Getting ready to go on a vacation is an extremely exciting time! However, it’s easy to get lost in that excitement and forget about some important things you should take care of before you leave. Here are some tips for things you can do to your apartment to ensure you have a relaxing, stress-free excursion.

No one wants to come back from a trip to a messy home! Eat or toss out any food that will go bad while you’re away, run your garbage disposal, take out the trash and do your laundry. This will help to make sure you don’t have a smelly apartment or piles clothes upon your return. Future you will be thankful!

If you’re not taking your car with you and plan on leaving it at your apartment, go through a checklist to take care of it before you leave. Remove all valuables from your car, check that all of your windows are shut, and lock your doors. Move it to an area of the lot that is somewhat out of the way to avoid it interfering with other people and cars.

Make sure any bills that could be due while you’re gone are paid ahead of time so that it can be one less thing you have to worry about while you’re away. Also, contact your local post office and ask them to hold your mail for you for free. Once you come back from your trip, you can pick up your mail from the post office without having to deal with an extremely stuffed mailbox.

There are different ways you can go about saving some money and energy in your apartment while on vacation. The first is by unplugging electronics while not in use. Even if they are turned off, things like your television, computer, or alarm clock can use up energy while plugged in. Next, adjust your thermostat slightly up or down depending on the season to reduce costs. In the winter, feel free to turn down your thermostat a few degrees while your apartment is vacant, but make sure to keep it on so the pipes don’t freeze!

Are you planning on leaving your furry friend at home while you’re on vacation? Drop your pet off at a friend or family’s place, or take it to a pet boarding facility. Make sure you write out instructions for whoever is caring for the animal with information such as how to feed them, any medications they’re on, and other advice to help the caretaker ensure they are doing everything they can to keep your pet happy and healthy.

Instead of worrying whether or not you turned things off and locked your place before you left, have a trusted neighbor, friend or family member check in on your apartment. A dark empty place is very enticing to burglars, so by having someone in there for a little bit each day, you can help deter the possibility of a robbery. Not to mention, they can water your plants for you!

Right before you head out on your trip, examine your place one last time to make sure it’s all ready for you to leave. Shut the blinds on your window so people can’t see in, make sure things are unplugged, everything is clean, and lastly, lock your door. Taking these extra minutes to do this will save you hours of worry later on while you’re supposed to be having fun.