expand: If you frequently find yourself on the road for things like sports competitions, theater performances and professional speaking gigs, then expanding your vehicle’s storage capacity can help save money on expenses such as shipping and cargo trailer rentals. Towing hitches can be used to attach platforms suitable for carrying waterproof trunks and other gear. Roof racks on the other hand can handle anything from kayaks and bicycles to cargo carriers large enough to double your trunk space.

Plan: The greater your space limitations, the more you need to plan ahead with regards to your garment and gear needs. Little black dresses are popular for a reason. They’re usually appropriate for a variety of social situations, requiring only a slight change in accessories for a fresh look. Clothing damage can cause stress on the road when wardrobe options are limited. Lisa Maxbauer, a contributor for First for Women magazine, always travels with safety pins. In a pinch says Maxbauer, she can handle torn hems, shoulder straps and occasionally, even a loose button. Small sewing kits are also helpful for more extensive clothing repair.

Luggage: Choosing the correct luggage is a challenge for any trip, but especially so for special occasions. For longer dresses, sports coats and suits, garment bags are a great way to go. The longer, traditional types work well for car trips, but if you absolutely must fly there are numerous rolling garment bags on the market sized for carry-on purposes. Space will be at a premium, but your dress clothes will be relatively protected until you arrive at your event destination.

Photo Credit: Larsjuh

Budget-conscious travelers will be relieved to know that it’s possible to up your linguistic game affordably. Here’s how to learn any language for a relatively minor cash outlay.

Corporate Education:

My husband’s Arabic class was provided for free by his employer prior to retirement. Many companies offer language training to employees, especially if their business needs require a great deal of interface time with a particular cultural group. Check with your HR department to see what educational benefits you may be entitled to. If “the man” is willing to pick up the tab for you to learn any language, why not take him up on his offer?

Immersion Opportunities:

When we lived in Lake Garda in Italy, friends of ours passed on the DODDS education system and opted instead to place their boys in local Italian schools. Others utilized local playgroups to give their toddlers a language advantage. Me? I maximized my time at the grocery store. Since the Italian language happens to be written in an alphabet I’m familiar with, reading the food labels on produce bins and the backs of tomato sauce cans proved a fast way to pick up basic vocabulary. The folks at Stretcher.com on the other hand, favor traffic signs in order to learn any language on the fly.

Auditory Materials:

Listening to language files while carpooling or commuting is an efficient use of highway or train time. Find a brand whose methodologies work for you, and start absorbing knowledge during underutilized blocks of time. In addition to your time to and from work, there’s also wait time in doctors’ offices, and down time while your kids finish up with sport team practice sessions. Consider borrowing such materials from the library if pennies are dear. This is probably one of the most flexible and affordable learning strategies out there. If you’re wondering how to learn any language without having to dish out for the trip of a lifetime first, auditory materials are a great starting point. Especially when you can pair them with matching written resources.

Subtitles:

Whether you are viewing academic language videos on a tablet device, or activating the language feature when you watch DVDs, subtitles are a great way to beef up your language processing speed and learn conversational vocabulary. It works if you already know the language the actors are speaking, as well as the other way around. Since movie translations are available in practically any country, this is a “learn any language” strategy you can use around the world.

Phrase Books:

You may pick up an old-fashioned paper copy, or choose to download the phrase translations to your smartphone. Either way, you’ll have commonly-needed questions and answers on tap to use during your travels. Restrooms, menus, pharmacy orders and even hospital visits in a foreign country will all be less stressful. One of the best ways to learn any language will always be direct field experience. Phrase books may not provide you with conjugation specifics, but they will give you mad street skills in a hurry.

Barter:

Chances are, you’ll find someone who’d be just as happy to know more of your language as well. Team up and barter tutoring sessions with each other for a win-win outcome. If teaching language isn’t your thing, offer another skill or service they may find useful.

These are my top tips for how to learn any language as affordably as possible. You can use them at home, on the fly in your destination country, or as part of a longer-term expat experience. Knowing how to communicate with the people you’ll be meeting will make all the difference in your travel adventures.

