You’ve booked your flight. You’re crossing off the days on the calendar. Now all you have to do is pack, and packing for a trip can be an exhausting experience. You wonder what you should bring and how you can possibly fit everything you need in your suitcase. With airline restrictions, many flights only allow you to check one bag without incurring extra surcharges.

So it’s time to learn how to pack smart. Here are some tips to help you get your baggage together so you can enjoy your vacation.

1) Roll Your Clothes

You can help reduce wrinkles and make more space in your bag if you roll your clothing instead of folding it. Rolling can make a bit of extra room so you can bring a few more outfits on your trip, or help you to get your luggage down to a manageable size if you simply have too much. Either way, rolling instead of folding will help you pack smart.

2) Ziplock Bags

Organize the interior of you suitcase with reusable plastic bags. Ziplock bags come in all different sizes and can be used to organize your clothing (i.e. put all your socks in one bag, all your underwear in another). They can also keep your liquids and personal items like shampoo from getting all over your things in case of a leak in transit.  Be sure to suck the air out of your plastic bags to help save space.

3) Plan Full Outfits

Even if you aren’t into planning your outfits the night before, you should be planning a little before you pack for your trip.  Pick clothing that you can coordinate with more than one outfit; this will help you reduce the amount of clothing you have to bring with you and help you pack smarter. 

It’s also important to look for clothing that can multitask. For the women, find a dress that can go from day to night, something you can dress up or down depending on the occasion. For guys, make sure that you have at least one outfit you can wear out. But don’t pack your best suit or a cocktail dress just because you might, maybe, if you’re lucky, have a chance to wear it! Pack the clothes that you know you will wear!

4) Weigh Your Luggage

Don’t be caught off guard at the airport check-in counter! It will cost you time and money. To avoid potentially expensive fees for going over the baggage weight limit, weigh your pack before you get to the airport. Check the specific airline’s website for weight restriction limits (and the info on how much you’ll be charged if you go over the limit).

If you don’t have a baggage scale, don’t worry.  You can weight your suitcase on the bathroom scale. First, weight yourself. Then weight yourself while holding your luggage. It helps here to have a friend or family member read the scale for you. Then simply subtract your weight from that of your luggage to figure out your pack’s weight.

Remember, when you get to the airport check-in counter, you have two options: pay for your extra baggage or leave it behind!

5) Travel-Sized Products

Okay, they are expensive, so that’s one strike against buying mini-versions of all your personal products. But they are very handy. What’s the point in carrying more shampoo, conditioner or hand lotion than you’ll need?

Travel stores like MEC sell reusable travel-bottles that cost very little and are perfect for many different purposes. Typically, reusable bottles cost under $10 and you’ll have them trip after trip to fill with your regular sized products. Remember to seal all your liquids in a plastic bag for added protection against leaks.

Follow these simple tips to smart packing to enjoy your vacation, save money and stop having packing nightmares. After a trip or two, you’ll be a professional when it comes to packing.