Save on Necessities when You’re Traveling

You know the routine: you get halfway to your destination and realize you forgot to pack your favorite pillow, swimsuit, or jacket. It’s too late to turn back, and your destination is known for its high cost of living. Do you have any options to paying top dollar for what you forgot to bring? Sure there are; you just have to use your imagination to find a solution! Here are some tips to save money on necessities you may have forgotten to pack:

Have someone at home ship the item to you. If you have a house sitter or family member handy they can send you the stuff for a reasonable rate; just have them address it to you in care of the hotel you’ll be at.

Look for a local resale or consignment shop. Often you can find exactly what you need at a fraction of the cost, and won’t have to wait for shipping times to get it. Wash it after you get to your room and once it dries you’ll be ready to go.

Order a replacement online. Use a discount and coupon site such as Groupon to find deals on bedding, appliances, and more at a great price. Major retailers such as Bed Bath and Beyond use Groupon for marketing and you can have the item shipped directly to your destination. Often they even offer free shipping!

If you’re traveling by automobile use the Groupon app to locate a deal nearby. Just enter the city or postal code where you’re at then add your search criteria. Local stores and their deals will pop up, and you can swing by and pick up that pillow or jacket.

Rough it. Unless it’s something you absolutely cannot live without, you can probably tough it out for a few days. If you forgot your jacket wear a sweater over your shirt; if you miss your favorite pillow ask the hotel if they have any special ones that compare. After all, you can’t always get what you want, but you usually can make do with what you have!