If you're a US expat, it's tax time. Your two-month reprieve on filing deadlines is just about up. For Americans abroad, hunker down and get that tax return done. It's due June 15th.
Pray you qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE). Reduce your agony, at least a bit.
If you live abroad, work overseas, are a Perpetual Traveler gallivanting from place to place (everywhere except the US, basically), you need a bank account wherever you're living. Check those balances - the highest total hit during the year among all accounts combined - to see if you fall within FBAR and/or Form 8938 limits for reporting bank and other financial accounts, and/or foreign assets, respectively.
The deadline for RECEIPT of FBAR and Form 8938 is June 30th. This trips up a lot of people since tax return deadlines are typically the date of postmark. If you have to file FBAR and/or Form 8938, make sure it arrives before June 30th! These two have draconian penalties ($50,000) for failure to file or late receipt!
We've gone into these before, so let's not repeat it all again. Just a friendly reminder to get it done.
Once you get through the pain, maybe you want to rearrange some living arrangements or financial arrangements to reduce next year's bill.
May your road rise to meet you (not Taxman)!
Ann
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Taxaholic Countries for Expats to Avoid
As if taxaholic France wasn't already in the news for the departure of Gerard Depardieu for more welcoming Russia, now comes a whopper! More than 8,000 French households got tax bills for 2012 - dunned for taxes which exceed their income for the entire year. Expect more departures from the no-longer-so-belle France.
We've mentioned countries with no personal income taxes. Here's some horrible news about the EU: very few countries in the world tax like the EU. Only Aruba, US, and Japan can rival Euro-kleptocrats.
EU's worst:
Hungary - 59.4%
Belgium - 58.5
France - 56.4 (except for some, income taxes exceed 100% of income)
Germany - 54.6
Austria - 52.2
Netherlands - 50.2
Sweden - 49.4
Romania - 48.6
Italy - 46.0
Denmark - 45.7
Slovakia - 45.5
Lithuania - 45.4
Finland - 45.2
Only Cyprus (19.4%) and Malta (26.8%) have tax rates below 30%. As we've all heard and read, Cyprus is broke, so it simply confiscated people's bank accounts. That's Tax with a Capital T-plus!
What to do if your employer transfers you to one of these on an expat contract? Try to find an alternative! What if you're a citizen? Do you want to be a milk cow for taxaholics? Or do you want to enjoy the PT life? You have a very potent incentive to be a non-resident citizen if you're from an EU country.
Think the grass is greener on the US side of the border? People tend to think it "looks good" because charts like these only consider federal income taxes. For the US, you have to add Social Security (FICA) and Medicare, which take another 7.65% from the first dollar you earn. There's the new Medicare surcharge on top of that for those with higher-level incomes. Don't forget state income taxes, which vary considerably. Add it all up, and the US can turn out to the be the Ultimate Taxaholic for a lot of taxpayers.
If you are a US person (which includes more than citizens and legal permanent residents and workers on visas), non-resident status is no cure. There's the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, a small help to some.
Planning your travels, planning your expat-life, planning retirement relocation? Whatever you do and wherever you go, tax planning must be a major consideration in the decision-making process for every Road Warrioress.
So, where are you headed? What works well for you? Share your thoughts. We'd all love to hear them.
May your road rise to meet you!
Ann
We've mentioned countries with no personal income taxes. Here's some horrible news about the EU: very few countries in the world tax like the EU. Only Aruba, US, and Japan can rival Euro-kleptocrats.
EU's worst:
Hungary - 59.4%
Belgium - 58.5
France - 56.4 (except for some, income taxes exceed 100% of income)
Germany - 54.6
Austria - 52.2
Netherlands - 50.2
Sweden - 49.4
Romania - 48.6
Italy - 46.0
Denmark - 45.7
Slovakia - 45.5
Lithuania - 45.4
Finland - 45.2
Only Cyprus (19.4%) and Malta (26.8%) have tax rates below 30%. As we've all heard and read, Cyprus is broke, so it simply confiscated people's bank accounts. That's Tax with a Capital T-plus!
What to do if your employer transfers you to one of these on an expat contract? Try to find an alternative! What if you're a citizen? Do you want to be a milk cow for taxaholics? Or do you want to enjoy the PT life? You have a very potent incentive to be a non-resident citizen if you're from an EU country.
