PACKING for a holiday can seem both stressful and expensive, especially when it comes to buying those little last minute essentials.
However, with some strategic buying and a little bit of forethought, you can take both the stress and the expense out of your preparations.
One way to do that is to make a list of the little items you think you might need, before heading to the pound shop to see if you can get them in there.
That's exactly what flight attendant and Tiktoker Cici (@cici.inthesky) does whenever she needs to prepare for a trip.
She drew up a list of 12 items that she says "can prove to be versatile and useful during various travel situations".
She then headed to Dollar Tree, an American equivalent to a pound shop, where she was able to get everything on her shopping list without breaking the bank.
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She took her followers on her shopping trip in a recent video, in which she said: "Always be prepared for your next trip.
"I jumped in my car and I headed on down to our local Dollar Tree where everything's $1.25 (£1)."
The first thing she picked up was alcohol wipes, which she uses for "sanitising hands, cleaning surfaces, treating nausea and cleaning wounds."
Next on Cici's shopping list was "chip clips" – pegs that are used to keep large crisp packets fresh after they've been opened.
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However, the flight attendant has other uses for them, including "clipping hotel drapes to prevent the sun shining in and organising cables and cords".
She then continued her spree by picking up some electrical tape, which she said has "so many great uses," including "repairing damaged cords, securing loose items and covering bright lights in rooms."
Other items were picked up specifically to be used in the hotel room, including post-it notes for "leaving reminders, marking important pages in a guidebook, and writing down addresses or directions" and a nightlight.
Then Cici picked up some first aid supplies, some lozenges "to soothe that dry throat on the plane" and Alka-Seltzer, in case she gets "any nausea or a little hangover".
Also among her healthcare items was a pot of moisturiser, which she buys "because it's very, very dry" on the plane due to the recycled cabin air.
She also forked out for a bag of sweets, which she said flight attendants would "definitely appreciate" as a gift, or could simply be eaten "as a sweet treat" on the flight.
Finally, Cici picked up some disinfecting wipes, claiming they're a "no brainer for so many surfaces on the plane," including the tray tables.
Cici isn't the only cabin crew member to tell passengers to bring disinfectant wipes on board with them.
Sun Online Travel's resident flight attendant also told people that they should do a little bit of cleaning before they sit down in their seat.
They said: "I've seen some disgusting things happen in the seats, in the aisles and on the tray tables.
"If you're going to be sitting there for several hours, I'd fully recommend giving it a once over with an alcohol wipe before take off because we don't always have time to give it a thorough clean.
"You're going to be sleeping, eating and sitting there for hours and hours – it's better to be safe than sorry.
"You don't want to get off the plane and immediately feel unwell, just because the person who sat in your seat was full of germs.
"It's a very simple step you can take to make sure your seat and the area you're sitting in is clean and hygienic."
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Meanwhile, passengers should always pack these three items in their hand luggage.
And this flight attendant revealed the versatile item she always packs for flights.
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