Last month, I submitted my expenses for a recent work trip. There was nothing out of the ordinary for the trip. Hotel, car, food, a few tips, and a dinner with customers. All very standard. So imagine my surprise when I got the report sent back to me with a correction: “Company policy does not allow gas to be purchased from the rental agency directly. Employees must get gas prior to returning rental vehicle.” Whaaa?

I always, always fill up my fuel tank before turning in  a rental car. Why? those of you unfamiliar with rentals may ask. Well, unless you prepay for the fuel before you take the car, you will likely pay at least twice the going rate for a gallon of gas. It makes plenty of sense why a company would not approve that. However, Budget has an option called E-Z-Fuel–if you drive less than 75 miles, you will be charged $13.99 to fill up the tank. This is a pretty good deal, especially for a larger (less fuel efficient) car. My company has no problem approving that. And for this particular trip, I knew I hadn’t gone over 50 miles, much less 75. So what was the deal?

When I pulled up my copy of the receipt, the problem was obvious. Whoever had processed my car at the returns center had incorrectly input the new mileage, stating that I had driven close to a thousand miles. Uh, no. I drove around Raleigh for a couple days, staying pretty much out near the airport (with one memorable trip to Angus Barn–deeeeeeelicious!!). I don’t know how big North Carolina is, but I would have had to have driven pretty far to get almost 1000 miles on that car. Once I called them and explained the situation, they straightened it out pretty quickly and refunded me the cost of the fuel.

The problem is that I have gotten so used to just grabbing a receipt and shoving it in my wallet. But really, it doesn’t take that long to glance at it to make sure the costs are right. I’m lucky this time that the problem was solved easily–but that might not be the case next time!! So definitely check your receipts and make sure everything is correct before walking away. You may catch something, and you’ll be glad you did!!

Readers, have you ever caught a mistake on a receipt? How did you fix it?

Earlier this month, TOMS came out with their new line of ballet flats. They are suuuuper cute, and are supposed to be as comfortable and dependable as their regular line. Yay! Now I really can wear TOMS to work! My favorites are the Natalia Rose Linen, the Gisele Gray Suede leopard print, and the Alessandra Burlap flats.

The reviews are overall very positive, although it seems they run at least a half size too big. Nordstrom will start carrying them in March, so fans will be able to try them on in person soon.

Unfortunately, they are so popular that a lot of sizes are currently sold out. There are plenty of sizes available, though, so check them out!!

The New York Times has an article today instructing readers how to avoid baggage fees. I was intrigued, and a little wary. What are they going to recommend? I wondered. Packing lighter? Ways to scam the system? The reality was both more and less interesting than I had feared. Their main tips were:

• Fly airlines that don’t have baggage fees. Duh.
• Take advantage of airline credit cards whose cardholders are not charged baggage fees. This is actually a pretty good one. The article reminds readers that there are often hefty fees associated with member credit cards, but even a $150 annual fee is paid for with two round trip tickets, in baggage fees alone.
• Use vacuum seal bags in your carryons in order to pack more. This is a good idea, and I use a form of this with my packing cubes. The issue is that you can inadvertently pack so much that you can’t lift your suitcase into the overhead bin. I have come close to this even without vacuum sealed bags! (Another question—where do you find a vacuum cleaner when you’re traveling? Do you just ask Housekeeping?)
• Use Scottevest and other brands of clothing whose trench coats and vests have pockets capable of holding everything from an iPad to a folded shirt. Again, this could be a good suggestion for some. But where do you put your coat when you’re on board the plane? On your lap? Under the seat in front of you? Airlines (and other passengers) don’t like it when coats are in the overhead bins. So where does a coat filled with clothes and electronics go?

My main concern was that it was going to be an article about sneaking extra bags on board or intentionally bringing a bag on the plane that wouldn’t fit in the overhead bins. Luckily, there was none of that. But where were the common sense suggestions? For instance, pack less. Condense your toiletries. Etc. Obviously not everyone is going to be able to avoid checking bags all the time. There are certainly circumstances that call for lots of stuff, or maybe bringing lots of liquids (I’m thinking specifically of taking wine on vacation). But I was very surprised that no one mentioned simply bringing less stuff as a way to avoid baggage fees.