Think the grass is greener on the US side of the border? People tend to think it "looks good" because charts like these only consider federal income taxes. For the US, you have to add Social Security (FICA) and Medicare, which take another 7.65% from the first dollar you earn. There's the new Medicare surcharge on top of that for those with higher-level incomes. Don't forget state income taxes, which vary considerably. Add it all up, and the US can turn out to the be the Ultimate Taxaholic for a lot of taxpayers.
If you are a US person (which includes more than citizens and legal permanent residents and workers on visas), non-resident status is no cure. There's the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, a small help to some.
Planning your travels, planning your expat-life, planning retirement relocation? Whatever you do and wherever you go, tax planning must be a major consideration in the decision-making process for every Road Warrioress.
So, where are you headed? What works well for you? Share your thoughts. We'd all love to hear them.
May your road rise to meet you!
Ann
Monday, May 13, 2013
Beware the Too-Friendly Local
Police call them Hugger-Muggers. Very friendly - pat on the back, even a big hug, and "Hey Mate! How's it going?" Just as you depart a pub, coffeehouse, or bar late evening. Meanwhile, the accomplice picks your purse or pocket, empties your wallet, and drops it on the sidewalk behind you.
Coordinated thievery, without the slightest signal between hugger and accompanying mugger.
Attention Road Warrioress! Women are prime targets! Top items sought: cash and credit cards from purse or wallet, cell phones, and small electronics.
Primary venues: London - especially Camden and Westminster; Stockholm. Most commonly late evening or night. Don't expect this type of crime to be limited to these two cities or this time of day for long. Just because there's a sharp rise in police reports from these two cities in particular does not mean this is simply a "local phenomenon." It can happen anywhere anytime.
Safety Tips & Prevention:
* Don't let strangers "hug" or touch you. Stop them! They'll try to lead a merry dance around you. Evade and speak loudly enough for passersby to hear: "No! Get away from me!" or "Don't touch me! I don't know you!"
* Wear your shoulder bag strapped diagonally around your neck and under your arm, then slide the bag toward the front of your body. Keep your forearm along the top of the bag with your hand gripping the strap.
* Use a security-cabled bag. Use tiny luggage locks. Secure the phone - don't keep it in an open pocket without Velcro or zipper close. Anything to slow them down! Make things more troublesome for the pickpocket, Hugger-Mugger, or other assorted villain.
* Keep ID, credit cards, and other valuables in a hidden body belt or bra bag which attaches securely to clothing. Use the interior pocket of your jacket, then zip up both pocket and jacket to prevent a hand sneaking in. Stitch up an extra interior pocket inside your jeans.
May your road rise to meet you - and may you remain safe along the road!
Ann
Coordinated thievery, without the slightest signal between hugger and accompanying mugger.
Attention Road Warrioress! Women are prime targets! Top items sought: cash and credit cards from purse or wallet, cell phones, and small electronics.
Primary venues: London - especially Camden and Westminster; Stockholm. Most commonly late evening or night. Don't expect this type of crime to be limited to these two cities or this time of day for long. Just because there's a sharp rise in police reports from these two cities in particular does not mean this is simply a "local phenomenon." It can happen anywhere anytime.
Safety Tips & Prevention:
* Don't let strangers "hug" or touch you. Stop them! They'll try to lead a merry dance around you. Evade and speak loudly enough for passersby to hear: "No! Get away from me!" or "Don't touch me! I don't know you!"
* Wear your shoulder bag strapped diagonally around your neck and under your arm, then slide the bag toward the front of your body. Keep your forearm along the top of the bag with your hand gripping the strap.
* Use a security-cabled bag. Use tiny luggage locks. Secure the phone - don't keep it in an open pocket without Velcro or zipper close. Anything to slow them down! Make things more troublesome for the pickpocket, Hugger-Mugger, or other assorted villain.
* Keep ID, credit cards, and other valuables in a hidden body belt or bra bag which attaches securely to clothing. Use the interior pocket of your jacket, then zip up both pocket and jacket to prevent a hand sneaking in. Stitch up an extra interior pocket inside your jeans.
May your road rise to meet you - and may you remain safe along the road!
Ann
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Take Time to Smell the Jasmine
At home, we usually can remember to take a moment to smell the roses. Vacationers tend to take that time - it maybe their purpose for taking a vacation! When traveling, however, especially for the Road Warrioress - expat, PT, or harried long-haul business traveler - too often we fail to take a moment to smell the jasmine or lavender or whatever is two feet from nostrils.
