Mad Money

I found this idea of Nina's fascinating!

You put a 20 or 50 dollar note in your wallet or purse. You tuck it into a spot you don't use, like behind your driver's licence. You leave it there. You kind of even forget about it.

Then, just when you're not looking for it, there it is. The Perfect Thing. That perfectly-distressed classic pair of jeans on the sales rack. That perfect little beaded purse in the vintage store. The perfect Little Black Dress (I can dream!!!). And, of course, this will occur only when you're a bit skint. Mad Money to the rescue! You tweeze that bad boy out of the depths of your purse and the Perfect Thing is yours!

That's the idea, anyway.

So, I keep my Mad Money out of sight and out of mind. I haven't had a chance to use it, yet, but one day...

Luggage

It would seem obvious that if you travel you need luggage.

However, I've tried travelling without luggage. My first adult trip on a big silver bird was made tricky due to having stuff to take, but no luggage to put it in. I recall there was at least one taped-up plastic bag that the check-in staff frowned at. Thankfully I was too excited to really take too much notice of their disapproval. By the end of my trip, I had rationalised and packed more properly, but not before creating a little chaos at the terminals and at our final accommodation and everywhere in between.

In one of those Ironic Twists, now that I have luggage, I can also pack mean. A week of business in an Australian city only requires a carry-on bag, and not stuffed to the brim, either. There's always about 20% free space in my bags. However, I still need a bit of luggage when I travel.

Again, it would seem obvious. However, there is a radical solution to this whole luggage thing, this whole insurance-nightmare, check-in, weight-limited, hazardous material, lug-it-around luggage situation: don't take any.

Travel naked?I can hear little brain cells popping from here. Travel without luggage? Think about it! Unless you need specific items or are going to places which are either very expensive or very underdeveloped, it is certainly an option.

A friend of mine tends to go on holiday with no luggage when travelling to places where shopping is plentiful and goods are cheap. He gets on the plane to Thailand with nothing but a small carry-on bag with his wallet, documents, his phone, a change of undies and a toothbrush. Everything else that he finds he needs, he buys at his destination, and that shopping is part of his holiday experience. When it is time to return home, he gives most of it away, only keeping any small thing he wants to take back. It inspires awe and consternation in equal measure.

I think it is excellent. And, no, I don't think I could travel like that.