Each year you long for the annual two-week vacation. It lets you leave your troubles behind, even if only temporarily and creates bonding time with your loved ones. Before heading out, there are several things you should make sure you take care of at home.
Make Sure Insurance Is Up to Date
Homeowners and auto insurance are important items that you should always have active. Unfortunately, anything can happen while you’re away. A storm can cause a tree in your yard to fall and land on either your car or your home. Review your policy carefully to make sure that you have adequate auto insurance and homeowner’s insurance coverage.
Don’t Make It Obvious
Criminals prey on those who they identify as away. A way to avoid letting others know that you are not home is to contact the post office and ask them to hold your mail. It’s also a good idea to let your neighbor know the date you are leaving and the date returning. This way they can keep a lookout for anyone entering the property. You should also make sure that all windows and doors are closed tightly and locked.
Avoid Social Media
Many people get excited about going on vacation and often post this information on social media. Even if you want others important to you to know, place a phone call instead. Posting that you won’t be home for several weeks is like sending an invitation to robbers that the coast is clear.
Clean Out the Fridge/Empty the Garbage
The last thing you want to do is arrive home and open the door to the smell of rotten food. Thankfully, you can avoid this by cleaning out the refrigerator prior to your departure. Discard all perishables such as fruits, vegetables, and meat and then take the trash to the curb for pickup. It’s all in your best interest to avoid going food shopping entirely. Even if you have a freezer, things can happen such as a power outage that will then cause your food to spoil.
Contact the Bank
Whether you are traveling to another country or simply another state, you should always contact your bank. This will allow you to use your checking or savings account freely. If unreported, chances are pretty good that by the second or third transaction you try to while away, your purchase will get denied. While you can fix the problem with a phone call to the bank, alerting them ahead of your trip will prevent this from happening.
Confirmations
The day before or the morning of, it’s important to contact the airline, hotel and car rental company to confirm your reservations. This way, if anything is not correct you can make changes ahead of time to avoid delays.
Unplug Electronics/Turn off Water
Keeping everything plugged in while on vacation can have serious consequences. To reduce the chances of an electrical fire it’s best to pull the plug on most of your appliances and electronics that use electricity. This includes the washer, dryer, dishwasher and television sets. In addition, turn off the main water supply to avoid the possibility of a pipe bursting. Additionally, put turning off the lights and lowering or raising the thermostat, depending on the time of year, on your last-minute to-do list.
Packing
When packing for your family vacation make sure that you have a piece of quality luggage for every member and a separate carry-on bag that contains any medications you may take, your passports or ID, your wallet, travelers’ checks, first aid supplies and a spare set of clothing for everyone. This way if your luggage is lost, even for a short time, you’ll have your essentials and something to change into.
Whether your travel destination is to the Philippines or a 2-hour flight away, securing your home, notifying neighbors and keeping a carry-on with you will allow you to relax and enjoy your time off.
