electronics Archives - SavingAdvice.com Blog

Remember how you always tell yourself to do a sweeping check of the room? How often does that happen? Most of us are in such a hurry to leave, we end up leaving half of possessions behind. Better than paying a late checkout fee, I suppose. However, I suggest you depart a few minutes earlier. This will give you enough time to do a fast sweep of the room. When doing your sweep, here are the following items to look for. Based on empirical evidence provided by hotel housekeepers, these are the most forgotten possessions:

1. Chargers

One of the most commonly left behind items is a charger. Makes sense, right? We have tons of chargers we use on the daily: cell phone charger, laptop charger, tablet charger, electric shaver charger, you name it! How often have you plugged your phone in to charge overnight and then forgotten to take it off the wall in the morning? You could have been in a hurry, absentminded, or could have thought you already had it with you. Check all wall outlets before departing. There are lots of them so make sure to catch them all!

2. Electronics

We live in an age of technology, so it’s almost unthinkable that anyone would ever accidentally forget an electronic gadget. Yet, electronics are often forgotten at hotels. You might think that it’s hard to leave something of such great value behind but it’s been known to happen. When traveling or checking into a hotel, people have so much on their mind and sometimes they completely forget to pack something. I suggest keeping a dedicated spot in your luggage for each electronic device. Make sure it’s been tucked away before leaving the hotel. The laptop goes in this bag, my phone goes in this pocket, etc.

3. Jewelry

Jewelry is often misplaced. Most people who wear jewelry or watches take them off before sleeping or taking a shower. Hotels are unfamiliar and they throw off your routine. You may have set your watch on the sink in the bathroom whereas at home you have a special drawer for it.

Small items of jewelry are especially noteworthy since they can very easily disappear between the bed and the wall or under a large piece of furniture. People have also been known to accidentally leave their jewelry or watches in a hotel room’s safe. Consider carrying jewelry insurance if you’re very forgetful.

4. Luggage

You might ask how someone would forget luggage in a hotel room, but many hotels claim that luggage is one of the most frequently forgotten items. Or rather, luggage is one of the most frequently left items. People often buy new luggage when traveling. I suppose it makes sense. After all, when better to shop for travel gear than when you’re traveling. You’ll know what you want in a new suitcase.

5. Children’s Toys

People usually remember things because they cherish the item. Kids rarely cherish all their toys. They don’t take responsibility for them. Families who travel with young children will often find themselves accidentally forgetting toys. If you’re traveling with a lot of toys for your kids, there’s a good chance you might not be able to keep inventory of what you have. Toys also have the tendency to show up in strange places – under the bed, shoved behind something, etc. – so they might not make it into your luggage. And parents are usually more concerned with remembering to pack to the essentials that they rarely think of checking for toys. At least children’s toys are usually cheap. Don’t forget children’s toys which they got on the trip. Even things such as McDonald’s Happy Meal toys may hold value to the child.

6. Credentials

It seems strange that someone might accidentally forget their passport or wallet, especially since these items are needed to travel. However, many hotels claim that people will accidentally leave them in a drawer. Sometimes they’re left in the hotel safe and forgotten about as well. Fortunately, many cases result in the owner return of the item after they (very quickly) realize they forgot it! I guess if you really need something, you’ll remember it in a hurry.

7. Medication

Like many of the items on this list, it seems strange that someone might accidentally leave behind medication. Wouldn’t this be one of the first things you make sure you have with you? But, again, as with many of the items on this list, medication is often put in places that are easily overlooked: the mini fridge, a random drawer, a table, a nook in the bathroom. Plus, people taking medication may not be at their most alert.

8. Final Thoughts

A good ol’ fashioned sweep of the room should keep your possessions safe. Allow literally just 2 minutes to do the following:

Check wall outlets for chargers
Open all drawers to look for any items
rustle the curtains, making sure nothing has been left hidden behind them on the floor
Look under the bed for monsters and shoes/socks
Rustle the bed spreads to make sure there’s nothing hiding under the sheets
Check all table tops
Check inside the shower, top of the toilet, and on the vanity for items
Check the closet and any shelves inside
Check the mini-fridge
Check the safe (if applicable)
Pause for a few seconds before leaving to make sure nothing obvious sticks out
Consider checking out early so if you did forget something, you can return without it ruining your schedule

I’m sometimes guilty of focusing too much on getting something for the lowest price right now. Many people are like this. We want to pay the least amount possible so we hunt for inexpensive items. Whether it’s an appliance or something as simple as sheets, I tend to want the least expensive (but still decent) model I can buy. But over the years I’ve learned that this isn’t always a great strategy. Sometimes I am better off paying more now so that I won’t have to pay as much in the future.

Take something simple like sheets, for example. For years I just bought the cheapest sheets I could get that were still comfortable. But over the years I noticed that the elastic broke quickly on the fitted sheets, or the sheets wore thin rather fast. It seemed like I was buying sheets at least once a year. So I started trying some of the more expensive sheets. Guess what? The elastic lasts longer, is sewn in better, and the sheets are thicker and don’t wear out as fast. I haven’t bought sheets in probably five years. While the sheets cost more to begin with ($20 more than the cheapest model), I’ve saved that much and more by not buying sheets every year.

The same has been true with some clothes. Cheap but poorly made clothes last a season. Better quality clothes may cost more but they last for years. This may not matter if you’re clothing kids who grow out of everything in a year anyway, but when you’re buying for yourself it can make a big difference in your clothing expenditures.

I’ve found the same to be true of electronics, as well, although it’s not always only about quality, it’s also about staving off upgrades for as long as possible. I recently bought a new computer. I knew what features I needed, but I ended up buying a computer with a much bigger hard drive, more memory, and a better graphics card than I needed. It cost me a bit more, but it will be worth it because this one will last for at least four or five years. It will keep up with many advances in software and technology without requiring upgrades or a (too soon) replacement. TV’s, appliances, and other electronics can also be looked at in the same way. Sometimes paying more today will save you money because the product will last longer and keep better pace with changing technology.

There is also something to be said for paying more to get the item you really want, rather than settling for something so-so. When we bought our house, I was trying to be cheap so I bought light fixtures that I didn’t love, but I thought were okay and that were inexpensive. We weren’t in the house three months and I hated those things. They didn’t put out good light and they weren’t attractive. So I bought new ones. I would have been better off buying what I loved the first time around. A friend bought a refrigerator that she knew would do the job, but it wasn’t what she really wanted. Two months later the one she wanted went on sale so she bought it and gave the other one to Goodwill. She would have been better off simply buying the one she really liked in the first place. If you can afford it (even with maybe a little stretch) it can sometimes save you money to get the product you love rather than buying more back to back.

Of course you have to know your quality when paying more to save later. Just because something is more expensive doesn’t mean it’s necessarily better quality. It takes some trial and error but eventually you’ll get to know which manufacturers make quality items that will last and are worth a premium and which are just over-hyped names. And you still want to get the best deal you can, so watch prices, look for sales and be ready to jump on any deals you find.

Saving money isn’t always about getting the best price for something today. It’s also about buying things that last, provide good service, and have enough features so that you aren’t constantly replacing and upgrading. It’s also about being happy enough with what you buy so that you aren’t buying another one two months later because you hated the first item. Every replacement and upgrade just eats into what you “saved” by buying the cheaper model. Before too long you’ve spent as much as you would have had you just bought the more expensive one. Sometimes paying more today can actually save you a lot more money in the future.

The 7 Most Forgotten Items at Hotels