Summer vacation is finally here – are you planning a family trip? Many families will be taking advantage of school breaks and beautiful weather to go somewhere and make memories.
Whether you’re staying close to home with a trip to Cape Cod or the Berkshires, or leaving for a cross country or international trip, make sure that you make a detailed checklist of the things that you need to do before you leave. Every family’s checklist will be different, but here are a few suggestions to get you started:
- Check to make sure that all bills are taken care of for the entire time that you will be gone. Send in payments early or schedule automatic payments so that you won’t come back facing late fees.
- Contact your local post office to put a hold on your mail, and stop newspaper deliveries. Nothing tells a burglar that you’re away quite like an overflowing mailbox or pile of old papers.
- Clean out your wallet or purse of all unnecessary items. This includes credit cards and rewards cards that you won’t need. While you’re at it, make sure to write down emergency contact information and keep it in a safe place. Also give a copy to a neighbor or family member.
- Carry copies of important documents with you when you travel. This can mean passports for international trips, or credit cards for domestic and international travel.
- Call your bank and credit card companies to let them know you will be travelling. They will often put a note on your account so that your card isn’t frozen for suspicious activity. Some institutions will even let you do this online.
- Purchase travel snacks and entertainment. Nothing busts a vacation budget quite like needing to purchase food and entertainment while you travel. Instead, pack a travel bag full of healthy snacks and several entertainment options from home.
- Before you leave your home, make sure that your electronics are fully charged, and that your chargers are packed in an easy-to-reach place. You may even want to invest in an extra battery or a portable charger for your devices.
- Tidy your home. It doesn’t have to sparkle, but there’s something to be said for coming home to an organized place. Take out the trash and clean out the fridge before you leave, and pick up any noticeable clutter. Extra kudos if you’re able to clean the sheets and do some laundry!
- Take a walk around your home and power off or unplug everything you can. Obviously things like your fridge need to keep running, but the more that you can unplug the less you will spend on phantom energy, and the lower your chances of a spontaneous electrical fire while you’re away.
Of course, as Massachusetts insurance experts, we always encourage our clients to make a quick call to our agency before leaving for a trip to ensure that your policies will protect you while you’re away. For a quick and free review of your home insurance, just call 617-298-0655. Also make sure that you get an auto insurance review if you’re taking a road trip or parking your car at the airport for an extended period of time.
