01 Sep Travel Hack: How Unpacking for One Trip Helps You Pack Better for Your Next Vacation

It’s been a great week here at Looking Fly on a Dime. On Monday, the crop top I styled for BuzzFeed was posted. And today, I’m sharing a few travel hacks I provided to oprah.com!!

You guys know I’m the carry-on queen {see how I fit 7 outfits, 3 pairs of shoes and accessories in my travel packing hack video} so oprah.com asked me to share additional hacks I live by and there’s one in particular I wanted to elaborate on. I’ve started doing this nifty trick over the past few months and it’s saved me tons of time and space in my carry-on bag! I’m sure it will help you as well, especially if you overpack.

You can check out the full oprah.com article here {Fashion Blogger Secrets for Packing a Carry-On}. I dished on how I organize my bag and store my must-have cosmetics. But I wanted to go more in depth on my final tip in the article.

Here’s the tip:
Williams considers unpacking after a trip just as important as planning. Even the most sparing of packers can make mistakes. “I always revisit my bag,” she says. “If something is clean, it means I didn’t need it, and I make a note for next time.”

Yes, unpacking after a trip can help you pack for your next trip.

[bctt tweet=”Here’s how unpacking after a trip can help you pack better for your next trip! #travel #hack”]

As soon as I return home, I take a look at the items that are still clean and unworn. That shows me these pieces were unnecessary. For example: did I bring three night time outfits and only wore one? That’s probably an indication I need less dressier clothes and more casual picks. Or did I bring along five bikinis {I’ve done this before!} but only three of them got some wear? Maybe I packed gym clothes and sneakers but they just sat at the bottom of my bag!

Even the savviest traveler can be guilty of overpacking because we don’t want to be away from home without the things we need {or think we’ll need!}, but having a post-vacation look at your bag will give you a realistic view of what you really, reallllly need for certain trips.

During my last trip to Jamaica, I brought a bit of makeup like concealer, mascara, eye pencil, eyeliner and lip gloss. How much of that stuff was used during my actual vacation? Nada! I didn’t even open my cosmetic bag while I was there. That let me know during a low key girl’s getaway when we’re just lounging on the beach, I can ditch the makeup completely and save space in my bag.

A lighter bag means you can easily be about that carry-on life…and have more space for souvenirs!

And don’t forget to read the full oprah.com interview. It’s full of some fun, useful travel tips.

Do you have any travel hacks you swear by? What items do you normally overpack?