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Traveling the Balkans can be a life-changing experience if you’re prepared. When you do it passionately, slowly and enjoying every step of your journey – it´s even better. If you opt for a camper to cruise along the Balkans or the Slovenian coast – renting a campervan in Slovenia can also add to having the unique experience.

When people plan their journey, they often fixate on the cost of travel, accommodation, and nourishment while overlooking the expense that comes with packing a bag.

From medication to sunscreen, simply packing for a trip can be a huge expense. Fortunately, with careful planning and a little budgeting savvy, you can pack for your adventure without breaking the bank. If you really know what you’re doing, you can even pack to help save on other aspects of your trip.

Here are some helpful tips for creating a budget travel packing list.

Assess Your Baggage

 

For the experienced traveler, foregoing the use of a suitcase and being able to keep everything in a backpack is the ultimate goal. To do this, you need the right bag. A few considerations to keep in mind when shopping for a backpack are:

 

• Size – Will it be accepted on an airplane based on its measurements. Take prices of charter jets into consideration as well.  Check the guidelines of multiple modes of transportation.
• Support – If you’re carrying around your worldly possessions, you want to be sure the weight of your world is distributed along your back and hips properly.
• Weight – If your backpack is too heavy to be able to pack enough for your trip and still make the airline weight restrictions, you may want to reconsider your purchase.
• Access – Does your bag open only at the top, or are there different zippers and access panels that will allow you to get what you need without tearing everything apart?
• Quality – Read the reviews online and see if anyone had trouble with wear and tear in an unreasonable amount of time. You want something durable.

Depending on your travel goals and length of stay, additional luggage may be a necessity. Rather than dragging suitcases with you, consider using a service that will help you with shipping your luggage anywhere. It will be worth the budget adjustment.

Toiletries

Tiny bottles of shampoo and soap add up quickly. Save some money by purchasing empty travel containers from the local dollar store and transferring some of your products from home. Remember to make cuts where you can. Conditioner makes for a great alternative to shaving cream, reducing the need to worry about an aerosol can.

Not only do tiny bottles of goods save packing space, you can take them in a carry on bag and try to forego taking bulky, costly luggage with you. For a truly economical approach, top up your bottles from the complementary stash of toiletries at the hotels you visit during your trip.

Reusable Water Bottle

Like drinking water at restaurants, bringing a reusable water bottle is a fantastic way to save money during your trip. Believe it or not, bringing your own water bottle could save you hundreds of dollars. Simply fill it up each time you come across a fountain or ask a server at the restaurants you visit to top you off.

A word of caution as you travel: while touring the Balkans you might not run into the same clean water challenges as you would elsewhere, but some areas do present issues. To be safe, make sure you are asking if the water is potable before filling up your bottle.

Laundry Gear

If you plan on staying a few weeks or months, chances are you won’t be packing an outfit for each day of the trip. Bringing laundry gear is not only a great way to prepare for budget traveling, but it also helps drastically reduce the clothing you need to pack. Some must-haves include laundry soap, a travel clothesline, and a dry bag.

Don’t be ashamed to do your laundry in a sink! Hang it on the travel clothesline to dry, and if you must move on before the clothes are entirely ready, throw them in the dry bag and hang them at your next location.

Bedding and Towels

You may think that bedding and towels are standard rights in travel accommodations. In most cases, you are correct. However, many budget hostel options charge extra for bedding and towels and offer ones that look less than sanitary.

Sleeping liners are like a sleeping bag made out of less material. You can get them in a variety of fabrics, including silk and cotton. Like a sleeping bag, they have a closed bottom, preventing anything creepy or crawly from touching your toes at night, which is great if you spend a night camping at Lake Ohrid or along the Slovenian coast.

When you’re packing, avoid spending money on frivolous or excessive gear. Buy what you need and leave the rest at home.

Months and months of planning can make you completely overwhelmed and, due to all that, you may forget some more or less important details. And trust me, you sure don’t want that type of stress on your wedding day. So in order to avoid that, I’ve created this ultimate checklist you can follow.

Vendors

Make sure you confirm the arrangements and make sure everyone has the exact directions and the cell phone number to your official contact person.

Final payments

A good idea would be to pay your vendors ahead of time. This way, you don’t have to try to remember what you owe to whom on the day of your wedding.

Insurance policy

When you give the final payments to the vendors, have each of them sign a document that indicates they received it. So if anyone tries to claim they weren’t paid, you will have proof against them.

Tip envelopes

If you are planning on tipping someone such as the DJ, wait staff, banquet captain etc., make sure you prepare envelopes with their names on it and fill them with the correct amounts of money you are willing to give.

Some extra cash

Speaking of tips, you might want to show your gratitude to someone who has gone beyond his call of duty. This is why a good idea would be to carry some extra cash with you on the wedding day.

Luggage

If you are staying in a hotel overnight before the reception, make sure you drop your luggage off the night before, or have someone such as a friend or family member drop it off the morning of the ceremony.

Honeymoon packing

Speaking of early packing, make sure to pack your honeymoon luggage as well as all the required documents and passports earlier. This way, you will have one less worry.

Wedding items

Things like wedding favors, cake knife, toast glasses etc. should be delivered to your reception site 2-3 days beforehand so the employees can prepare everything and set the tables on time. A smart move would be to find a trusted friend or family member to get everything to the ceremony site beforehand as well.

