Keep Information At Your Fingertips

Arrange for house sitters and emergency contact numbers and information at home, while you are away.

To save on costs for home security, burst pipes, fire and other emergencies or burglaries, ask a neighbor or close trusted friend to keep a watchful eye on your behalf and drop in from time to time to water plants, shovel driveways and collect mail, junk mail and newspapers.

Reward them with a special and thoughtful memento or dinner invite or both (depending on your budget) upon your return. Leave your itinerary with your friends, relatives, neighbors, or co-workers. They may need to contact you. Smart travelers start at home!

Arm yourself with personal information. Having all your bank contact telephone numbers written down on a piece of paper, packed in your luggage and somewhere else on your person or in the hotel safe in an envelope with your other valuables you want under lock and key is the best way to protect your financial interest.

Finding out in advance who to call in case your checks or credit cards are lost or stolen is very important and will save you time and money and minimize the impact of any theft and or aftermath of lost, misplaced or stolen cards, wallets and travelers checks.

Keeping valuables safe and have peace of mind at the same time. Hotel safes or security boxes or even in-room/wall-mounted, combination locks and safes are options for storing your possessions that your treasure and value.

A good piece of advice around dealing with vacation shopping, declarations, receipts and customs officials: Having it all in one-place speeds up the process. If shopping is part of your travel endeavor and enjoyment on your trip, pack a flat fabric bag in the bottom of your suitcase.

When returning from your trip place all the purchased items in this bag. Everything is accessible and saves you time and money! If not, at the very least, you have made one official's life a little easier today and your reward will be a smile, stamp and a nod!

 Personal identification tags or information for all travelers, especially young kids! It does not hurt to keep a list of credit card numbers, telephone numbers, and driver license information in a convenient location such as a purse or wallet.

You never know when you might need it to either prove your identity, for a major purchase or car rental, in emergencies and numerous other reasons. A resourceful traveler is always prepared for anything!

Carrying identification and hotel or resort location information and telephone number on your person is advisable. The easiest way is to simply ask the front-desk attendant for a business card when you check in. This again will save you time and money. It comes in extremely handy should you ever get lost and need to find your way or for taxi drivers. Might even save a buck or two!