There are myriad costs incurred on vacation. Most of them little (i.e. bus fare), but they add up over time. To help you avoid unnecessary purchases away from home, we’ve identified common essentials to buy before a trip.

Note: This list excludes toiletries and personal hygiene products because: (1) some travellers prefer to buy such things locally; (2) hotels provide many necessary products for free; (3) you might already own travel containers and refills.

Apply for a Passport or Renew Your Expiring One

All cross-border travel requires a passport—children included. In Canada, the standard processing time is 20 days, but there are available services that can deliver faster.

Buy Travel Insurance to Protect Yourself and Your Assets

When travelling, you expose yourself to many risks. From accidents to theft to illness, you need travel insurance to avoid steep unexpected fees. This applies to travel between provinces and territories as well as to other countries.

Order a Guide Book or Travel Program

Although you can discover things to do online, you may not have the ability to consult your research when travelling. A guide book outlines everything a particular city or region offers. It also provides recommendations and reviews.

Pick Up an Extra Phone Charger

If you intend to bring a phone or computer on vacation, pack an extra charger. More importantly, find the appropriate adapter if traveling to a different country. Any regular electronics store will sell universal outlet adaptors for $20 or so.

Invest in Extra Cloud Storage or External Memory

When using your everyday camera, you might find its onboard storage limited. Thankfully, most devices take external memory cards. Indirectly, you can also plug your device into a computer and synchronize with cloud storage services like Dropbox.

Trade Your Currency

Different countries use different currencies. While there are always exchange services abroad, you may prefer to switch your currency locally.

Pack a Book

Reading is an excellent pastime when relaxing or commuting, but some travelers hate the bulkiness of a book. As a compromise, many tablets and smartphones now double as e-readers. Similarly, you can pack a magazine or comic and throw it out after reading.