How to Pack for a Week in a Carry-On

Why do we want to pack for a week in a carry-on?  Because airlines charge for bags now and it's ridiculous.  Plus we're Cruising on a Budget in this series, remember?  And my budget did not allow for baggage fees at all.  You will be AMAZED at how simple this technique is and will literally blow yourself out of the water when you try it for yourself!

 So Google and YouTube came to my rescue on this one but instead of a video I thought I would show you in simple (I hope) picture tutorials.  Before we get to it I wanted to highlight some important things to notice:

* Lay your clothes flat & bring them all the way to the edges of the suitcase

* Start with the longest items first and the shortest items are last

* Alternate directions the clothes lay (this will make sense in a minute)

 Note:  When I packed my hubbie's I layed his pants the other direction (right & left where mine are up & down) because his pants are wider and fit the width of the suitcase bottom that way.  The same direction I layed my coat in the next picture.

 Note:  The jacket collar is placed flush against the inside edge of the suitcase.

Note:  If you have shorts, pack them after shirts if they are a shorter length.  If the shorts are longer, pack them before your shirts.

 Once all the clothes are in it's time to fold all the stuff hanging over!

Note:  I stayed in a hotel one night before we boarded the ship so I needed one outfit not folded into this bundle.  So I kept it for last and placed it flat on top.

Now if you don't believe it, or quite get how this works grab your carry-on and try it with a few items.  Seriously, it's crazy.  If you are wondering how much I actually brought here are the pictures after I unpacked on our ship!  Sorry for the terrible lighting  =)

I used a separate small zipped area on the outside of my suitcase which I rolled up my 'other items' that you don't need to see a picture of!  What about our shoes and toiletries?  All airlines allow one carry-on suitcase and one personal item (purse, backpack) per person, of specific dimensions which you can see here.  

The carry-on's we used were actually a couple inches shorter each way then was allowed.  But for $7 at Goodwill I didn't have to spend $60 for a brand new carry-on.  Budget friendly!

In one of our personal items I had nothing but shoes.  Two for my hubbie and 8 for me.  Hey, I needed different color heels for my dresses!  In the other bag we had my make-up, jewelry, medicines, ect.  I did not pack shampoo & conditioner because the rooms came with them.  However it was a shampoo/conditioner combo (which I HATE) so next time I'll save room for conditioner in my bag!

Another budget-saving tip when it comes to packing....shopping!  You see one thing that is so fun about cruising is dressing nice for dinner and shows, something I never get to do outside of a cruise every few years.  But I had nothing to wear, no lie, so
I hit Goodwill and scored.

 It never seeks to shock me the really nice name brand clothes I can pick up at thrift stores that cost less then anything at Walmart.  See that long black dress from Banana Republic? (it has a removal black slip too).  That dress would easily cost double of what I paid for everything.  Plus I found a dress & shoes brand new still with the tags on!

$60 BUCKS!  Bwahahahhahahahahahaaa!  Don't you just love a good deal?

Don't put off taking a cruise because you don't have anything nice to wear and don't even have an extra dime for $100 baggage fees...I didn't either!
Pack like a rock-star and shop like a SuperMom.

Did you miss a post in this fun new series?  Find the links below and more coming soon!

1.  When to Book a Cruise for Big Savings
2.  How to Pack for a Week in a Carry-On
3.  Saving Money While On-Board
4.  Shore Excursions:  Tips, Tricks & Reviews