The 7 Things You Are Most Likely To Forget To Pack

If you took a big trip this summer, you may have had a "Home Alone"-style moment where you realized you FORGET to pack or left something at home:  Like a piece of clothing . . . a charger . . . or your eight-year-old.  (???)

In a new survey, around 90% of people say they've forgotten something when traveling, and here are some of the most common things left behind:

1.  A phone charger, 34% have forgotten that. Who among us haven’t left behind a charger? No matter how many times you tell yourself that you will not do it again, there you go hitting the road, and only to find that you left it behind again. If there is a hack, for this, it is probably being sure to leave the charger in a very conspicuous place like the bathroom where it is generally the last place you will look prior to checking out. When we leave it plugged in next to a nightstand, it might get overlooked.

2.  Toiletries, 32% this generally happens to people who pack a lot of toiletries for their trip. My wife, for instance, brings in an enormous amount of toiletries along for her stays. So it is an evitable that she will leave something behind because she brought so much. Me on the other hand I leave everything in my Dopp bag, and very rarely leave anything behind. As a matter of fact, I am not shy about taking the hotels, soaps and shampoos and body lotions with me.

3.  Sunscreen, 27% this product gets left behind generally at a beach or a pool side. It is commonly left somewhere where everybody can use it. Therefore nobody really feels responsible for it. The best way to avoid leaving the sunscreen behind is to make sure one person is in charge of it. In our case it is my wife, she is the comptroller of the sunscreen, even though that sometimes requires that she has to do the applying for everybody else

4.  Medication, 18% leaving medication behind is a scary thought. If it is something that requires you to take on a daily basis the last thing you want to do is be without it for an extended period of time. So if you don’t want to leave it behind make sure after you take it you leave it back in a suitcase or a bag that contains all of your other stuff. Do not leave it on the counter your mistake it for something else

5.  Socks, 17% leaving socks, behind is one of life‘s mysteries. Even the great comedian, Jerry Seinfeld jokes about the fact that everybody has missing socks for no real explanation. This is no joke though how many times have you returned home to find only one sock? This probably happens because the socks get lost in the carpet or the bedding or the towels, best to fold your socks, one done and put them in your dirty laundry bag

6.  Water bottles, 14% By this we assume any water bottle, but it could also be something much more expensive like a Stanley, or a yeti and in that case you’ve lost some thing that you certainly wish you hadn’t. It’s best to keep only one bottle per person and not take it everywhere you go. If you are traveling to a park, just be sure to keep it filled at all times, and it be very hard to lose it.

7.  Wallet, 8% although losing the wallet is the least common of the seven, it is the most devastating. If you lose your wallet, you probably have lost your drivers license credit cards cash, and many other very important things. Keeping your hands on your wallet, and its whereabouts is up at most importance. I always do a wallet check before leaving anywhere. For me that means just patting my own backside to make sure the wallet is there. Now a lot of folks are using their phone as a wallet, but this could be dangerous as well. Just always look back, regardless of where you’ve been to make sure you’ve left nothing behind.

42% of people say that forgetting essentials has negatively impacted their trips . . . because it forced them to spend more money . . . buy alternate products . . . and "not feel their best."

Of course, most of these things really shouldn't be THAT big of a deal, unless you're going to some place remote, or a Third World country. 

Americans Take the Least Vacation Days in the World—and Almost Half Love It!

As the Fourth of July approaches, while you're enjoying fireworks and barbecues, remember: the most patriotic way to spend it might just be at your computer, catching up on work. Why? Because Americans are workaholics who rarely take a break, and our vacation habits prove it!

A recent report from Expedia reveals that Americans take fewer vacation days than any other country in the world. On average, Americans get 12 vacation days a year, and 53% of us don't use them all. Despite feeling like we don't step away enough, two-thirds of Americans say that life is "too busy to plan or go on vacation."

When comparing our vacation habits to other countries, Japan, which gets fewer paid days off at 11, manages to take all their days and prefer long weekends. Meanwhile, Americans tend to take vacation days in chunks. Only 5% of us take at least one day off a month compared to 32% of Japanese people.

And who takes the most vacation days? The French, with an average of 29 days off a year! That's two-and-a-half times more than Americans. Yet, 65% of Americans think they deserve more time off, compared to 69% of French people. Over the course of their careers, the average American will let 45 vacation days go unused.

Why Aren't Americans Taking Their Vacation Days?

It's incredible to think about how often we hear from older generations that Americans are lazy. Yet, here we are, leading the world in unused vacation days! We get 12 vacation days a year, and half of us don’t use them. Meanwhile, the French are on vacation almost a month every year, and they still think it's not enough! Next time someone calls Americans lazy, remind them we're the pizza-denying heroes of the workforce.

Why Are You Not Taking Time Off?

We asked our listeners why they aren’t taking their vacation days. Here are some of their responses:

"I feel guilty leaving my team short-handed, especially during busy seasons. It's hard to justify a break when the workload is so high." – Sarah from Dedham

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"My workload is too high, and no one else can cover for me. If I take time off, I'll come back to a mountain of work." – Mike from Natick

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"I don't have the money to go anywhere, so I end up just working through my vacation days. It feels pointless to take time off just to stay home." – Lisa from Norwood

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"My boss doesn't encourage taking time off. There's always an underlying pressure to stay on top of things, even during vacations." – Dave from Braintree

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"I actually love my job and prefer working. Taking time off makes me feel like I'm missing out on important developments." – Karen from Westwood

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"Planning a vacation is too stressful. The idea of organizing everything just makes me want to stay at work where it's predictable." – Sam from Canton

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"I'm a freelancer, so no work means no pay. I can't afford to take time off without it impacting my income." – Rachel from Walpole

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"I don't want to use vacation days for staying at home. If I'm going to take time off, I want it to be for something special." – Joe from Wellesley

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So this Fourth of July, maybe skip the work emails and enjoy the fireworks. Or at least take a break from being "lazy" long enough to prove them wrong with some good old American overachievement. Let's aim to use those vacation days, even if it means planning long weekends like our Japanese friends. After all, a well-rested worker is a more productive worker.