Going overseas – More things to do before you go

Posted on by exploramum

Going overseas – More things to do before you go 

-Electricals, email, computers, phones, and much more-

Addresses – Things to cancel and addresses to change

  • Electricity
  • Gas
  • Council / Rates
  • Water
  • Insurance
  • Bank accounts not being used that have fees
  • Auto deductions
See Phone home and see reference to mobile and the internet.

Blogging and websites

Take some photos before you start. Start writing word docs that you can later turn into a blog/website once you hit the road on your family travel. Also, read other blogs/websites and get great ideas from luxury travel experts.

Web vs. Blog – Do your research as to which will work best for you. Unless you want to be a writer, don’t bother, as it will just weigh your days down, and gobble up your time.

Register for any advertising – you want to add links to your blog – a great way to raise funds for the trip. Be aware that unless people click on the links, you won’t make money! This is hopefully going to be our greatest source of income as we continue with our single parent travel.

Thanks to Jakki for inspiring me to blog, and giving me my first lesson or two.

Camera and Phone – Downloads

Download pictures from phones and cameras.
Try to upload your photos every few days maximum.
That way, if you lose your camera or it is damaged, you do not lose your memories.
Especially important if you are blogging/have a web page.
Remember to back-up too.

Charging List

Draw up a list of everything that needs charging at night or on your arrival and laminate it.  You can make this your child’s job to plug in and charge all that is needed for the next day.

 Chargers and cords

Label with Dymo all power cords, computer cords and chargers. Make sure you have them all – you can choose to double up cameras etc to use the one cord, but I prefer to start out with one for each, as you may find you have limited time to charge items in an airport etc, and one cord won’t give you time to do all that.

Make sure your cords are International compatible for phone chargers. You can get retractable USB cords online for $1.

Computer – Back-up

I use a slim external drive for backup (Seagate).
ALWAYS keep it separate from your computer!
Set up iCloud and use that too.
Organize a good backup system while away (see above).
I know someone that lost ALL their holiday photos.

Research your best options but consider theft, computer breakdown etc as two likely possibilities.

If your computer is with your backup flash drive or external drive, in the same bag and it is stolen, there go all your memories.

Set up backup photos to photo bucket or equivalent.

Computer -Laptop

Suggest a good laptop with a DVD drive – one is needed for parent and child each
Good protective but not bulky case for the laptop.
Has your laptop been serviced and updated with the latest software?

Computer – Modem

Cancel Modem services and return for refund.

Computer – Mouse & Mouse Pad

Definitely, pack if you are used to using a mouse or doing hours of work where laptop keyboard top mouse can be tiresome.
Tip – if you have a wetsuit computer case, this will double as a mouse pad, so no need to pack one.

Email

Change email addresses inc. Facebook, eBay, Paypal, iTunes etc. Cancel all non-essential email addresses – but before you do so – make sure you email and advise the ones you want to get your travel email address. Open a Gmail account or equivalent.

Headphones

Pack headphones or earphones, and a double jack.

Home Phone

Cancel the home phone.

iPod and iPhone

Battery backup Pack: We bought 2 as the iPhone and iPod can use the same pack, but you can be caught up in places with no electricity for days, to reduce the number of times your kid plays games on your phone and iPod in these places.

I recommend purchasing from this helpful chap who supported us in getting ready for the trip. Also, his prices were the best around! see.

Mail

Pay mail transfer for 6 – 12 months. I suggest 12 months – there will always be someone you forgot to notify. Set up a family member or friend to read your mail – they can scan any bills you need to attend to etc. You can also leave them a bank account if they are kind enough to pay some accounts for you.

Mobile Phone – Apps for Travel

Download Apps for travel including:

Maps, Gps, games, language translator, currency converter, flashlight, and any others that suit you.  You might need to do this for several months so as not to use all your monthly GB allowance.

A good App is walkie – talkie – you can use both mobiles as a walkie-talkie if you trust your child to go off at a short distance in a safe place.

Also, a compass is a great App.

Mobile Phone –  Contacts

Back-up your mobile and keep your contact list somewhere safe – copy it to a friend or send yourself an email. You can do this on iPhones when you sync.

Mobile Phone – International Sim Card

Buy International Sim
www.ligertel.com.au

Mobile Phone – Number

Mobile phone numbers can be suspended for up to 12 months – talk to your provider.
Suggest a family member this renew this while you are gone – mine is a $20 yearly fee.
That way you can return to the same mobile number.

Music and Movies

Copy your favorite CD’s to iTunes and put to your iPhone or iPod for the trip.

Copy a few movies into your hard drive for the trip or rip them to a USB Flash Drive memory stick. It relieves the stress of having to carry DVDs.

If going to third world countries, I found copies of DVD’s sold very cheaply, or they copy/burn a disk.

In places like Fiji, there are shops that rip the DVD directly onto your flash drive, instead of buying the disk if you ask them.

Then you can have new movies to watch all the time.

Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo 3DS Rechargeable Power Case “DOUBLES YOUR PLAYTIME”.
Well worth the $30 as will work on any of the DS range I believe.

The Power Case doubles the battery capacity for your 3DS giving you more play time. Insert your 3DS into the Power Case and plug in your original 3DS AC adapter to charge both the Power Case and the 3DS.

Once your internal battery gets low, just flip the switch and you have instant power! The rubberized surface gives you a more comfortable feel during gameplay and the Power Case protects your 3DS from nicks and scratches.

USB Flash Drive

At least 1 X 64 GB is recommended for each laptop.
Buy a few USB Flash Drives if you want to use one for movies, and another one for computer back-up, pictures, movies, music etc.

USB Slim Hub

We purchased 2 great travel USB Hubs for $5 each from the Reject shop.
The cord packs inside the unit. They are clear, or with colored tint.  They have 4 ports.

Tax Returns

Lodge your Personal and Business Tax Returns. Make sure you make an appointment with your accountant as soon as your home is sold or 6 weeks before you go.  If it is close to ending of the financial year, just book one – you can always change it, but it’s hard to get into once June 30 comes.

You need to organize Group Certificates, and Centrelink since it proves difficult if requesting early as they can cease payments, so use caution here.

Don’t attempt to leave the country without doing your tax. Hefty fines usually occur, and it looks like tax evasion, so you can have an ugly scene to address whilst overseas, and it can ruin a good time. Same if you pay child support and are behind.  They can even stop you at customs and make you pay what you owe before departing your country.
Questions and comments
  • Have you ever forgotten to pay your tax before leaving your country to travel?
  • What measures were taken against you?
  • In case you are traveling, Would you consider giving your bank account details to someone so that they could pay your bills for you?
  • Kindly give your comments below.

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