Packing Tips

The summer is coming to a close! Here are some packing tips that you may find helpful while you're trying to figure out how to fit everything into your car or suitcase.

Learn from your own experience.  What did you bring out this year that you could most likely go without next year? What did you leave at home and wish you had brought with you? Take notes and keep them handy for next summer. You’ll be glad you did!

Keep "summer stuff" separate: This is the best advice I could give. I have a box of summer kitchen things like cheap plates, cups, silverware, pots, etc. that I keep separate from my nice dishes at home. When I get back home in the fall, I keep the box from the summer all packed up and I store it on a shelf in my garage. This saves time, money, and space: I don’t have to worry about sorting through my kitchen and figuring out what to pack for the next summer, I know that I’m bringing out only what I need, and I’m not re-purchasing the same cheap dishes every single year.

The best part is that if, at the end of the summer, I don’t have room in my car for everything I need to bring back, I can just donate my cheap-o stuff and it won’t be all that upsetting to me or my wallet.

Don’t use boxes-Sure, boxes are convenient, but they take up a lot of space. I usually have a couple of boxes for kitchen accessories, pots and pans, etc. but other than that, I use what I’ve got. For example:  I use laundry baskets for my clothes, the bathroom trash can (cleaned out) for my cleaning supplies, duffle bags/backpacks for toiletries, etc. Pairs of shoes fit nicely under the seats in the car. Bedding can be draped over everything when you are done, saving space and keep your belongings covered.

Roll your clothes-This may seem like a lot of extra work, but I guarantee that rolled clothes take up much, much less space than regularly folded clothes. The extra time you put into packing your wardrobe may give you just enough space to fit everything into your car.

Donate food and belongings-Despite my best efforts to empty out our pantry and refrigerator before the end of the summer, I always have extra food. I hate throwing perfectly good things away.  If I have any items left over, I will ask neighbors, members of my church, and even the staff in the clubhouse if they would like my surplus.

Non-perishable (and unopened) items can be donated to the local food bank. Get together with some of the others on your team and see if they have extras they would like to donate as well. This makes it so that I don’t feel like I’m wasting money and it also frees up space in my car for other belongings.

This tip doesn’t just apply to food! Donate books you’ve finished reading, clothes you’ve grown tired of throughout the summer, and kitchen accessories you don’t need anymore.

Rent a trailer-if there is no absolute way you're going to fit everything into your car, you are definitely not alone. Whether you over packed in April or you just accumulated things through out the summer, renting a trailer may be your answer. Even small cars may be able to tow a small trailer. Ask around your office, others may be in your same boat! Team up and split the cost, but make sure that you plan ahead. Reserving a trailer near the end of any month may prove difficult without proper notice.

Elevate Highlight: How Rachel Stays Motivated!

Hey Elevate! My name is Rachel Varella. This summer is my husband’s third year selling for Vivint and our second summer being apart from each other.  The first summer he sold I went out and lived with him for 3 out of the 4 months and came back early to find a job. I thought being apart for one month was hard! Little did I know, there was about to be many more months being 2000 miles apart…  The second summer I stayed home because I had a great full time job I just couldn’t walk away from while Thiago sold in Florida - clear on the other side of the country. After that first summer of being apart, I told him we would never do that again and I would definitely be coming out with him next summer. Well, here we are again. 2000 miles apart.

We have been married for 3 years now, and when we got married we set a five-year-plan for ourselves.  Basically, we set a bunch of goals like where we wanted to be financially 5 years from when we got married.  Although it is definitely hard to be apart, he is out there working hard for us and our future family while I am here working hard every day for us as well. I have never met someone who sets such high goals and does everything he can to accomplish them. I’ve never worked so much and so hard in my life! Although it is exhausting and a struggle being away from the love of my life, I know that we are getting our goals done and in just 2 more years from now we will be beyond where we hoped to be and this will all be worth it! I am only 23 and Thiago is 26 and we already own a house and have traveled to 4 different countries! It feels so great to see hard work paying off! Hopefully, in 2 years from now we can start a family, go on more trips, and not have to worry if we’ll have enough money for things. That is just a worry we do not want to ever have.  From a larger perspective, this is such a small sacrifice we have to make to have a greater future.  

I am so grateful for a strong, supportive, positive, and loving husband and for my friends and family who have made it a little easier for me to be apart from my love. As hard as it is being apart, we have grown so much together, worked so hard, and have come so far.  I think every couple should set goals for themselves and go above and beyond to reach them.  When we laid out our goals for our five-year-plan 3 years ago, I never thought that being apart for so long would ever be a part of the deal. It’s tough, but in the long run it will definitely be worth it and we've been able to enjoy ourselves along the way.