One of my fondest memories of Singapore is watching a teeny-tiny bird of the most brilliant yellow plumage out the window of my home-office. One of my regrets is failing to explore the public library there. I lived a few minutes' walk from the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California, and held off spending five bucks admission - to my eternal rue. An exquisite hummingbird with its long beak deep in the trumpet of a flower hovered within two feet of me while going for a stroll in Indonesia. But I never made it across the broad Mahakam River to explore Samarinda.
It's always the little things we treasure most, yet are most inclined to miss. Tired you may well be, but it's worth every effort to see something a city or country offers. It recharges your batteries to take on the next round! An hour's respite, or even a moment, ups your energy levels as well as your spirits.
Wherever you go, whatever else you do, take a moment to savor something in your surroundings. Business can wait a second while you take a good deep sniff of a rose. Savor the moment - you'll never regret the little things you see and do when you stop to smell the roses or jacaranda, or watch a bird or butterfly.
May your road rise to meet you - and may you enjoy your moments on that road!
Ann
One of my fondest memories of Singapore is watching a teeny-tiny bird of the most brilliant yellow plumage out the window of my home-office. One of my regrets is failing to explore the public library there. I lived a few minutes' walk from the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California, and held off spending five bucks admission - to my eternal rue. An exquisite hummingbird with its long beak deep in the trumpet of a flower hovered within two feet of me while going for a stroll in Indonesia. But I never made it across the broad Mahakam River to explore Samarinda.
It's always the little things we treasure most, yet are most inclined to miss. Tired you may well be, but it's worth every effort to see something a city or country offers. It recharges your batteries to take on the next round! An hour's respite, or even a moment, ups your energy levels as well as your spirits.
Wherever you go, whatever else you do, take a moment to savor something in your surroundings. Business can wait a second while you take a good deep sniff of a rose. Savor the moment - you'll never regret the little things you see and do when you stop to smell the roses or jacaranda, or watch a bird or butterfly.
May your road rise to meet you - and may you enjoy your moments on that road!
Ann
Friday, May 10, 2013
IRS Tax Net Traps Non-US Citizens, Too
Taxes can be a big issue when living, working, traveling abroad. US is probably the world's worst offender when it comes to tax traps. US citizens are subject to US taxes on ALL income from EVERY source worldwide, whether they reside in the US or not.
US citizens are not the only ones trapped! Tens of millions of foreigners - non-US citizens - get trapped every year. Obviously, the legal permanent resident who holds a green card is trapped just as much as any US citizen, born or naturalized. Green card holders often absent themselves from the US. They're transferred to their employer's office in another country like any other expat, go home to tend to family matters, travel - whatever. They still must file and pay exactly as any citizen must.
Some decide not to return to US, or get caught up in family issues and simply don't make it back to the US. Too bad. The green card is deemed abandoned and revoked one year from date of departure. But if you want to avoid problems with IRS, when you depart the US, go to the US consulate, hand over your green card, and sign the form to revoke your legal permanent residency! It's the only way out of the tax trap!
Work in the US? Turn in that employment visa the minute you depart that job and return home. Stop the tax clock from ticking as of last day of US employment.
Want to stay out of harm's way? Never spend more than 180 days in the US within any one-year period. E.g. if you are a Canadian Snow Bird in Florida for the winter, beware coming down "earlier" next year so you don't hit that 180-mark! Beware coming for a month later in the year for a relative's wedding, road trip through the Rockies, or whatever. Ditto if your boss frequently and/or lengthily ships you off to training, business meetings, sales conventions or what-have-you.
Some people can become subject to US taxes without ever setting foot in the US. Remember Harry Potter and its author, JK Rowling? The Second-Wealthiest Woman in the World earned tons of money in the US - royalties from her books, merchandising fees. At her end of the income market, its pretty safe to assume she had experts to set things up properly, file her taxes, etc. But recording artists, authors, stockholders, those who rent out their winter home or investment property - all kinds of people from around the world - can end up with US tax consequences. They're trapped!
So when we talk here about taxes, especially US taxes, remember: You could be trapped in the IRS Tax Net! Be careful. Do not mess with the IRS. They're broke, they know it, and they can get really, really mean trying to squeeze money out of you.
Keep it absolutely clear that you do not reside in the US, do not earn your income in the US, do not have investments or other US financial considerations. Remain free!
May your road rise to meet you!
Ann
US citizens are not the only ones trapped! Tens of millions of foreigners - non-US citizens - get trapped every year. Obviously, the legal permanent resident who holds a green card is trapped just as much as any US citizen, born or naturalized. Green card holders often absent themselves from the US. They're transferred to their employer's office in another country like any other expat, go home to tend to family matters, travel - whatever. They still must file and pay exactly as any citizen must.