Photo Credit: Shirokazan

On the Fly:

Pick up paying gigs as you go. The International Educator features classified ads from schools around the world offering tax-free salaries, relocation allowances, plane tickets and paid housing for certified classroom teachers. Native language speakers can teach business and conversational English with job leads from ESL Café and Serious Teachers. Not a teacher? Not a problem. A web site called AnyWorkAnyWhere.com lists jobs around the world for nearly any type of work, including management, driving and delivery, resort staff, tour guides and more.

Speaking Gigs:

If you have an area of expertise and reasonable public speaking and presentation skills, then you have a way to make money while traveling. Whether you go through an agency or book events on your own, the per appearance rate is typically enough to make it worth your while, and some people manage to earn a full time living with only 2-4 paid opportunities per month.

Inventory Acquisition:

Whether you’re shopping for antiques or purchasing affordable artisan crafts to resell when you fly back home, acquiring low-cost inventory that shoppers in your home area would otherwise not be able to have access to is a decent way to pick up extra cash and finance future travel. Certain monetary restrictions apply when bringing goods back into the country of course, but if you have a well-located barn for antiques storage or a high-traffic flea market in the neighborhood for selling funky overseas bling, you just might have a part-time income on your hands. You can also sell through online auction sites like eBay, if maintaining regular booth or store hours doesn’t suit you.

Stock Photography:

You don’t have to come home with very many digital trip pictures before you become truly curious about making money with stock photography. This isn’t a cake walk by any stretch of the imagination and the fact that it’s such a numbers game means you won’t start making fat stacks of cash overnight. That being said, many people around the world are earning anywhere from lunch money to a full-time living depending on their skill level and the depth of their portfolio.

Writing:

There a few different ways you can go with this. The traditional route is to pick up article assignments from various editors. It’s a bit unpredictable, but once you find a few regular clients you’ll be on your way. You can also start your own travel blog, or other topical web site. Monies here can come from a variety of sources, including affiliate marketing and ad networks such as Google and Chitika.

Telecommuting:

Places like Flex Jobs and Virtual Vocations list daily openings for positions suitable for the telecommuting crowd. Some of them are writing gigs it’s true, but others are customer service jobs, tech support employment and even case management. Find something that suits your skill level to make money while traveling and still have time for a bit of sightseeing each week.

Product Development:

One of the easiest and cost effective ways to make money while traveling is to use your writing skills as suggested above to develop ebooks, white papers and even article collections on sites such as Hub Pages and Squidoo in order to create a passive income stream that you can enjoy without having to check in every day. That being said, there are other digital products you can create from the road such as video clips, mobile phone wallpapers and more. Ejunkie.com lets you open a store front for as little as $5 per month, and puts your product in front of affiliate marketers around the world who will be more than happy to help promote your product for a share in the profits.

So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and head to your destination of choice, or spend a few years touring a particular continent. Now that you know it’s possible to make money while traveling, you don’t have to feel tied down by traditional employment any longer. Happy trails!

Photo Credit: iStock

But pet travel isn’t the only reason hotel room meals might be a necessity. A hectic business schedule, attempting vegan travel, a hectic business schedule and traveling with food allergies can all contribute to the need for in-room dining. When travel circumstances result in the need for hotel room meals, here’s how you can make the most of it.

Water:

There are several ways to use tap water while traveling, including breakfast cocktails, powdered protein drink mixing and even getting your laundry done on the fly. Add a little heat however, and this free travel essential can really go the distance. By creatively using hot water on vacation, you can whip up a sore throat treatment during a ski getaway, an easy dinner side in the microwave and create a hearty instant breakfast. Another great helpful water resource for travelers is the ice machine. Not only is it perfect for chilling that in-room bottle of champagne, you can also use it to create iced tea when temperatures are too balmy to enjoy hot beverages.

Fridge:

If you’re going to be somewhere for a few days, consider stocking your hotel fridge with a few flexible supplies. Frozen veggies work well enough for simple side dishes, crudités and dipping sauces are great for snacking and sandwich supplies are always a good idea when you need something to eat without too much effort. It’s also nice to have some healthier beverages like tomato juice, coconut water and almond milk available to avoid giving in to the soda selection from the vending machine.

Microwave:

There are a fair number of hotel room meals you can prepare in the microwave oven. From easy ramen recipes to saffron rice with veggie burgers and steamed veggies, there are plenty of things you can prepare that will be much healthier than anything you’ll find at the fast food drive through line. Boxed pureed soups from the grocery store make a stylish sip-and-save lunch to go when microwaved and transferred to a travel mug. Oatmeal with water and frozen berries can become a steamy, healthy breakfast in minutes. With careful grocery shopping, you should easily be able to come up with enough variety to get you through a few days.

