When it comes to travel money, you can make some big mistakes without realizing it. The following are top money tips to keep in mind when you travel.
Store money close to your body
There are many on-body storage ideas. One of the best ones is to stitch little pockets in your clothes. In this way, the money will be difficult to remove without you knowing. You can stitch secret pockets in all your clothes and keep money in them.
Buy local currency before you travel
It is always a good idea to get the local currency of where you are traveling to. While there are many options from where you can get them, the best is before you leave to travel. Try to avoid buying local currencies at airports or in the country where you are traveling to.
Get an anti-theft bag
If you have many valuables such as a camera, travel money, and other items, you should invest in an anti-theft bag. Thankfully, there are many options available such as slash proof bags that have locking zippers. You should always wear the bag across your body so that it is difficult for the thief to get it from you.
Prepaid cards for payment
When you are a bit wary about carrying cash with you, you can invest in a prepaid card. This can make your life much easier since it much safer and you can travel lighter. It allows you to pay in the local currency which is a major plus of such type of cards.
Store essentials in the wallet
You should remove clutter from your wallet. That is if you have all types of cards that you won’t need then don’t take them with you. Take one or two credit cards, an identity card, and an insurance card. Keep your wallet light and remove anything you won’t need.
Have small bills handy
When it comes to travel money, this is the best tip because it is very important. You should always keep small bills handy so that you can pay for the things you need. You can keep some coins too so that it is easy to pay in different places where you need to spend small denominations.
Don’t show off money
Don’t make the mistake of opening your wallet that is stuffed with cash. You don’t want to attract being robbed. You should keep only the essential amount you think you need for the day. This will ensure you are not a target when you travel anywhere.
Get an extra wallet
You can get an extra wallet that you can keep in your pocket that pickpockets are likely to take out. You can keep some small bills in it but remember not to keep your credit card or prepaid card in it. Even if this wallet is stolen, you won’t lose much.
Store cash on carry-on baggage
When you store travel money, it is a good idea to store some cash in your carry-on bag. You should never store cash in your check-in baggage because that baggage is most probably the one that will get tampered with. You want to have it only in places you can keep your eye on.
Divide money and store
Whenever you are storing your cash, you should divide the places that you store in. This ensures that even if your money is stolen from one area, you can still get it from the other area and you will never run out of cash in this manner. Keep money in your wallet, pocket, and a secret pocket.
Tell someone in advance.
You can never predict when you might land up in financial trouble. It is a good idea to let someone back home know about where you are going so you can contact them if you lose all your money. You can give them some money in advance so that they can send you some when you need it.
Be alert when withdrawing from ATMs
You should always be alert whenever withdrawing travel money at ATMs. Never let someone stand too close to you and don’t talk when you are withdrawing money. You should be careful and follow your instincts if the ATM does not feel right and cancel before you leave.
Refuse to exchange money on the street
In some places, you will find people who will try to provide currency exchange on the street. Do not believe in them no matter how professional they look. You will get ripped off if you do exchange money on the street.
Protect electronic devices fully.
You should always protect whatever devices you are traveling with. You should password protect them and ensure they can be tracked. In this way, if they are stolen, you can find them. Otherwise, the people who have access to your computer have access to your financial data if you store your credentials on your device.
Divide money when traveling with someone else
If you are traveling with someone else, then you should ideally divide the travel money. You should keep the same amount separately. This will ensure that even if one of you is a victim of pickpocketing, then the other still has some money handy.
Use your credit card more.
When traveling, you should use your credit card as much as possible instead of paying by cash. The lesser the cash you keep, the better. Since you can travel light and won’t be as stressed, you can check the transactions to be sure that all transactions are being done only by you.
Store safely in the hotel
Many hotels have storage facilities that you can use. You have to speak to the hotel in advance to know about this. If they have lockers or safe deposit storage boxes, then you can use those to store some extra cash that you do not need for the day.
Learn about tipping before you travel
Different tipping rules apply in different countries. In some, it is mandatory to tip, but in others, it is included in the bill. You should know about the tipping rules in advance before you travel so that you can use your travel money accordingly.
Pay in local currency.
Sometimes, you will get the option of paying in your currency or in the local currency which is the currency used in the place you are traveling to. You should always pay in the local currency. If you use your home currency, then you are likely to pay a lot more because of the extra fees.
Buy International roaming plan for the phone.
You should buy a roaming plan before you travel. This is particularly important for people who are traveling long term as this can help save quite some cash. When you call in roaming, you won’t believe how much higher you have to pay. So travel smart by getting a roaming plan first.
Avoid using public Wifi.
You should not use public Wifi. And if you do use the Wifi because you have no other option, then try not to perform any online financial transactions. Otherwise, your travel money will be in jeopardy.
It is important that you ensure the safety of yourself and your money at all times. It can be tempting to take as much cash as possible but take enough so you can travel with ease.