Some decide not to return to US, or get caught up in family issues and simply don't make it back to the US. Too bad. The green card is deemed abandoned and revoked one year from date of departure. But if you want to avoid problems with IRS, when you depart the US, go to the US consulate, hand over your green card, and sign the form to revoke your legal permanent residency! It's the only way out of the tax trap!
Work in the US? Turn in that employment visa the minute you depart that job and return home. Stop the tax clock from ticking as of last day of US employment.
Want to stay out of harm's way? Never spend more than 180 days in the US within any one-year period. E.g. if you are a Canadian Snow Bird in Florida for the winter, beware coming down "earlier" next year so you don't hit that 180-mark! Beware coming for a month later in the year for a relative's wedding, road trip through the Rockies, or whatever. Ditto if your boss frequently and/or lengthily ships you off to training, business meetings, sales conventions or what-have-you.
Some people can become subject to US taxes without ever setting foot in the US. Remember Harry Potter and its author, JK Rowling? The Second-Wealthiest Woman in the World earned tons of money in the US - royalties from her books, merchandising fees. At her end of the income market, its pretty safe to assume she had experts to set things up properly, file her taxes, etc. But recording artists, authors, stockholders, those who rent out their winter home or investment property - all kinds of people from around the world - can end up with US tax consequences. They're trapped!
So when we talk here about taxes, especially US taxes, remember: You could be trapped in the IRS Tax Net! Be careful. Do not mess with the IRS. They're broke, they know it, and they can get really, really mean trying to squeeze money out of you.
Keep it absolutely clear that you do not reside in the US, do not earn your income in the US, do not have investments or other US financial considerations. Remain free!
May your road rise to meet you!
Ann
Monday, May 6, 2013
JD Powers Research Shows US Hotel Ratings Decline
Forbes magazine recently published an article on the latest JD Power research survey of customer satisfaction with US hotels. Satisfaction with check-in/check-out; food and beverage; hotel services; and hotel facilities are at new lows since the 2006 study.
Primary beef? Charging a fee for internet access. Internet usage by hotel guests is up to 55%. Fees, especially since free wifi is readily available at so many restaurants and other outlets, is one really big gripe. If McDonald's can provide free wifi, so can luxury hotels. Ironically, free wifi is more likely to be available at the more modest hotel and motel chains. The priciest resorts which include wifi in a "resort fee" get the loudest screams from their customers. Slow connect speeds are another common complaint.
Poor maintenance, like drippy faucets or dead batteries in the TV remote control, come in for some of the most scathing comments I run into when talking to hotel guests. Such issues are a major cause of dissatisfied customers in the JD Power survey, too. Most of these issues should be readily apparent to maid service when rooms are cleaned every day. There's no excuse for such stupidity and neglect among housekeeping staff.
Here's a summary of top scoring chains in the 7 classifications JD Power uses:
Luxury: The Ritz-Carlton (for a third consecutive year)
Upper Upscale: Omni Hotels & Resorts
Upscale: Hilton Garden Inn and SpringHill Suites (in a tie)
Mid-Scale Full Service: Holiday Inn (for a second consecutive year)
Mid-Scale Limited Service: Drury Hotels (for a seventh consecutive year)
Economy/Budget: Jameson Inn
Extended Stay: Homewood Suites (for a third consecutive year)
Got a problem? Complain immediately. Don't let it slide. Hotels need to know what irks and what distresses their guests.
If you need wifi (what Road Warrioress doesn't? LOL!), make sure it's included before you book the room. Let hotels, especially the higher-priced ones, know that you did not make a reservation simply because they lack free wifi! If you can get free wifi service in a backpacker hostel in the back of beyond, there's no excuse for lack of free wifi at every hotel and motel in the US.
Watch those ads. Check out their services. The Road Warrioress is a busy woman and she needs safety, security, cleanliness, functional facilities, and reliable services. In any price range anywhere.
May your road rise to meet you - and may your hotel meet your standards!
Ann
Primary beef? Charging a fee for internet access. Internet usage by hotel guests is up to 55%. Fees, especially since free wifi is readily available at so many restaurants and other outlets, is one really big gripe. If McDonald's can provide free wifi, so can luxury hotels. Ironically, free wifi is more likely to be available at the more modest hotel and motel chains. The priciest resorts which include wifi in a "resort fee" get the loudest screams from their customers. Slow connect speeds are another common complaint.
