Let's hit the beach! 12 holiday essentials to take on your summer vacation

A woman in a poncho, some swim trunks, and a beach poncho on an orange background — (Image credit: Amazon / Edited by Gemini)

Every year, I grab my suitcase from the attic and stare at its empty innards. The excitement flushes over me as I realize that it's finally time to go on vacation, but then there's the anxiety. While I want to say I'm a bit of a pro at packing, when it comes to summer holidays, it's taken me years of honing down the essentials to reduce the stress.

Now, don't get me wrong, I still have to talk myself out of packing multiples of things I definitely don't need, but I'm happy to report I've finally streamlined my baggage. And that's where this list comes in. For this summer, I've narrowed down a list of 12 beachwear essentials I think are well worth packing. Plus, they all come in at under $50!

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Grace is a freelance journalist working across homes, lifestyle, gaming and entertainment. You'll find her writing for Tom's Guide, TechRadar, Space.com, and other sites. If she's not rearranging her furniture, decluttering her home, or relaxing in front of the latest streaming series, she'll be typing fervently about any of her much-loved hobbies and interests. To aid her writing, she loves to head down internet rabbit holes for an unprecedented amount of time.