15 Essential Tasks You Always Need To Do Before Leaving for Vacation

Whether you're planning a quick summer getaway or an extended winter stay, there are important steps to take before you leave home to protect your assets. Unfortunately, in the hustle to get out the door for vacations, many travelers make surprising financial mistakes, which can be costly.

Before you take off, make sure you take care of these 15 essential tasks. Doing so can help keep your property — and your bank account — safe.

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Adjust your thermostat

Keeping your thermostat at a comfortable temperature when no one is home is akin to throwing money out the window.

While you may want to avoid turning your thermostat off completely, raising it to around 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and between 50 and 60 degrees in the winter should protect your home from heat or cold damage and save you money on bills.

Pause your mail

Pausing mail is essential not only because you likely want to avoid coming home to an overstuffed mailbox, but because if you leave mail outside, there's a chance someone could swipe important information to access your personal accounts.

The USPS allows residents to pause mail for up to 30 days through their online portal.

Pause your subscription services

On a related note, any services you have regularly delivered to your house, specifically any groceries and perishables, should be paused as well.

Packages delivered while you're away could be damaged, stolen, or tip off would-be robbers that the house is empty.

Unplug electronics

Any electronics left plugged in while you're away can draw power, even if they're turned off. Save yourself some money on your electric bill by unplugging nonessential devices. According to the United States Department of Energy, doing so saves the average American household around $100-200 per year.

This will also protect your items from damage if there's a power surge or some other sort of outage.

Automate any bill payments

We all hope to get to a point where we're not worried about our bills while on vacation, but that headspace may make you forget to pay them. Take the extra step to automate, or pay bills early (before you leave), to avoid this mishap and any late payment fees associated with missing the due date.

Double-check doors and windows

Even if it's just a quick weekend getaway, give yourself some peace of mind by double-checking that all doors and windows in the home are locked. This helps secure your items inside and prevents the potential financial disaster of a robbery.

Freeze or eat perishable food

No one wants to come home from vacation to a fridge full of spoiled food.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, the average American household throws away $120 each month in the form of uneaten food. To avoid wasting food (and money), savvy vacationers can make a meal plan to finish up anything perishable in the week before travel.

Additionally, opting for frozen foods or freezing food items when possible can also help you waste less.

Used timed lights

Many people worry that leaving their home dark for days or weeks at a time may tip off bad actors that there's no one home. Timed lights can help put your mind at ease, protect your assets, and avoid making your home an easy target.

Timers can be purchased on their own, or you can program a smart device like Alexa to turn lights on and off.

Adjust your water heater

When traveling for more than three days, you can turn your water heater to the vacation mode (VAC) setting or the lowest temperature setting available. This can help reduce your energy bill and conserve energy.

Some travelers choose to turn their water heaters off completely, though you may want to avoid that if traveling during winter, when pipes may be at risk of freezing, as this type of repair can be costly.

Do a thorough clean

Make sure all dirty dishes, damp towels, and other issues that could lead to mold and mildew are taken care of before you travel. This helps prevent a smelly and potentially pricey problem from developing while you're away.

Turn off the water supply

Turning off the main water supply to your home helps prevent leaks and, in turn, water damage that could quickly get out of hand if you are not home to address it. This could easily cost thousands of dollars to fix if you aren't careful.

Turning off the water supply is also particularly important for those vacationing during the colder winter months, as it avoids frozen and burst pipes.

Alert a neighbor

If possible, letting a trusted neighbor know that you'll be traveling and giving them an extra key in case of emergency can be helpful in several ways.

Whether it's attending to any issues in the home, picking up packages and bringing them inside, or letting you know if they spot anything suspicious, having peace of mind that these things will be taken care of is a smart money move for homeowners.

Empty your trash

Don't forget to empty any trash cans before leaving, including the kitchen, bathroom, and any lesser-used cans around the home. Leaving trash around could attract pests and bugs, and you probably don't want to return home to a garbage smell, either.

Lock up valuables

If you have expensive items you aren't traveling with (such as precious jewelry or pricey electronics), lock them away in a safe, or at least in a decent hiding spot.

Obviously, the goal is to avoid a break-in, but in the unfortunate event that it does happen, it pays to keep your most valuable items under lock and key.

Update your bank

In the past, customers were asked to notify credit card companies if they were planning to travel, so purchases made in faraway places wouldn't be flagged as potential fraud.

While some companies may still require you to notify them of your travels, thanks to advances in fraud detection, this is usually no longer necessary for larger banks. However, most banks do suggest travelers make sure their contact information is up-to-date, just in case they need to contact you to confirm or validate a purchase.

Bottom line

For those trying to travel on a budget, making sure your home and assets are secure while you're away is an often overlooked, but important, part of the planning process. Making sure you don't come home to a kitchen with a mold problem or a burst pipe will save you money in the long run, and hopefully, secure more funds for future vacations.

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