Spring cleaning

Use time at home to rethink your travel habits

Are you a serial over-packer? Do your annual holidays always take you back to the exact same place? Take the pause in travel as an opportunity to spring clean your bad travel habits.

Savvy tip 1

Don’t go back to the same place. We all have a favourite destination we go back to again and again. But data from Wotif shows 54 per cent of Aussies are looking for a new adventure once lockdown ends and 34 per cent want to travel somewhere they have never been. It’s time to revisit your Aussie bucket-list.

Savvy tip 2

Don’t go into debt. More than half of Australians put up to $4000 on their credit card when they travel, and only 37 pay it off immediately, says Canstar money commentator Effie Zahos. “We have the time right now to take a breath and plan our travel budget so you don’t find yourself in that situation when borders open up of tearing through your credit card,” she says. She adds holiday layby options can be helpful, but be aware that some charge up to 25.99 per cent after the interest-free period.

Savvy tip 3

Don’t see your trip through a screen.

Resist the temptation to try to capture everything you see and experience on holiday. “Constantly pointing things out that you notice around you is also a great way to stay in the moment and not on your phone,” says Luke Mcleod, founder of virtual meditation studio Soul Alive.

Savvy tip 4

Don’t overpack. It’s annoying at best and costly at worst when you have to pay excess baggage. But there are great apps to help you cull your load, such as Packpoint ($1.49), which generates a list based on your trip and preferences. And Packing Pro ($4.49) provides lists for an entire family, even your pet.

Savvy tip 5

Don’t travel far (yet). Staying within your state borders can be the safest route to take in the short term, but Wotif’s Daniel Finch says there are benefits to travelling close to home, such as less interstate crowds, particularly in the upcoming school holidays.