Poor maintenance, like drippy faucets or dead batteries in the TV remote control, come in for some of the most scathing comments I run into when talking to hotel guests. Such issues are a major cause of dissatisfied customers in the JD Power survey, too. Most of these issues should be readily apparent to maid service when rooms are cleaned every day. There's no excuse for such stupidity and neglect among housekeeping staff.
Here's a summary of top scoring chains in the 7 classifications JD Power uses:
Got a problem? Complain immediately. Don't let it slide. Hotels need to know what irks and what distresses their guests.
If you need wifi (what Road Warrioress doesn't? LOL!), make sure it's included before you book the room. Let hotels, especially the higher-priced ones, know that you did not make a reservation simply because they lack free wifi! If you can get free wifi service in a backpacker hostel in the back of beyond, there's no excuse for lack of free wifi at every hotel and motel in the US.
Watch those ads. Check out their services. The Road Warrioress is a busy woman and she needs safety, security, cleanliness, functional facilities, and reliable services. In any price range anywhere.
May your road rise to meet you - and may your hotel meet your standards!
Ann
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Ai-yah! My Handbag Is Dying!
Another trusty on-the-road survival tool is dying - alas! The handles of my trusty shoulder bag have worn out. The microfiber fabric covering steel safety cables has worn through, exposing the metal cabling.
Unlike my poor wheeled computer bag which so recently bit the dust, this bag has served me for about four years. I think four years of rough handling is pretty close to a record for long-term service for a handbag for me. I really cannot complain about a shoulder bag which has done constant harsh duty for four years. Especially since it only cost around USD80 to start with. After all, a friend's USD1600 leather bling bag from some famous designer (which one, I've forgotten) died in half as much time.
I love a well-organized handbag. Useless - and downright annoying - to me are "dump bucket" bags where everything goes in one compartment. I prefer a bag with pockets for my cell phone, a safe space for my passport, and easy access to my ChapStick! If I lose my keys in the bottom of a bag, I can go ballistic when I'm in a rush or under the gun (which seems like most of the time).
This bag has been the best organized of any handbag I've ever owned or designed myself and had made. I had one many years ago which came pretty close, and never found another like it. Until I discovered DayMakers.
This is the large DayMakers travel bag with an excellent variety of pockets. It holds my wallet (I might tell you about it sometime, as it has proven particularly well organized for the traveler), cell phone, phone recharger, digital camera (the point & shoot, not a DSLR with lenses), critical documents, and more.
What's really special about my DayMakers bag is the security features. The handle and around through the bottom is stainless steel cable to protect against bag-slashers, pickpockets, and baggage thieves. Other features help me feel more secure carrying it around. And the microfiber fabric bag shows little wear - except for the handle where steel cable wore right through it.
Now they have a new model, quite similar in design to what I've been using for the past four years. But Billy Norris, owner/designer for this Santa Barbara firm, has added RFID blocker technology to some of his travel handbags and other accessories.
So, I'm aiming to get some of these products and test them out. I sure am happy with this firm to start with. I wonder if they can make me - and you! - even happier?
May your road rise to meet you - and your bags rise to your expectations!
Ann
Unlike my poor wheeled computer bag which so recently bit the dust, this bag has served me for about four years. I think four years of rough handling is pretty close to a record for long-term service for a handbag for me. I really cannot complain about a shoulder bag which has done constant harsh duty for four years. Especially since it only cost around USD80 to start with. After all, a friend's USD1600 leather bling bag from some famous designer (which one, I've forgotten) died in half as much time.
I love a well-organized handbag. Useless - and downright annoying - to me are "dump bucket" bags where everything goes in one compartment. I prefer a bag with pockets for my cell phone, a safe space for my passport, and easy access to my ChapStick! If I lose my keys in the bottom of a bag, I can go ballistic when I'm in a rush or under the gun (which seems like most of the time).
This bag has been the best organized of any handbag I've ever owned or designed myself and had made. I had one many years ago which came pretty close, and never found another like it. Until I discovered DayMakers.
This is the large DayMakers travel bag with an excellent variety of pockets. It holds my wallet (I might tell you about it sometime, as it has proven particularly well organized for the traveler), cell phone, phone recharger, digital camera (the point & shoot, not a DSLR with lenses), critical documents, and more.
What's really special about my DayMakers bag is the security features. The handle and around through the bottom is stainless steel cable to protect against bag-slashers, pickpockets, and baggage thieves. Other features help me feel more secure carrying it around. And the microfiber fabric bag shows little wear - except for the handle where steel cable wore right through it.
