We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A popular pair of wireless Bluetooth earbuds reviewers are saying are affordable AirPod alternatives, *aaaand* they have over 239,000 5-star ratings. Cord-free, waterproof, and top-notch quality for a suuuuper reasonable price.
A single charge provides over 10 hours of usage.
Promising reviews: "These buds are right on par with the more premium Apple and Samsung earbuds. The battery life is great, with about 3–5 hours of listening time and about a week's worth of charge in the earbud case. I'd 100% suggest these to anybody who's frugal and loves great sound quality!" —Kirk B.
"Great quality, functions as intended, and low price means I don’t have to fret when I lose them during travel and have to buy another. Win, win." —Kevin Durand
Get them from Amazon for $18.99+ (available in five colors and two styles).
2. A car seat strap that'll help you convert your kiddo's car seat into an airport stroller so you don't have to carry it or your kid. Simply attach it to your rolling luggage and lug your carry-on, car seat, and little one around the airport, no problem. You'll be so thankful for this when you're trying to get to your gate in a hurry, and your child is having a meltdown and moving as slowly as humanly possible.
This bad boy works with *most* 13"– 56" roller handbags, suitcases, and forward-facing car seats that have a top tether.
Promising review: "It's amazing how such a simple thing can be so unbelievably useful. We were going on a cruise with our toddler and knew we had to make some small walking trips between the port and hotels. With all the necessary stuff that comes with traveling with a toddler, we were facing either expensive shuttles for ridiculously small trips, or risk trying to carry everything and wrangle the toddler at the same time. This thing allowed us to seamlessly connect his car seat to either our rolling carry-on, or our one giant piece of luggage, and it ended up being strong enough that we could even stick our kiddo's backpack in the car seat as we were pulling it. The design is so simple, and it's easy to clip on and off as we were going through security in the airport. It's always easy to figure out what goes where with very little searching, which is necessary during hectic times. Overall, this has allowed us to save a ton of money and made our lives so much easier during some of the most stressful times we've had with our toddler. Can't recommend it enough, it's a must-have for us!" —teknikipeda
Get it from Amazon for $12.95.
3. A 16-piece travel toiletries set so you can stop worrying about how you're gonna bring your favorite conditioner or if you'll need to sacrifice a step in your skincare routine cuz you can't fit all of your products in your bag and comply with TSA rules. Why buy all the travel-sized versions of your hair and skin products when this set comes with literally everything you need to bring what you've already got?
The set comes with four bottles, two jars, two spray bottles, two scoopers (to help transfer creams), one funnel (to help transfer liquids), one cleaning brush, a page of labels, and a bag that everything fits in.
Promising review: "This zipper pouch is very well made, I use it all the time and it has held up nicely. Save your quart-size bags. I love the refillable silicone squeeze bottles instead of having to buy all new travel-size products. Saves money and allows you to bring your favorite products along. Overall would recommend, a nice set with various sizes, well-made containers." —Julia Crabtree
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in four color sets).
4. Or a set of 10 silicone travel sleeves that'll allow you to bring all your toiletries easily. If you're a last-minute packer and don't feel like buying a bunch of mini versions of your fave products or transferring your hair products into TSA-approved little bottles, then this is the best lazy solution for you. Plus, you'll avoid the shampoo explosion that always seems to happen.
Promising reviews: "Saves money. I don't like plastic wrap because of the environment so these are perfect to use instead. Keeps products fresh at such a low cost. I love these and would buy more in bigger sizes. You just pop it on and you are all ready to go, we love these." —Yeshurin Sorscher
"These travel sleeves work just as advertised. I used them with 'leakproof' bottles and the bottle leaked, but it stayed all in the sleeve. No liquid leaked into my bag at all. They were versatile and fit on different size and shape bottles. Easy to use. We traveled internationally for 10 days with our bags on airplanes and coach buses with no issues. I would recommend these!" —A Ram Fam
Get a set of 10 for $8.99 (available in different multipacks and colors).
5. A collapsible water bottle so you can stay hydrated without taking up precious luggage space since you'll be scarfing down margaritas for three days straight. Plus, how much is a bottle of water at Disney, like $10? Pfttt, frugal people unite, no park is getting that much cash outta us for some H2O.
