“Fill your life with experiences, not things.”
This quote is often repeated everywhere and I’m one of the people who believe in it. It’s one of the reasons why travelling the world is one of my passions. The excitement of travelling always goes hand in hand with all the planning and preparing before you take off to a new place. This is where the fun begins after all!
One of the things, actually the MOST important thing to prepare for in travelling is everything regarding money. Being able to finance your trip is the jumpstart of your journey, but it doesn’t end at the beginning. Here are just some of the pre-travel tips that come in handy when it comes to your money in relation to travelling…
Make sure to notify your bank/banks that you will be travelling
Never leave your country without notifying all the banks of your cards. Inform them that you will be leaving the country, and of your itinerary.
Why? Because at one point, one of my debit cards got blocked by my home country. They thought that my card got stolen on the grounds of “suspicious activity”. I used it to try to withdraw in 3 different countries in a span of 2 weeks and by the time I was in Germany, an ATM informed me that my card is now “blocked and unavailable.” I got it sorted out—after a MONTH. Trust me, you don’t want the hassle. Prevention is key.
The Importance Of A Good Rate In Currency Exchange
The value of your money is different in every country. This, of course, would alert you to the fact that you have to get a good rate in currency exchange. Number one advice? Never get it exchanged at the airport or at the bank. They have very high fees for exchanging currency.
You could look compare the rates at Currency Exchange kiosks/branches at the country you travel to. Better yet, you could even get great exchange rates online. You could try www.currencyfair.com where you could save 90% on exchange rates!
Don’t Keep Your Money In One Place
This advice is repeated a lot of times because it is the best and most reliable. When travelling, don’t keep your money all in one place. Have maybe 3 different cards (Ex 1 credit card, 2 debit cards), store some bills in secret compartments in your bag/clothes, put some in your PayPal account. The options are endless. The main point is that you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket because if that basket gets compromised, then you’re left with nothing.
Gaining experiences is much more important than owning stuff. But when you travel, making sure that you have your finances all set is not only ideal, it’s a necessity. Make sure you’ve got these three things downpat before travelling and I’m sure you’ll have an even better time!