Now they have a new model, quite similar in design to what I've been using for the past four years. But Billy Norris, owner/designer for this Santa Barbara firm, has added RFID blocker technology to some of his travel handbags and other accessories.
So, I'm aiming to get some of these products and test them out. I sure am happy with this firm to start with. I wonder if they can make me - and you! - even happier?
May your road rise to meet you - and your bags rise to your expectations!
Ann
Friday, May 3, 2013
TravelTellers Changes Our Look Again!
I've changed the design template and look of this blog again. Hope you like it, and find it easier to read.
One of these days, I'm going to take the time from everything else going on (including writing some travel guidebooks for you Road Warrioresses) to tinker with the set-up and layout of this blog. Just trying to make it more serviceable, more useful, more readable.
Now that I've had a couple things "go bad" on me, I think more product reviews could help my fellow Road Warrioresses, too. So that's another thing to look out for.
May your road rise to meet you!
Ann
One of these days, I'm going to take the time from everything else going on (including writing some travel guidebooks for you Road Warrioresses) to tinker with the set-up and layout of this blog. Just trying to make it more serviceable, more useful, more readable.
Now that I've had a couple things "go bad" on me, I think more product reviews could help my fellow Road Warrioresses, too. So that's another thing to look out for.
May your road rise to meet you!
Ann
Bags, Bags & More Bags!
Writing about bags - in the luggage and carry-on sense - set me thinking about other kinds of bags. Grocery bags, for one. I save all my plastic handled Walmart bags, grocery bags, and Whosits Department Store bags. Reuse before you recycle has been my watchword for a l-o-n-g time. But my homebase town passed a local ordinance, oh, a couple of years ago, banning plastic bags.
Most of Europe either never got into the habit or abolished those plastic bags long ago. They use string bags, canvas totes, and whatever for their marketing and other assorted shopping.
What's something you really need to tote along with you wherever you go? A shopping bag or tote bag. It has nearly endless uses for the Road Warrioress.
First, of course, long haul travel demands stops to shop somewhere along your route. The toothpaste runs out, shoes wear out, and hose just plain runs. Especially - but hardly exclusively! - in Europe, you need to bring your own shopping bag.
Here are few of the multiple duties of a shopping bag:
* shopping bag, of course
* beach tote
* shoe carrier
* office overflow tote (my computer bag often runs out of space for "stuff of the moment")
* book bag/library bag
* laundry bag
* day-pack (when I didn't want to haul a real handbag)
* "organizer" bag or project management "file"
* airplane "deplaning dump" to haul all the stuff I unpacked off the plane until I can repack it!
Mostly, it holds overflow of every description. It's a little workhorse that gets pulled out constantly for one usage or another.
Yes, I carry those plastic bags from Walmart and Whosits. Great when you have to do something with muddy shoes until you can properly clean them, or hastily pack a wet washcloth or swim suit. I use them instead of tissue where I need a bit of protection for something, or keep an item tidily tucked away until I need it, like three weeks into a trip. I use & discard them liberally throughout a trip.
But my "best" shopping bag is my Staples tote. Staples occasionally holds its Bag Sale: get a free Staples tote with one coupon, and get discount on everything you can fit in that bag at checkout. Great deal. Do so love to save money. But that bag is proving to be my best deal even though so many shopping bags like Staples' bag sell for a mere 99 cents!
This bag is brown - hides scuffs and dirt. The bottom is a perfect fit for a great many hardback and trade paperback books. If I load the books and bumpf for my research in the bottom of the bag, it sits quite nicely on a wheeled computer bag and the handles are just the right length to fit both bags' handles together. Those handles are just long enough to carry over my shoulder, too. It folds up neatly and flat, or rolls up. I can tuck it in so many places without it seeming to take up space.
I have bags from at least half a dozen stores and supermarkets. Each one is slightly different in base size, depth, handle length, and re-fold-ability. I have a supermarket bag which simply refuses to refold - obstinate thing - but its plasticized and waterproof or I would ditch the darn thing. It's that one particular bag, which I got at Staples, which just seems to fit best for the most uses.
A European string bag crunches up tinier than just about anything. But one did not survive a week with me - too many things fall through the holes! Worse, once one section of string breaks, that bag is finito. No, non, nein, nyet! I get far more use out of my Staples bag. Enough increased usefulness to warrant taking up that much space and weight (which are pretty negligible anyway).
Carry whichever type of shopping or tote bag works best for you. But certainly take a look at that Staples bag and compare it to other stores' bags.
May your road rise to meet you!
