The Luggage Essential You Can Get At Dollar Tree That Makes Packing Any Suitcase A Breeze

We all love a bargain, and almost everyone hates cramming everything they need for a trip into a suitcase or backpack. While some travelers have perfected the art of packing for a one-week vacation in a single carry-on, many are still learning the ropes of efficient packing while trying to save money. The good news is you don't have to wait for Amazon Prime Day to secure some bargain-priced packing supplies. A perusal of your local Dollar Tree can reveal plenty of travel-ready items — toiletry kits with reusable plastic bottles, tiny containers of cotton swabs, mini sewing kits, and the list goes on. If you head over to the home organization aisle, you may find the suitcase hero travel expert Samantha Brown says is a game changer: packing cubes.

While packing cubes may not be in stock at every Dollar Tree at any given moment, if you can snag one on your next bargain hunting excursion, do so. They may not be super high quality, but the ones the dollar store chain sells are typically rectangular mesh and a great introduction to what many consider to be an essential item for travel of any duration. Once you've used them, you'll never go back to throwing what you need haphazardly into your luggage. A quick browse on the Dollar Tree website shows other travel-friendly items you may want to consider for your next trip, such as vacuum-sealed storage bags and hanging travel bags with zippered compartments. You can also find small mesh laundry bags intended for washing intimates and use those as mini-cubes for socks, underwear, jewelry, gadgets, and other items.

It's simple — packing cubes make life easier. "If you're not using packing cubes, you're doing it wrong," says travel expert Samantha Brown on her website. Even if you're a genius at the latest clothes-rolling packing method, packing cubes kick it up a notch. Whether you fold or roll, you can divide shirts, tops, skirts, pants, swimwear, pajamas, or underclothes neatly into designated bags, making it easy to find what you need, when you need it. You can even separate clothes by color if that's your bag (or cube).

One of the handiest things about packing cubes, next to organization and compression, is that you can simply put the cubes into a hotel room drawer without ever fully unpacking each item. This is especially helpful if you are visiting multiple cities or hotels, as it makes packing up again for the next destination or flight home a breeze. Another plus is that it prevents your clothing from actually touching the inside of a dresser drawer and spreading germs or even, gasp, bed bugs.

Another packing cube advantage you may not have considered is that they can keep your items safe while going through airport security. This is especially true if a TSA agent opens your suitcase and rummages through your belongings. When that happens, you know your neatly folded items will not stay that way, and there is little you can do at that moment. If you use mesh or transparent packing cubes, there is a better chance that the agent can examine what needs to be seen without unzipping the bag or handling your items.