Car hire

You should ask around to see which companies are trustworthy and check whether the car you hired is only for the bride or for both of you. For my fellow Aussies, I would definitely recommend Queen street wedding & car hire because they are the best around.

Naming the tunes

Your favorite song may already be covered or remade by thousands of different bands or DJs, so make sure you double-check with your band or DJ whether they have the version you want.

Discussion with the photographer

You shouldn’t leave anything to chance. Give the photographer a list of people you want to be photographed together and also talk to them about the type of photos you want to have – vintage style, candid, classic, black and white etc.

Photography schedule

This way, you will ensure that everything goes smoothly. If you and the bridesmaids, for example, have your photos scheduled at 2 pm, be at the location at 1.45 fully dressed and made up. And make sure everyone takes this seriously.

Prepare for the rain

If you’ll be having an outdoor ceremony, make sure you have the tent set up and umbrellas for all the guests just in case.

Gift caretaker

Designate someone to take presents home in advance and give them the house key so you have everything there when you return from the ceremony.

Supervisor

Have someone well-organized arrive early to the ceremony and ensure everything is in order.

Legal documents

Give those to someone responsible in order to ensure nothing gets lost. Some honeymoon locations may give you special perks if you prove that your trip is actually a honeymoon trip.

The end time

Double-check the end time with the venue and give this information to vendors and guests to prevent unnecessary costs of overtime fees.

Finally, a good idea is to also pack an emergency kit for your big day including: hairspray, bobby pins, lip gloss etc. for last minute preps, as well as pantyhose, umbrella, stain remover, tissues and backup copies of your desired music just in case.

There are plenty of benefits that come with having whiter teeth (and wanting to smile more often). It’s not just about the aesthetic beauty of whiter teeth, it’s about your overall mood and self-confidence as well. Wanting whiter teeth is a common desire, but is it worth the extra cost to get professional teeth whitening at your Dentist’s office instead of opting for over-the-counter methods? The short answer is yes. Over-the-counter whitening treatments or whitening strips that you can buy at your local drug store are not going to yield the same results as a professional teeth-whitening treatment at your Dentist’s office. And this is why you should head over to http://apictureperfectsmile.com/ to check out some professional teeth whitening treatments.

Professional whitening may be slightly more expensive, but it should save you money in the long run since the results are more effective and last longer. In-office whitening with your trusted Dentist is the safest and most reliable way to get that perfect Hollywood smile. If you’re thinking of fixing stained, dull or yellow teeth, you’ll be happier with the results if you seek treatment from a professional. Below are some benefits of opting for professional teeth whitening, along with some general benefits that come with whiter teeth:

Customized Results

Dr. Cowen at Juban Cowen Dental Care reminds us that an in-office, professional whitening treatment is the best way to get a customized treatment plan. For example, if two of your teeth are much more yellow than the others, your Dentist can customize the whitening treatment to ensure those two teeth get extra attention. Only professional treatment can give you the customization and tailored results that you’re after. The drug store brand is a one-treatment-fits-all mentality, and it may not suit your specific whitening needs.

Faster and Better Results

Do you want whiter teeth, as fast as possible? Professional teeth whitening is the best way to get fast and amazing results. Some professional teeth whitening treatments can get you results in an hour, whereas over-the-counter whitening strips can take weeks to garner results. These results might not even be satisfactory after all of that waiting time. Not only will the results of an in-office whitening treatment be faster, but the results will be better (and whiter) too!

It’s Safe and Comfortable

Your professional service includes special attention to your sensitivities. If your teeth are extra sensitive, your Dentist will pay attention to this to ensure that you are comfortable during your treatment. It’s also much safer to get your teeth whitened professionally. You don’t have to worry about risking an over-application or damaging your tooth enamel.

Improved Self-Confidence

Confidence is attractive. Do you know what else is attractive? Someone who smiles. You’ll kill two birds with one stone when you get your teeth whitened because you’ll be more confident and you’ll be inclined to smile more. A beautiful smile is like a magnet – it attracts people all around you, and draws people in. Everyone wants to be around someone who smiles a lot – perhaps you simply need an excuse to smile more? Freshly whitened teeth can be that reason to smile more.

Better Oral Health

Another benefit of professional whitening treatment is better oral health. Your teeth are simultaneously being cleaned and polished with the removal of stains and plaque during a professional whitening session. Therefore, your teeth are getting cleaner, stronger and healthier. This improves your overall oral health, and this also improves your oral hygiene. (Teeth whitening can even improve bad breath!)

You’ll Gain More Trust And Notice Better First Impressions

Recent studies have shown that individuals with whiter teeth are seen as being more trustworthy, dependable, attractive, professional and successful. Whether it’s a job interview, a sales pitch, a first date or an important meeting, your white teeth will give you an added advantage.

A Better Mood

Studies have linked an improved mood with smiling more. Since your beautiful, white teeth will have you smiling more, it’s obvious that teeth whitening treatment can actually improve your overall mood.  The physical act of smiling induces a chemical reaction in the brain, releasing certain feel-good hormones including dopamine and serotonin. Smiling really is that powerful – it can reduce stress and trick your brain into feeling happier.