Promising review: "We were taking the kids to an amusement park that doesn't allow any outside food or drinks. Water and other drinks are $5-8! I bought these to take in the park and save some money while staying hydrated. They were perfect!!! Fold up and fit in your pocket when not filled and riding rides. Would also be good for hiking! Great find. Boil them before using as the tag says to get rid of that "rubber" smell/taste." —Bowe
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in eight colors, two sizes, and in multipacks).
6. A neck pillow you can stuff with clothing because we love a product that serves more than one purpose. The listing says you can pack three days' worth of clothes in this baby, so if you have a few shirts and dresses that wouldn't fit into your suitcase without sending it over the weight limit, you can still bring 'em along! Hahaaaa, take that bag guidelines!
Okay and how perfect is this for those winter travel days where you need to wear a hoodie to the airport cuz it's freezing and then get to Mexico and sweat your butt off in the airport. Stuff your hoodie and extra layers in this bad boy as you wait at bag pick-up.
It's made by a small biz!
Check out a TikTok showing how someone used a similar neck pillow to just take that and a personal item onto a RyanAir flight that was charging for hand luggage.
Promising reviews: "I bought this so I could use it to hold stuff that wouldn't fit in my carry-on. It holds a lot of items. I strapped it to my carry on until time to board the plane. When I boarded the plane, I had it around my neck and no one said anything to me. I'm sure it weighed five pounds or more so it helps take weight off of your luggage that they weigh. I would not recommend it for a neck pillow however, once on the plane because it's very uncomfortable with the material it's made out of. I just stuck it in the crack by the window and leaned on it!" —stacey henson
"The tube is really easy, you just stuff it with clothes and you don't have to take an extra bag with you, it really saves you money." —Kindle Customer
Get it from Amazon for $34.95.
7. Tide sink packets so your white tank doesn't end up smelling like the horses you're gonna ride on day two of vacay since you'll kinda need to wear it again for dinner a few days later. If you have a long trip and can't bring every single outfit you own (booooo), these'll come in clutch.
Promising review: "This was so handy while traveling in Italy and moving from hotel to hotel. We washed our clothes in the hotel sink and hung overnight, then used the hair dryer to finish drying them the next morning. It saved us a lot of money not having to use the hotel's laundry service. It cleaned our clothes well, rinsed out easily, and was very appreciated." —foxdancer2
Get nine packs from Amazon for $7.33 (available in various multipacks).
8. A portable digital luggage scale because every time you go to the airport your luggage is a pound overweight, you have to pay those outrageous baggage fees. Hook this bb to your luggage handle, lift it up, and the display will let you know how many more outfits you can cram into your suitcase without going over the weight limit. You'll feel SO godlike looking over at the mortals who are stressing and praying their bag isn't overweight.
You can switch between pound and kilogram measurements.
Promising reviews: "I liked this product very much. I used it for weighing my luggage when flying to Aruba. I found it to be incredibly accurate with the airline check-in scales, which saved me a lot of money in possible overweight fees. It was easy to use and carry with me for my return flight. I highly recommend this product." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $10.99+ (available in six colors/styles and as a pack of two).
9. A travel laptop backpack to protect your tech from water damage and theft. There's a USB charger outside of the backpack and a charging cable inside, a separate laptop compartment, and lots of soft padding for your back and shoulders. They really said *wow, what would the perfect backpack be like* and then created a work of art.
Promising reviews: "Bought this for my 30-year-old engineer son who is always traveling with a large laptop. We were going on a trip to a swanky resort, and I thought it would be nice for him to have something that didn’t look juvenile. Its styling is very handsome, and the material is very good quality, something that can be elusive today. Great value for money in my opinion, and I’m very frugal. Always better to buy one good thing rather than replace something in six months that cost half the money." —EmmaP
"Very roomy! I got this in hopes that it would save me money using it as a carry-on to travel. I fit everything I would have fit in a carry-on in this backpack!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $17.79 (available in two sizes and 24 colors).
10. A set of vacuum storage bags so that instead of packing seven outfits for your three-day trip, you can pack 10. It'll increase your storage space by up to 80% (they can fit FOUR pillows in 'em!) so you don't have to choose which 'fit to leave behind because in the words of the Green Goblin, "Gods don't have to choose, we take" ...every freakin' outfit we own on vacay with us.