So. Here are Road Warriorette’s Top Five Ways to Avoid Baggage Fees, a.k.a. Packing 101:

1. Plan outfits ahead of time. Bring clothes that go together and that can be worn with more than one thing.
2. Stick to one color family. It’s easiest to bring clothes that can be worn interchangeably if you base them around a single neutral—typically black, brown, or navy. This also makes planning shoes much easier.
3. Wear things more than once. I will usually one bring one pair of slacks or a skirt for every two days of travel. Based on experience, I recommend bringing enough tops for each day, but will re-wear cardigans, scarves, belts, jewelry, and other accessories.
4. No more than three pairs of shoes, including the pair on your feet. Shoes are among the bulkiest things we pack, so the fewer pairs you bring the better. I am a shoe addict, so this is very hard for me. But it forces you to really plan your outfits ahead of time!
5. Condense toiletries. Unless you are traveling for a really long time, you can absolutely pack enough shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, moisturizer, and other necessities in a 3 oz bottle. I get refillable ones from Aveda and use my normal products, although you can find refillable bottles anywhere. If you only put the required liquids in your quart-sized bag, you should have plenty of room for everything you need.

The truth is, most business travelers don’t avoid checking bags to avoid fees—they do it because of the enormous time savings, both before and after your trip. I only fly Southwest and American, and I wouldn’t get charged baggage fees for either one, but you can bet I never check my bag unless I absolutely have to.

Readers, what are your best tips for avoiding baggage fees?

A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with MS, and she has to give herself regular injections of medication. She also travels for work regularly, and came to me for help. “How do I travel with these things?” she asked.  “Do I have to take them out of my suitcase at security? Am I even allowed to take them on the plane??” I immediately headed to the TSA website to find out. They have a pretty specific page about medications and how to travel with them. Here is what I found out:

1. You ARE allowed to take through injectable medication, or medicines with syringes, as well as a sharps container. In fact, the medication does not have to be labeled (which I thought was weird, but oh well).
2. If it’s okay if they go through the X-ray machine, it’s easiest to just leave them in your suitcase when going through security. Of course, I don’t know the rules about her specific medication. I told her to ask her doctor how X-rays would affect her prescription, because again, this is easiest.
3. If you don’t want them to go through the X-ray machine, you have to take them out and request visual inspection.  As with everything else, have your bag of medicines ready to hand to the officer at the metal detector.  You may be asked to unpack your medicine bag. If that’s the case, you will be required to handle the unpacking and repacking of your medicines and associated supplies. If they can’t clear them visually, the medications will have to go through the X-ray machine.

It seems like TSA is (surprisingly) making it as easy as possible to travel with various medications. However, I would recommend printing out the information page from the TSA website just in case not all officers are familiar with the guidelines (especially at smaller airports).

Readers, any advice for my friend? Have you ever had to travel with unusual medical supplies?

For every trip I take, as I walk out the door and turn to lock it, I always think, “Okay. As long as I have XXXX and XXXXX, I am okay.” For most work trips, that is my cell phone, wallet, and computer. Sometimes I will add my passport to that list, depending on where I’m going. For vacations, it’s usually my swimsuit. But there are always 3-4 things that are absolute necessities, and everything else can be purchased once I arrive if need be.

A friend of mine evidently does not follow this rule. She travels by car for work often, sometimes two or three different locations in a week. Lately, her luck has been pretty bad and she has forgotten something major three trips in a row. And one of these was a two leg trip. For one set of meetings she forgot her computer and it didn’t really matter. That’s fortunate! I have a trip where I don’t need my computer maybe one in every thirty. But for the second trip, she had to forgo the majority of her sleep one night and drive home to get her computer, then drive back that same night. Eight hours round trip. Ouch! You would think she would learn her lesson after forgetting her computer twice, but no. A few weeks later she forgot her phone.

I highly, highly recommend that you get into the habit of thinking about those top two or three things you need as you walk out the door. Whether it’s your briefcase with your case files in it, your computer, your date book, or something else–if it is a required necessity, don’t forget it! If you are in the habit of forgetting things, put a sticky note on the door so you see it as you leave.

Of course, this plan isn’t always foolproof. Several years ago I went to visit my grandmother in south Texas, and was flying on from there to El Salvador. Except I completely forgot my passport, and my very smart cousin (a former flight attendant) reminded me. Thanks to the Home Warrior and overnight FedEx, I had my passport when I needed it. Sigh of relief!!

Readers, what are your top three necessities for business trips? How do you remember them?>

This week, Citibank sent out 1099 forms to some credit card holders for the miles they received for opening a checking or savings account.

I’ll say that again. Citibank sent out 1099 forms for airline miles. The miles were listed as “miscellaneous taxable income.” So now, people who have never thought to report miles as income are freaking out–do they owe back taxes? How much do they owe, exactly? How much is a mile worth?

From USA Today:

The AP notes that – generally — frequent-flier miles given as credit card rewards have not been considered taxable “because they’re treated as rebates on spending, according to the Tax Institute at H&R Block.”

However, the catch in this situation is that miles doled out as a “reward” for opening a new checking or savings account may be viewed differently. The AP says that’s because “you don’t spend any money to receive it,” meaning it’s not really a rebate on spending.

“So the gift is instead treated similarly to interest income, meaning that it’s taxable,” AP writes.

