10 things you should do the day before you leave for a vacation

Most banking apps will be able to detect your location when you are overseas but it is a good idea to let your bank know you are travelling to avoid your card being blocked due to abnormal activity. This will potentially avoid the situation of not having cash to purchase anything while overseas and having to spend time on the phone to your bank to try and sort it out.

To avoid heavy roaming fees when travelling it is a good idea to upgrade your phone plan or to purchase a travel sim. It may seem like a bit of an inconvenience but in the long run it could save you potentially hundreds of dollars in roaming and data costs.

When you make a booking there is usually a cooling off period and a chance to change or modify your reservations. Before you leave for your holiday contact the places where you have made a reservation (hotel, airline, restaurant, tour etc) to confirm that you will still be making the reservation.

... or scheduled to be paid with available funds. 

Make sure you set up or have payments scheduled to be paid to avoid late fees or potentially coming home to the lights turned off, especially if you are going for a long period of time. Most of us have bills - this is unavoidable, unless you’re squatting or your parents pay for your expenses (in which case you are very lucky!).

Nothing is worse than going somewhere and not having appropriate clothing for the weather conditions. Should I pack pants and a jacket or a summer dress and thongs? It’s a good idea to check the weather before you jump on the plane to avoid having to battle the elements. But then again, it does give you the chance to go shopping.

Sometimes when we are travelling we forget to take or throw away any food that will most likely go off when left unattended if we are travelling for more than a week. So, make sure you throw out any perishables before you leave your home.

If you are like most of us then you probably have an oversized wallet with all sorts of things in it, business cards, gym memberships, receipts. Cleaning out your wallet before you travel can make travelling lighter, but more importantly, if you happen to lose your wallet or it is stolen, you’ll have a lot less cards to replace.

In case something unexpected happens, it’s a good idea to leave a copy of your itinerary with someone at home. In the event of something serious unexpectedly happening to you or to someone at home, your itinerary or travel insurance policy details could come in handy.

#FastTip

Add your loved one or next of kin as an emergency contact so they have permission to manage your travel insurance policy on your behalf. You can do this by getting a quote and then adding the emergency contact when you buy the policy.

It can be a good idea to bring your outdoor furniture, bicycles or anything else you store in your yard or on verandahs inside. This can remove any temptation there may be for thieves, but also so you don’t need to worry about items being exposed to the elements if an extreme weather event occurs whilst you are away.

... and tell someone you love them!

Let people know you are going away to avoid a search party being sent out for you. Also, good to let the neighbours know so they can keep an eye on your house for you and empty the mail so it doesn’t look like you're away to any potential thieves. And don’t forget to tell your mum you love her… (you can show dad some love too)!