Ann
Most of Europe either never got into the habit or abolished those plastic bags long ago. They use string bags, canvas totes, and whatever for their marketing and other assorted shopping.
What's something you really need to tote along with you wherever you go? A shopping bag or tote bag. It has nearly endless uses for the Road Warrioress.
First, of course, long haul travel demands stops to shop somewhere along your route. The toothpaste runs out, shoes wear out, and hose just plain runs. Especially - but hardly exclusively! - in Europe, you need to bring your own shopping bag.
Here are few of the multiple duties of a shopping bag:
* shopping bag, of course
* beach tote
* shoe carrier
* office overflow tote (my computer bag often runs out of space for "stuff of the moment")
* book bag/library bag
* laundry bag
* day-pack (when I didn't want to haul a real handbag)
* "organizer" bag or project management "file"
* airplane "deplaning dump" to haul all the stuff I unpacked off the plane until I can repack it!
Mostly, it holds overflow of every description. It's a little workhorse that gets pulled out constantly for one usage or another.
Yes, I carry those plastic bags from Walmart and Whosits. Great when you have to do something with muddy shoes until you can properly clean them, or hastily pack a wet washcloth or swim suit. I use them instead of tissue where I need a bit of protection for something, or keep an item tidily tucked away until I need it, like three weeks into a trip. I use & discard them liberally throughout a trip.
But my "best" shopping bag is my Staples tote. Staples occasionally holds its Bag Sale: get a free Staples tote with one coupon, and get discount on everything you can fit in that bag at checkout. Great deal. Do so love to save money. But that bag is proving to be my best deal even though so many shopping bags like Staples' bag sell for a mere 99 cents!
This bag is brown - hides scuffs and dirt. The bottom is a perfect fit for a great many hardback and trade paperback books. If I load the books and bumpf for my research in the bottom of the bag, it sits quite nicely on a wheeled computer bag and the handles are just the right length to fit both bags' handles together. Those handles are just long enough to carry over my shoulder, too. It folds up neatly and flat, or rolls up. I can tuck it in so many places without it seeming to take up space.
I have bags from at least half a dozen stores and supermarkets. Each one is slightly different in base size, depth, handle length, and re-fold-ability. I have a supermarket bag which simply refuses to refold - obstinate thing - but its plasticized and waterproof or I would ditch the darn thing. It's that one particular bag, which I got at Staples, which just seems to fit best for the most uses.
A European string bag crunches up tinier than just about anything. But one did not survive a week with me - too many things fall through the holes! Worse, once one section of string breaks, that bag is finito. No, non, nein, nyet! I get far more use out of my Staples bag. Enough increased usefulness to warrant taking up that much space and weight (which are pretty negligible anyway).
Carry whichever type of shopping or tote bag works best for you. But certainly take a look at that Staples bag and compare it to other stores' bags.
May your road rise to meet you!
Ann
Thursday, May 2, 2013
More Bumpf About Bags
This seems as good a time as any to chat a bit more about bags. Who can survive without them? Nobody nowhere. But for the Road Warrioress, toting your life and livelihood around the planet, your luggage is just about your - and your "stuff's" - most crucial survival tool.
Your luggage has to fit your needs. And a primary need for a Road Warrioress is durability. Well, my Western Pack brand wheeled computer bag did not pass my most modest test.
Another bag passes with flying colors! I have a Hartmann bag that I love and have been using extensively for months. Ironically, it's my only bag without wheels. Still, it has proven amazingly useful.
I have no idea how old this Hartmann bag is - decades, probably. I'm sure I've had it at least a decade now myself. A friend, cleaning out the attic when they moved, gave it to me as they had new sets of luggage and no longer wanted their old Hartmann bag. You'd never know by looking at it that it must have lasted at least a couple of decades by now!
It's plain-old Hartmann classic tan ballistic nylon with tan belting leather handles and trim. No clue to its age there. This stuff seemingly lasts longer than the Ice Age.
What I love about it is its organization. There are three zippered compartments, and you can open each compartment flat, one at a time, to pack and unpack. One compartment I reserve for things I need, but do not use daily. Here goes a dress with matching jacket, a pantsuit with a more formally styled blazer, slips, hose, dress shoes. The "good" clothes, business clothes, dinner dress sort of attire all fit in here. I only open this section when needed.
The middle section holds my daily wear, which for me is casual slacks and shirts. Most of the time, I hardly need anything very "fancy," just plain and durable cotton knits. My travel wardrobe happens to be exceptionally casual, for the most part. Still, this compartmentalization would work well for anyone.
