4 funky, functional travel tips

Save time and money when you travel by using simple, every day items in these new, ingenious ways.

Balloons lift your spirits, and they can be good for the body, too. Pack a durable, uninflated balloon in your travelling medicine kit and use it to make a cold or hot pack to soothe a sprain or muscle soreness. Just fill the balloon with very cold water or very hot water and lay it over the afflicted area. If you have a freezer and want to go all out, make an ice pack by freezing a water-filled balloon.

If a day of sightseeing leaves you with pleasant memories but sore feet, rub a little medicated chest rub on your feet before going to bed (put on a pair of socks to keep the rub from marring the sheets). Your feet will feel like new in the morning.

You never know when bug spray might come in handy, but cans and bottles can take up a lot of room in your portable medicine kit. Here's a way to leave those bulky containers behind: Before leaving home, soak cotton balls in repellant and store them in a self-sealing plastic bag. When pests make an appearance, just pull out a cotton ball and dab some of the defensive liquid on your skin.

Ever opened your travel kit to find your toothbrush soaked in shaving cream? An easy and tidy way to keep up with dental hygiene on the road is to make a toothbrush holder kit out of an old plastic prescription drug bottle. Cut a slit in the lid and slide the lid over the handle of your toothbrush; then replace the lid so the bristles of the toothbrush are inside the container, where they'll remain clean.

You'll be grateful keeping these great travel tips on hand; they'll get you out of a pinch every time.