Former BuzzFeed Shopping editor Jasmin Sandal says: "I swear by these bad boys not only for general storage purposes but also if I know I'm going to be traveling for an extended period of time. Plus, the satisfaction is indeed guaranteed because when you see those chunky layers flatten into a pancake...it's just *chef's kiss*."
Promising review: "My wife and I just moved to Spain and have been traveling throughout Europe and these bags have saved us so much money. We have been flying with as few suitcases as possible and these bags let us pack twice as many clothes in each suitcase. We've been using them repeatedly for almost a year and none of them have torn, though one does slowly leak (takes about 48 hours to expand) so it might not be as good for long-term storage as short-term travel. Overall, I couldn't be happier!" —Anon
Get a six-pack from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in six sizes as well as other multipacks).
11. Or a set of six compression packing cubes to *avoid* having to check a bag and still bring plenty of options along with you. If you are not the most talented packer and can never stuff everything you need into your luggage, these'll make packing a breeze.
You'll get a double-sided shoe bag (one side for shoes, the other for socks), two small bags, two medium bags, and one large bag. You'll also get labels so you know which bag your fave dress is in.
Promising reviews: "Carry-on, the only way to travel! And these packing cubes make it possible. I went on a month-long trip to Europe during the winter months with just a carry-on using packing cubes. I confess it was difficult since I consider myself a bit of a fashionista, and I’m a bit older, but it was so much easier just handling a small piece of luggage. So much easier in and out of airports and train stations, and travel in cars with three other women. Think of the money saved in luggage fees alone!" —Janet
"I used these to pack my suitcase for my New York City trip, and I was able to pack twice as much as normal." —GramAnn
Get a set of six from Amazon for $38.98 (available in 2- and 4-packs and in 29 colors).
12. A lightweight, water-resistant Neutrogena SPF 50 face and body stick sunscreen that can easily be tossed into your carry-on since it's solid, which means it won't burst and spill all over your bag. It's TSA-friendly, and you won't need to buy an overpriced bottle of sunscreen on vacay once you're about to hit the beach and realize you forgot to buy some.
BuzzFeed Shopping editor Elizabeth Lilly brought this on an international trip and loved it: "I first bought this for a week-long Croatian vacation last year when I did carry-on, and as long as you are *thoroughly* reapplying, this stuff stays on pretty well. On a beach club afternoon, I did haphazardly reapply and missed a strip on one arm, but I tend to do that with spray-on or lotion sunscreen, too. Since then, I've packed this for any trip I've been on, including a two-day Disneyland trip where I toted this around in my bag and shared with friends. I sometimes carry it with me in my purse on my everyday adventures because I know it's so easy to apply. Also worth mentioning...I am about the palest lady you've ever seen and swear by daily application of sunscreen. But when on a beach trip, I'm constantly swimming in the water and sweating. So yeah, this stuff works. And if you're a bit hesitant about jumping on the solid sunscreen bandwagon, you can pack a stick of this, knowing you have enough sun protection to get you through to finding some spray-on or lotion SPF at your destination."
Promising review: "Bought this for a Mexico trip as sunscreen is expensive out of town. Works perfectly, especially if you don't want to check luggage because it is a solid. Heck, several and you will save money!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $9.88.
13. A pocket-sized, refillable travel perfume atomizer so you don't have to bring your entire bottle of Carolina Herrera Good Girl perfume and risk it either spilling all over your bag or breaking (and wasting your fave $100 scent). Plus, you won't have to buy any travel versions! Just pump your fave perfume or cologne right into this and easily bring it with you in a much more convenient way.
Promising reviews: "It saves money from having to buy a rollerball for travel of my favorite perfumes. Easy to use, but spraying it for the first time takes a minute." —C9
"These are perfect for those expensive bottles you don't want to travel with! Worked beautifully on my perfumes and husband's cologne for our Europe trip. Now I keep them in my purse for ease of use :)." —Jpot
Get a four-pack from Amazon for $7.19.
14. An in-flight foot hammock because you have first-class standards with an economy budget. This'll make those basic seats a lot more comfortable. Put your headphones in, order a glass of champagne, kick your feet up, and you'll forget you aren't actually in a super expensive seat.
