It is important to balance safety and utility when taking money with you on vacation. While making money difficult to access discourages thieves, when it comes to paying for something you want, you still want it to be possible to do so without having to take off your clothes or play hide-and-seek in your bag’s pockets. Here are 10 ways to safely carry your money while on the road.
Divide money
This tip is important, even if you ignore all the advice on how to carry money. It only takes one theft to wipe out all of your money if you keep it all in one spot. If possible, keep all cash and cards in a safe place in your hotel room or vacation rental. When you are out and about, you should keep some money with you (see below for tips on how to secure your money), and others in a wallet. You can still get to the police station and back to your hotel if your bag is stolen or lost if you are smart about how your money is distributed.
The Best Travel Credit Cards
Since money belts and neck pouches, under-clothing storage accessories has come a long ways. These classics are still very effective. However, there are many newer options such as bra stashes, underwear and undershirts that have built-in pockets for secure storage. If you are sleeping in an area that does not have a safe place to store cash or other valuables, on-body storage accessories can be very useful.
Keep small bills handy
You can reduce the fees for changing or withdrawing large amounts. However, you will be travelling with more money and larger bills than you would normally have at home. It’s a smart idea to keep smaller denominations of currency readily accessible. This will ensure that you don’t accidentally pull out the equivalent of $100 while trying to purchase a souvenir for 30 cents. To get more money from your under-clothing money pouch, you won’t need to reach into your jeans. Money preparation should be part of your morning routine. When you pack your bag, ensure you have a variety small bills and coins ready for purchase such as food, souvenirs and entry fees to attractions. You can either stash larger bills in your undercloth money pouch or keep them safe in a part of your bag or wallet.
3 Amazing Money-Saving Tips From a Flight Attendant
We know from garbage-bag commercials that some bags can be tougher than others. The same goes for travel purses, backpacks, and bags–some, designed specifically for travel, have features such as cut-proof, steel-cable-reinforced shoulder straps; slash-proof fabric; and locking zippers. Anti-theft bags are effective in deterring pickpockets who may be tempted by these elements. You can buy anti-theft bags online at ArdenCove and Pacsafe. Your purchase is an investment that could save you money.
Trim Your Wallet
Is it possible to have your library card even if you are 6,000 miles away from the nearest branch? It’s unlikely. You probably won’t. It will make your travel easier and you’ll be able to replace any items that are lost or stolen.
Use a Dummy wallet
Consider purchasing a inexpensive wallet if you are traveling to a country known for pickingpockets and muggings. This wallet can be used as a decoy you can carry around in your bag or pocket. You can pad the wallet with small bills, and then make it more real by adding one or two sample credit cards that you receive in the mail. Pickpockets can be stopped by a fake wallet before they reach your wallet.
Purchase a Travel Wallet
You might also want to consider a wallet you keep for travel. This is because if you have a lot of cards in your wallet, such as gym memberships, frequent-buyer punch cards and the like, the card pockets will be too crowded and may not be able hold a few items. Your cards will be protected by a separate travel wallet.
When given the option to pay in USD or local currency, is it better?
Depending on where you live, being able to pay for your vacation is different. You’ll need to keep a variety bills and coins handy in a cash economy. However, your credit cards may just become dusty. A compatible credit card is a must in Europe and Asia where automation is widespread and chip-and pin credit card technology is common. This is especially true if you are stuck at an unattended station at night or at a train station after hours. Keep in mind that U.S. dollars can be used as an official secondary currency in certain countries. It’s a good idea to have a few extra greenbacks on hand.
You can use money alternatives
It’s convenient to have cash and credit cards available in high-traffic areas like metro stations or bus lines. Instead, you can rely on a multi-use ticket (or another cash option) when traveling. You can take advantage of multi-use cards offered by the public transport system in your city (for example, San Francisco’s Clipper or London’s Oyster card), or buying multiple tickets at once for a discount price. Simply by storing your wallet less often, you can reduce the chance of losing it.
Safely store valuables
Sometimes, is the best way to keep your money. The hotel’s in-room safes are usually quite secure. If you have an item or a large amount of cash that you are particularly anxious about, make sure to check if there is a safe-deposit option behind the desk. You should always remember to take your belongings with you when you leave a hotel lockbox. Out of sight could easily translate to out of mind when you rush to pack and leave. Leave a note in your suitcase if you are forgetful.