Coffee Maker:

Even if you’re short a microwave, you can still prepare a few hotel room meals in your coffee maker. There’s always the ramen plan of course, but also oatmeal and even a slow-cooked, soft-boiled egg if you can be patient. I also like to make large batches of tea to enjoy with ice throughout the day.

Freebies:

There are number of freebies provided by hotels that you can use to make the most of your travel meal plan. First of all, the breakfast buffets are typically too large to take full advantage of if you need to get up early in the morning. Common items are oatmeal envelopes, whole-grain bagels with individual containers of peanut butter, whole fruit, yogurt containers and flavored tea packets. Boiled eggs also make frequent appearances. All of these can be enjoyed later in your room. For people like me who don’t like huge meals early in the day, it’s easier to eat closer to lunch.

Shopping:

While it’s true there are certain things you can only shop for once you reach your destination, there a few items you can strategically purchase ahead of schedule. With limited packing space, I recommend leaning towards flat pack foods that come in envelopes. (See also: 7 Easy Lunch Ideas for Work) Gourmet tea bags, precooked packets of sandwich salmon, Tasty Bite envelopes of Indian food and packets of miso soup are all things you can easily tuck into an extra pocket of your messenger bag or carry-on luggage.

Preparedness:

Veteran travelers know that hurricane preparedness isn’t the only kind you need to worry about. The more crowded your agenda, the more important it is to have your ducks in a row. Save money and stress by shipping protein bars, peanut-free snacks and other shelf-stable items directly to your hotel. This is particularly helpful for those with food sensitivities, busy schedules or under calorie restriction. If you know what grocery stores are nearby, decide ahead of time what items you might like to pick up. For stores that are nationwide such as Sam’s Club or Costco, my husband and I have favorite food items we know to pick up, such as hummus, chopped vegetables and simple salad supplies.

Gear:

This is more apt to work well on car trips. Granted when I’m on vacation, I’m more apt to enjoy a meal out. But when I have a business agenda or am traveling for family or medical events, it’s easier for me to manage my time and calorie intake if I have most of what I need in my hotel room. Since walking in with grocery bags can feel a bit awkward, I tend to prefer rolling insulated bags or even an additional piece of rolling luggage. Other helpful gear items we favor include a multipurpose tool, a sandwich press, corkscrew and a can opener. We also carry our own zero waste lunch kits which include things like a bandana napkin, travel flatware and collapsible bowls.

Hotel room meals may not be fancy, but they are achievable. They are also a money-saving strategy that allow you to channel extra monies and energies into business objectives, medical procedures and even vacation attractions. What are some of your favorite hotel room meals?

Photo Credit: Theme Park Mom

Planning: Rates can range widely, so it pays to research the parking situation in advance. Bestparking.com is an online decision-making engine that lists fee prices for parking facilities in major cities and airports in the United States and Canada. The site also comes with a variety of smart phone apps. By selecting the city or airport in question, say Atlanta for example, travelers are able to determine in real time when driving that extra couple of blocks will make parking financially feasible.

Booking your reservations online and in advance can often result in discounts as well. However, for the best deal possible, consider the time of day you will need to park. In many cases, meter fees are not charged after a certain hour of day. This strategy proved useful during a cocktail-hour business meeting with colleagues in Orlando. By arriving after fee hours, I was able to save enough on parking costs to cover the cost of my bar tab. Score!

Validate: Many restaurants, theaters, and even urban shopping venues will validate parking fees for patrons. One example is Centro Ybor, a shopping, dining and entertainment venue in historic Ybor City, Tampa. Another is Catch, a restaurant inside the Marriott on Biscayne Bay in Miami. In downtown areas where costs can reach as much as $30 per hour, this strategy can shave serious dollars off the total cost of dinner and a show.

Distance: Depending on the quality of public transportation in your destination city, it can often be far less expensive to park outside of town and take the train into the middle of the tourist action. This strategy has worked well for me when traveling to both New York City and Washington, D.C.