Promising reviews: "This little purchase will help mitigate not getting a first-class seat! It makes comfort class/main bearable, and the money I save! On a flight to Paris right now and sooo happy! But, you can't use this if you've filled up the underseat storage with a bag." —cmcb
"Last year, we went to Ireland and the 10-hour flight about killed me, and we were about to get on another 10-hour flight to Italy just a little over a year later. This sent me on the hunt for the foot thingy that made the lady on the flight to Ireland look so comfortable, and here it is. If you buy anything for a long flight get this. It is cheap, durable, and works amazingly. It somehow allows you to turn those cheap economy seats into first class. It literally felt as though my seat was reclined back further just because my feet were elevated. They come in their own little bags and easily clipped to our bags." —Dale & Tiffany
Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (available in multipacks).
15. A transparent TSA-approved toiletry bag to make getting through security so much easier and keep all your liquids in one place. And, you'll be able to easily spot your fave lip gloss so that's obvi a plus.
Promising review: "My husband and I are frequent air travelers who only travel with carry-ons. I love these!! We used to use Ziploc bags, but I ordered three of these several months ago in different colors, and they are great. We've had no issues going through TSA with them. They are holding up well after several trips, they keep things organized and are much more secure than plastic baggies. Even my husband, who is rather frugal, loves them!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in 11 colors).
16. A portable espresso maker because you need caffeine for your 7 a.m. flight but gods don't pay airport prices or stand in those suuuper long lines. This bad boy lets you use Nespresso pods so you can have your morning coffee wherever and whenever you please.
Promising reviews: "The best thing for traveling ever!! I have to have espresso every morning and most small hotels and gas stations don't have espresso coffee so this is perfect! Easy to use. The cleaning takes 30 seconds; just rinse with water and let it dry." —Joanna Verdeja
"Save money when traveling! Love this! I travel often, and this thing saves me a bundle from hitting up Starbucks or the hotel cafe." —Thomas
Get it from Amazon for $54.90.
17. An inflatable booster seat, which will be easy to pack and has a seatbelt positioning clip to make sure that your little is safe and comfy during that 30-minute Uber ride from the airport to the hotel. Plus, you won't have to drop all that money on renting a car seat.
It's recommended for kids ages 4–11 or 40–100 lbs.
Promising reviews: "I had my doubts initially but decided to order this for a trip with our 5-year-old. I’m so glad I did! It worked great and was super convenient. It collapses quickly and is light so I carried it in my carry-on bag and then was able to quickly inflate while waiting for our ride share. It positioned my child appropriately for the seat belt, and I was especially impressed with the shoulder strap positioning, which is not even a feature on many normal backless boosters. It was so helpful to not have to worry about ordering and waiting for a car with car seats/boosters." —LynnS
"Bought it for a trip to Europe. It saved us a lot of money because we didn’t have to rent a child seat in the car rental. It is comfortable for the kids and lightweight to fit in the carry-on bag." —Maria Ines Vera
Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in four designs).
18. A set of 125 itty bitty pill pouches cuz you already have a pill organizer and don't wanna spend money on another. These'll last you vacation after vacation, and they'll take up verrrry little space in your bag. Plus, you can label 'em so you know what day and time you need to take each of your meds.
Promising review: "These pill bags are durable and easy to use. Each bag has an area to write a description of the contents. The opening is on the long side of the rectangular pouch, making filling and dispensing a snap. The zip-lock closure holds securely and stands up to traveling. For my purpose, I am able to reuse the pouches several times before discarding. This is not necessary, but I'm frugal. Regretfully, I take too many pills, and having pouches allows me to dispense several doses easily, saving me a lot of time. When I travel, I use the pouches, as taking all my bottles would be cumbersome. I highly recommend this product." —Skyking44
Get 125 pouches from Amazon for $5.19 (available in packs of 225, 400, and 500).
19. A TikTok-popular spacious travel-friendly backpack that'll hold SO much stuff and fit right under the seat in front of you so you can use it as the "personal item" you're allowed to bring along. Plus, it has a USB port! If you like piña coladas, getting caught in the rain, lots of pockets/compartments, a separate waterproof wet bag, and saving $$ on luggage fees, this is the perfect bag for you.