“When a customer receives a gift for opening a bank account — whether cash, a toaster or airline miles — the value of that gift is generally treated as income and subject to reporting,” Citibank says in a statement to AP.

So it’s not the miles you rack up for spending that are taxable–it’s the miles you get as a bonus. But what happens if you never redeem them? What happens if they expire? Do you get some sort of tax credit? The IRS said in 2002 that miles weren’t taxable (I think that’s what they said–I don’t speak tax code very fluently), but now they say that when the miles are accrued as a bonus, people can be taxed on it. So if even the experts are confused about this, how are normal people supposed to figure it all out?

Readers, what do you think? Did you receive one of these tax forms? Citibank is valuing the miles at about 2.5 cents a mile–is that fair?

Last Monday, the Home Warrior was in a minor accident. He was in the left hand lane, and the guy next to him tried to turn left from the center lane. No one was hurt, and the other guy admitted fault and was given a ticket. The interesting thing to me is that the guy was in from out of town for a few weeks and driving a rental car. He had insurance on the rental car, but had gotten rid of it a couple days earlier. Of course, his regular insurance covered our truck, but it made me wonder. Do business travelers get insurance when they rent cars?

The first day of my current job, I flew out to California and rented a car for the first time. When the Budget clerk asked if I wanted insurance, I had no idea what to answer. No guidance had been given by my new boss, but I’m a fairly cautious person by nature, so I went ahead and got it. Turns out my company has some sort of group business travel policy, so it was not covered by my company, and I had to pay out of pocket. Lame. So now of course I don’t get the rental company’s coverage.

Readers, what do you do?

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Yet another reason to love San Francisco. Not only do they have delicious food, great shopping, incredible culture, stunning scenery, and an enviable proximity to Napa Valley, they now have a new feature in their airport I hope will spread across the country: a yoga room. That’s right, in SFO Terminal 2, there is now a dedicated yoga and meditation room. From FlySFO:

“When we began to remodel Terminal 2, one of our goals was not just to bring the glamour back to air travel, but to also make the entire experience less stressful and more enjoyable,” said Airport Director John L. Martin. “With the opening of the Yoga Room, SFO has taken another giant leap forward in providing our travelers the opportunity and space to relax and decompress on their own terms.”

It’s inside security, and free to use for all ticketed passengers. They ask that you remove your shoes, turn off your cell phone, and be silent as you practice or meditate. Mats are even provided! Yogis are led to the room by the icon shown above, of someone in lotus. I can’t wait to check this out next time I’m in the Bay Area. This story from Bay Area NBC has even more info, and pictures of the new yoga room.

Loooove this Old Navy hot pink geometric print blouse. They can be hit or miss for me (and there has been a long period of misses lately IMO) but this top brings it back. I would wear it with gray or navy bottoms, by itself if it’s warm enough, or under a cardigan or blazer if it’s cool. It would provide a great pop of color under suits, and the pattern will hide any wrinkles. Win!

Over New Years, we went to Dallas. The DFW Metro area is big, so between dinners, shopping, and family, we did a ton of driving around. At one point, we were at a stoplight, and realized that there were thousands of birds all around us. It was crazy!

Readers, have you seen freaky nature-related things while traveling?

Winter is a tricky time to travel. Flight delays, holiday travelers, and cold weather can lead to stressful situations of all kinds! Unfortunately, flight delays and infrequent fliers are out of your control. But you can deal with the snow and cold temperatures—you just have to pack smarter!

I have found that I can follow my normal strategy for packing (one pair of pants for every two days, and a shirt for each day), my winter suitcase becomes insanely full. After my last trip, I figured out why. In the spring, “a shirt for each day” takes up almost no room. But in the winter, a sweater plus undershirt for every day takes up at least twice as much room, and I can hardly zip up my suitcase! Oops. Here is a refined packing strategy, specifically for winter.

• Wear your base layer more than once. There is no reason to have a long sleeve tee for every day. Make sure each undershirt you bring matches multiple sweaters. Neutrals are very helpful here—black, brown, and white will be much more versatile than a colorful print. Also, silk will help keep you extra-toasty.
• Thinner is better. Two thin sweaters take up less room than one thick sweater. Before you grab that bulky knit cable, see you have a sleeker cashmere or wool. It will keep you just as warm (especially with your base layer!) and take up far less room.
• Wear boots and coats. As long as your boots are reasonably easy to take off and put on, wear your boots on the plane. Unless you have a ton of extra room, it makes sense to carry your coat as well. If you aren’t used to navigating a suitcase, briefcase, and coat, practice around your house before your trip so that you can manage gracefully.

Yes, it takes a little more strategic planning. But packing smart in the winter is definitely possible!

For more tips on winter travel, check out my post about What to Pack for a Winter Business Trip.

Readers, what are your best tips for packing smart during the winter?