Alternatives: Sometimes a hybrid approach will save you the most money. When visiting high-traffic tourist attractions in cities, consider leaving your rental car at the hotel for no charge and taking advantage of the free shuttle services many of them offer. A generous tip to the driver will still sink you less than either parking or a cab. In certain circumstances, you can even skip the parking situation altogether. For example, on a month-long trip to Quito, Ecuador, my husband and I skipped long-term parking at the airport altogether and spent our monies instead on an airport transfer service. A private car and driver allowed us to leave our vehicle at home in the garage, and save more than $300 in fees. A similar alternative exists in New York City area. GO AIrlink NYC offers affordable shuttle service to the airport from surrounding areas.

Photo Credit: This image was photographed by the Trek Hound team, and is available for your use through the creative commons agreement with our sister site, Pictures of Travel Places.

Food: For weekend tournaments and games where the school bus will be returning late, restaurant tabs are often unavoidable. This is where checking your credit card’s points program can come in handy. For example, one of my credit cards allows customers to use accumulated reward points to purchase gift cards from a variety of restaurant chains that are typically near highway exits. Frugalupstate.com’s Jenn Fowler favors powdered lemonade and iced tea mixes that come in small tubes. By purchasing multipacks at her local dollar store, she’s able to provide her children with a simple beverage option that can be enjoyed from their individual water bottles.

Fuel: Some grocery store chains partner with nearby gas stations to offer discounted gas prices as part of their loyalty card program. If this is the case where you shop, consider gassing up there on the way to your teen’s next sports tournament. Gasbuddy.com is a helpful web site for finding which fueling stations are offering the best gas prices on the day you are traveling. Having this information ahead of time will help you decide upon the best place to top off your tank before heading home. According to soccer mom and freelance writer Tisha Kulak-Tolar of Trifecta Strategies, carpooling is king when it comes to saving money on gas for student sports travel. She often saves money on fuel by sharing driving duties with other parents.

Organization: Kulak-Tolar also points to organization and planning as two of her top money-saving strategies for sports travel with her children. To avoid duplicate purchases of things like insect repellant, sunscreen and extra first aid supplies, she keeps a kit stocked in the back of the minivan along with extra blankets and sweatshirts for unexpected drops in temperature. When it comes to orderly storage for the gear and belongings of multiple team members however, my money’s on individual rolling duffels. If each child has their own, they can easily transport their gear, shower supplies and uniforms between the school bus or van and the host school’s locker room.

Photo Credit: Family MWR

Whether your road trip takes you through Slovenia, Daytona Beach or Interstate 10 in the southern United States, checking with the local convention and visitor’s bureau is a short cut to fun and savings.

Free Stuff:

While sundries charge for informational resources, the convention and visitor’s bureau for your destination hands out no-cost maps and informational brochures that can often surpass what you might find in guide books. While you certainly want to have a good guide book in your travel arsenal, these extra maps and cultural performance resources are also worth their weight in gold, particularly for those interested in adding to their travel photography repertoire. Bonus? The convention and visitor’s bureau is also the best place to check for free admission days at venues throughout your vacation area.

Inside Tips:

The people that work at the convention and visitor’s bureau are locals. Locals whose job it is to know about all of the best places to visit and what current festivals and bargains are available for your participation. Looking for the best rooftop restaurant view? They’re the folks to talk to. Need a pet friendly place to rest your head? Ditto. This inside knowledge is particularly helpful when visiting overwhelming cities such as Venice, New York or even taking a trip to see the London Olympics.

Network:

By contacting the convention and visitor’s bureau before you arrive, you’ll be better prepared to plan your itinerary. Some destinations, Boston and Park City, Utah for example, offer coupon books and discount passes specifically for area visitors. Remember, it’s their job to promote tourism to the area so if you have a need or a question, it’s their job and pleasure to help you out. Job security, so to speak.

Festivals:

For annual food festivals and cultural events taking place at your selected vacation location, the convention and visitor’s bureau folks are definitely in the know. They typically have the most detailed schedule of events and can point you in the proper direction for conveniently-located hotels, transportation, parking and that extra special restaurant. So if you’re visiting Munich for Oktoberfest or Jerusalem during Holy Week for example, these are the people you want to stop by and see.

Have you used a convention and visitor’s bureau creatively to assist with your travel adventures? What are you top tips for saving money and gaining inside knowledge of an area?