You might be wondering what the big deal is about Travel Size, Trial Size, and Sample size products. No big deal really, unless you like paying the extra baggage fee for overweight bags.

If you are anything like me, you probably pack more than enough clothes, shoes, and other necessary items when you travel. My luggage is usually packed to the brim and very tricky to get zipped up. I usually travel with at least at 5 piece luggage set and trust me, I use every single piece of luggage.

After paying for overweight luggage one too many times, I started seriously considering how I could get some weight out of my suitcase. Eliminating various pairs of shoes was not an option for me (I like lots of variety) so I started looking at the other items weighing my luggage down. I stopped taking my hairdryer saving myself at least a pound or two, and then I started packing travel,trial, and sample size bath and beauty products. It was amazing how much weight I could save when I wasn't packing the entire full size shampoo and conditioner. It didn't stop there. I started buying sample travel size lotions, nail polish remover, mouthwash, eye drops, cough syrup, and many other trial size items I found in the store. It was amazing the amount of room I gained by just switching to these smaller items, but the real surprise came when I didn't have to pay for overweight baggage any more.

If you've traveled recently, you know that your first check bag is going to cost you at least $15 on most airlines, and you'll pay $25 for the second bag. Do you really want to be paying another $50 or more because your bag is too heavy? I didn't!

Another thing I started doing was finding better carry on bags that would not only carry my laptop, but also left me more room for some other items. I like to have at least one change of clothes in my carry on just in case my suitcases don't make it to my destination. On a recent trip I took to Rome Italy in April, a huge group of people ended up spending a week in the romantic city with none of their bags because the airline sent them to another city. Imagine having to buy clothes and beauty products in a foreign city because you had nothing of your own.

Not only will you reduce the weight of your checked in luggage, you can also carry most, if not all, of your bath and beauty products with you in your carry on bags if you have travel size/ trial size products. As you know, TSA restrictions only allow 3 oz of lotions, gels, etc and they must all fit into a quart sized bag as you go through airport security check points. Sample size products work great for this because they are only big enough to maybe get you through a week so they aren't typically any bigger than 3 oz to start with.

Here is another tip! If you are traveling with your family of 4, and you want to avoid checked bag fees for that much luggage, why not purchase a 5 piece or even 8 piece luggage set with most of the pieces being carry on size.  Each person is permitted on carry on bag and one personal item.  With most luggage sets these days, you can get the majority of your bags to be carry on size.  I like to take my laptop in a computer case or carry on bag and then I carry another smaller carry-on as my purse, or even put my purse in the bag.  If each person in your party does this (yes, even the kids), then you've basically eliminated the need to check too many bags, if any. 

Remember to pack light and consider looking for a place to wash your clothes in your destination city instead of taking a set of clothes for each day.  You can even purchase travel size/trial size laundry detergent and fabric softener.  Are you really going to be wearing much more than your bathing suit on that trip to Hawaii?

For examples of the items I've mentioned above, and even more great discounted travel items, be sure and visit my Online Discount Travel Store.