It also has a pocket for your shoes and a strap that slides down over your luggage handle for easy transport. Reviewers say it meets Spirit, JetBlue, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Southwest, Delta, Frontier, and United Airlines personal item rules and fits under airplane seats!
Check it out on TikTok.
Promising review: "I was going to a friend's house for a week via Frontier and only wanted to bring one personal item. In addition to clothes and toiletries, my work also told me I had to bring my laptop, so I decided to purchase this bag. It was perfect! I was able to fit my laptop, three pairs of clothes, a pair of sandals, various toiletries, and electronics in this little bag. At the airport, Frontier made everyone put their bags in the bag size checker, and this one passed the test! Of course, I had to do laundry while I was there, but I saved a ton of money by purchasing and using only this bag. Plus, it's cute as heck!" —Caroline McCormick
Get it from Amazon for $38.99+ (available in four sizes and 26 colors).
20. Or a wheeled carry-on bag which will *also* qualify as a personal item and can fit under the seat in front of you on the plane. If carrying a heavy duffel bag sounds like shoulder pain waiting to happen, this carry-on with wheels will spare you the first day of vacation back ache.
Say goodbye to having to pull your suitcase outta the overhead and awkwardly wait for the opportunity to even stand up and grab it! Reviewers say it meets Spirit, JetBlue, American Airlines, Southwest, Delta, Frontier, and United Airlines personal item rules and fits under airplane seats!
Promising reviews: "This works out so well for me. I’m a flight attendant, and I’ve had an infinite amount of day trips over the summer. I got tired of carrying around my regular TravelPro spinner, so I finally ordered this. SOOOOO MUCH BETTER FOR ME. It’s light, has enough pockets, and can easily fit under a seat if needed. The ONLY picky thing I can think of is how loud it sounds going across rough concrete. The wheels aren’t as silent as others, but that won’t stop me from buying another in the future." —Kayla T
"Perfect for under the seat of an airplane. Save the money on airline fees! Its small size is deceptive because it holds quite a lot. Sturdy, good value." —Rae McCray
Get it from Amazon for $44.73+ (available in four colors).
21. A plush microfiber makeup-removing cloth you'll be able to use long after vacation. All you need is water and all of your makeup, even that stubborn dang waterproof mascara will come right off. It's also super similar to the more expensive Makeup Eraser! You can literally get two of these for less than one of the name-brand ones.
Promising reviews: "This is incredible! I can't believe how well this works! I travel a lot for work and usually take makeup remover wipes because of the liquid restrictions for travel, but they are expensive and heavy. I have been using this cloth all week and LOVE IT! A bit of warm water and everything comes off in a few easy swipes. I am super excited to travel with this. It weighs nothing and rolls up to take up very little space. I am ordering another for my mom who also travels. Highly recommend!" —KT
"I have no clue how this works, but it does. All I use is water and literally all my makeup comes off, including my eyeliner/mascara. Works great and saves you money by not having to buy makeup remover." —Emily Robles
Get it from Amazon for $6.99 (available in four colors).
22. A portable blackout curtain so your kiddo can get a good snooze in despite being in a different location. It's got suction cups and Velcro edges for customization, so you just attach it to the window and *boom*! Totally dark room so your babe can sleep off the fuss they'll put up from being so exhausted.
It also comes with a matching travel bag!
Promising reviews: "Travel essential. We bought one of these a few years ago for traveling with our then baby, and now we can’t live without it. We just ordered a second one so we never have to be without. Because they suction to any window, it’s so much better than any other blackout curtain. It gets the room pitch black, it folds up into a bag, and it's lightweight. Super easy to throw in a suitcase when traveling. You need this." —Brett and Marie Johnson
"Saved me money! I decided to go with this instead of the Tommee Tippee one friends recommended, and it honestly works better than theirs. Also, it was almost half the price!! Great suction, and it totally blocks out the light. Suction cups hold up great with no issues. Got this for the baby on the way but we put it up early and it's been amazing for us as well. Great for sleeping in." —Erin
Get it from Amazon for $23.99+ (available in five colors and as a two-pack; certain colors are only available as a two-pack).
You, thinking about all the money you'll save on baggage fees with the super spacious wheeled carry-on bag and digital luggage scale:
