It's a common sight: soda cans, gum wrappers, and snack bags strewn all over the floor; books, magazines, and carrying cases haphazardly placed on a seat; and miscellaneous papers and trinkets shoved into any nook and cranny available. What is this disorganized place? A college frat house, a mad scientist's office? No. It's the typical disorganized car--and it could easily belong to you or someone you know. Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, the automobile is still the most common means of getting to your destination. In fact, for many people, their car has become their "home away from home," with extended car trips a part of daily life.

To avoid traveling in a perpetual mess, do a little pre-planning. Before your next road trip, take time to totally clear out your vehicle. Don't forget about the glove box and side door compartments. By the time you're done, you want your car totally empty--just like how you received it from the dealer. Now that you're car is empty, it's time to stock it and organize it for stress-free travel. Here are five easy tips to get you started and to keep your car organized when traveling:

1. Stock the glove box and side pockets with necessities. Contrary to popular use, your glove box is not a "catch-all compartment" or a trash can. It's a place to store traveling essentials. For day-to-day use, simply keeping important car documents (like your insurance and registration cards), a pen or pencil, a pocket-sized notepad, and a small first-aid kit is sufficient. For travel purposes, you'll want to beef that list up a bit. Include maps, directions, extra sunglasses, a camera and film, reading material for passengers, and a few small trash bags. Remember, the purpose of your glove box and side door compartments is to keep essentials at hand during a trip, so you don't have to keep pulling over to open the trunk.

2. If you're traveling with children, let each child pack a small backpack or travel bag. In it they should put things they can do on the road--a walkman and tapes, comic books, handheld video games, etc. Keep the bag near the child, either on the floor of the back seat or on the seat itself, so they can easily retrieve their items and put them away when done. A small bag of items takes up less room and produces less clutter than five or six individual items strewn in the back.