For all my list makers out there this post is for you! If you’re anything like me planning things out is not only second-nature, it’s a must to keep things running smoothly. As I enter into my second month as a self-employed creative I’ve been feeling the need to get together a plan for the season ahead. While it’s easy enough to plan out a 5-day work week, finding time for travel, extracurriculars and shoots can be challenging, especially when your working with a schedule that can change quite frequently. Here are a few keys organizational items I’ll be working with in order to make sure I stay on schedule…
 

A Weekly Agenda: If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times, planners are such a necessity to keeping work on track. Currently, I use a mix of digital calendars, a 17-month, and a notebook for ideas on the go. I try to write down things like upcoming to-dos, follow-up dates and leave my iCal for appointments, meetings or reminders. This way I will get alerted on my phone, but also have a written documentation to keep me on track when working in my office.

Pre-Planned Travel: I’m lucky enough to be married to a teacher who has summers off, which means we have plenty of travel plans this summer. While weekend getaways are always fun, longer trips require plenty of advanced noticed. Putting together a timeline that adheres to both of our schedules is tough, but necessary to make things run smoothly. Making sure we plan well in advanced not only gives us lower airfare but also lets us set aside a necessary budget..which brings me to my next point..

Don’t take the first Deal: Who likes paying full price, not me! What a lot of people don’t realize is that there are TONS of ways to save when planning a trip or vacation. Typically, I start with a booking website, like Travelocity, or Booking.com. I search the hotels I know I like in the area as well as the general location. Typically, if you're a member of either site they offer exclusive perks just for signing up for an account, plus they price match! When we planned our trip to Palm Springs I knew I wanted to stay at least one night at the Korakia. Normally it can run upwards of $300 a night, but during the off-season we were able to score a larger room at just under $250 (with breakfast.)

Just be sure to verify if the total price includes tourism, city, or booking fees, most times these will be laid out in the terms at time of check-out, other times you may be charged at check-in (it varies).

For flights we prefer to use mileage plans whenever available! Most airlines offer complimentary accounts and allow you to build miles are you travel, which is a HUGE bonus if you also travel for work. These accrue faster than you think and can be used towards future trips once you reach 10,000 miles. We also like to track flight rates via. Hopper (an app) this helps us know when to book, and when we should wait.

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What apps or systems do you use when planning for seasonal travel?

Cheers,

Birdie