Nightie, light cotton robe or duster, and undies go in the third compartment. As I use up clothing during the week, these go into the main compartment, and this section becomes my laundry bag.
On one side of the bag is a gusseted flap pocket with latch. Here go a shawl and sarong, clear plastic TSA-required toiletries bag with its little bottles of everything.
On the other side is a large open slash-pocket which can hold a magazine or paperback book (my "airplane reading), a legal pad or two, and a pair of flip-flops or ballerina slippers wrapped in a plastic shopping bag. Accumulated "mish-mash" seems to get stuffed in there while traveling, too. Then there's a small zippered pocket which holds a travel sewing kit, travel first aid kit, manicure set, and such like.
It easily holds a week's worth of clothing and whatsits. It's easy to keep things neat and organized. It's easy to pull together an outfit to dress quickly and pack up in a rush.
Despite the lack of wheels, it's easy to carry - and I have a miserable wreck of a back. I do admit to not carrying it any great distance, however! But it certainly has been hauled up and down numerous staircases - where wheeled bags dare not go.
With this, a handbag and "office on wheels" - the wheeled computer bag, now deceased - I can keep going for months at a time. And I have been doing exactly that!
Hartmann has a long-standing reputation for durability. I can attest to that! My Hartmann bag is about the best luggage I've ever had in my life. Even though it was a used bag when it came to me. Even though it lacks wheels, which I consider among the most essential features of any travel bag. It's extraordinarily useful and far more convenient than I ever imagined it could be.
May your road rise to meet you - and may your luggage live long!
Ann
Your luggage has to fit your needs. And a primary need for a Road Warrioress is durability. Well, my Western Pack brand wheeled computer bag did not pass my most modest test.
Another bag passes with flying colors! I have a Hartmann bag that I love and have been using extensively for months. Ironically, it's my only bag without wheels. Still, it has proven amazingly useful.
I have no idea how old this Hartmann bag is - decades, probably. I'm sure I've had it at least a decade now myself. A friend, cleaning out the attic when they moved, gave it to me as they had new sets of luggage and no longer wanted their old Hartmann bag. You'd never know by looking at it that it must have lasted at least a couple of decades by now!
It's plain-old Hartmann classic tan ballistic nylon with tan belting leather handles and trim. No clue to its age there. This stuff seemingly lasts longer than the Ice Age.
What I love about it is its organization. There are three zippered compartments, and you can open each compartment flat, one at a time, to pack and unpack. One compartment I reserve for things I need, but do not use daily. Here goes a dress with matching jacket, a pantsuit with a more formally styled blazer, slips, hose, dress shoes. The "good" clothes, business clothes, dinner dress sort of attire all fit in here. I only open this section when needed.
The middle section holds my daily wear, which for me is casual slacks and shirts. Most of the time, I hardly need anything very "fancy," just plain and durable cotton knits. My travel wardrobe happens to be exceptionally casual, for the most part. Still, this compartmentalization would work well for anyone.
Nightie, light cotton robe or duster, and undies go in the third compartment. As I use up clothing during the week, these go into the main compartment, and this section becomes my laundry bag.
On one side of the bag is a gusseted flap pocket with latch. Here go a shawl and sarong, clear plastic TSA-required toiletries bag with its little bottles of everything.
On the other side is a large open slash-pocket which can hold a magazine or paperback book (my "airplane reading), a legal pad or two, and a pair of flip-flops or ballerina slippers wrapped in a plastic shopping bag. Accumulated "mish-mash" seems to get stuffed in there while traveling, too. Then there's a small zippered pocket which holds a travel sewing kit, travel first aid kit, manicure set, and such like.
It easily holds a week's worth of clothing and whatsits. It's easy to keep things neat and organized. It's easy to pull together an outfit to dress quickly and pack up in a rush.
Despite the lack of wheels, it's easy to carry - and I have a miserable wreck of a back. I do admit to not carrying it any great distance, however! But it certainly has been hauled up and down numerous staircases - where wheeled bags dare not go.
With this, a handbag and "office on wheels" - the wheeled computer bag, now deceased - I can keep going for months at a time. And I have been doing exactly that!
Hartmann has a long-standing reputation for durability. I can attest to that! My Hartmann bag is about the best luggage I've ever had in my life. Even though it was a used bag when it came to me. Even though it lacks wheels, which I consider among the most essential features of any travel bag. It's extraordinarily useful and far more convenient than I ever imagined it could be.
May your road rise to meet you - and may your luggage live long!
Ann
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