You’ve been waiting for months to take a vacation and the time is almost here. You’ve chosen the perfect destination, saved for months, reserved your flight and hotel, made a list of things to pack, and even created a little itinerary of things you want to do. It won’t be long now before you clock out and hit the road. Yet, are you really ready to enjoy this getaway?
When it comes to making travel plans everyone always remembers the basics like hotels, flights, and car rentals. Sure, you need all of those things to enjoy your trip, but that’s not all that needs to be taken care of. Before leaving there are several things you need to secure so that you can have peace of mind and really enjoy your escape.
Secure Your Home
Most home invasions and burglaries happen while residents are on vacation. Thieves pay attention to your habits and property and use various signs to determine the best time to make a move. If you haven’t secured your home, you could get a disturbing call that your house has been robbed. Make sure you’ve done some of the following:
- Home security system – At the top of your list should be a home security system. It helps to keep suspicious characters at bay. If you don’t presently have one, do some research to see which devices provide the most protection at a rate you can afford. There are advanced systems with wireless driveway alarms, security cameras, and remote access features that allow you to monitor and safeguard your home while you’re away.
- Lawn Maintenance – Burglars pay attention to signs that no one is home like an unkempt lawn. If your grass is high and trees and shrubs are unruly, this could make your property a target. So, before you leave for your flight, tend to your lawn.
- House Sitter – If you’re going to be gone for a while it may be necessary to have someone watch the house for you. This would reduce the threat of a robbery. You can ask a friend or relative to stay at your place for a few days to grab the mail, look after the pets, and keep an eye on things.
- Mail and Packages – Piles of mail and packages left at the door lets everyone on the block know you’re not there. So, it is best to have your mail and package service paused until you return or ask a neighbor to grab them for you.
Secure Your Bag
Imagine going on vacation and having the time of your life only to return to find out that things in the office fell apart? No one wants to lose clients, ruin their reputation, or end up fired simply because they forgot to plan in advance. So, here are some things you can do to secure that bag.
- Major Projects – If you’re working on a major project just before your vacation make sure you’ve gotten everything taken care of. Don’t leave anything unattended to or else you could find yourself trying to work remotely when you’re supposed to be enjoying yourself.
- Daily Tasks – Everyone has daily tasks that need to be handled at work. Since you’re going to be gone for a few days you should be sure to delegate these tasks to your coworkers or employees. Make sure they fully understand what needs to be done and that they have access to all data and other resources they’ll need to carry out the tasks.
Secure Your Children
If you’re going to be traveling without the kids then you’ll want to make sure you’ve got them taken care of before your trip. Secure your children by completing the following:
- Sitter – Ask a friend or relative to watch the children while you’re away.
- Medications – Most people remember to pack clothes and toys for their kids while they’re on vacation but forget all about medication. Whether your child has asthma, seasonal allergies, or diabetes, make sure you’ve filled their prescriptions and provided them to the sitter. If your pets will be staying behind too, make sure they also have any necessary medication. For example, you may need to find something for separation anxiety in dogs in the event that they get a bit antsy while you’re gone.
- Cash – Kids aren’t cheap to care for, so do your sitter a favor and make sure that you’ve provided them with enough cash to feed, entertain, and provide for the needs of your kids while you’re away.
You’ve finally stopped making excuses for why you can’t travel. You’ve planned the perfect vacation and deserve to enjoy every moment of it. The only way to ensure this happens, however, is to make sure that you’ve secured the above-mentioned areas of your life. As long as you know your children, home, and bag are secured, you can have peace of mind and a stress-free trip.
