18 Comments

  1. Great tips! We also keep extra cash in our checking account while traveling in case of emergency.

    When traveling internationally a few years ago, there was a natural disaster that interrupted power. When power came back on, the first thing we did was pull a few hundred dollars out of the ATM to have for food/lodging/transportation if needed. Credit card machines were misbehaving and we had no idea if power would go out again.

  2. Good points all. I admit, I had to look up “Poshmark”. Had no idea what that was, but then again, I’m an Oldster.

    To the extent possible, I’ve agreed to be paperless for all of my regular bills. This makes paying them convenient no matter where I am, and I’m rarely anywhere without internet availability (my definition of roughing it is a hotel without room service – not very FI, I know, but I deal with it.)

    Completely agree on the cash thing. Especially true if you are uncertain of ATM availability or if your bank does not refund the fees. I’ve never had anyone refuse my $10 bill. My Amex, well that’s another, and longer, list.

  3. We still take a look at our budget once we’re on vacation. I think too often people throw out a sense of discipline because they’re traveling, but you don’t want traveler’s remorse!

    • So important! I’m so glad you added this! We always try to come up with a specific budget or spending amount for our trips. The cash thing really helps us pace ourselves. It’s too easy for me to justify swipe, swipe, swiping away on all the “once in a lifetime opportunities”. When I spend cash, I have to be a little more choosy.

  4. So agree about calling your credit card company ahead of time if you’re going to be making unusual charges. When Jon and I were on our honeymoon, his credit card company kept canceling charges, like our plane tickets home, even though they were well below his credit limit, because why would someone be using that NC good ole boy’s credit card in Hawaii?

    If you’re going to be traveling a lot, picking up a more secure money/ID holder like a money belt can be a good idea. It’s a lot harder for someone to steal money on your person than in your purse or out of your pocket.

    • OH NO! They canceled your plane tickets home?! That might be the worst cancellation story I’ve heard so far. A money belt is a good tip. Glad you added it!

  5. The ‘suspend service’ is a great tip! I’ve gotten an eBay question or Etsy order while on vacation before and it’s always sucks to not be able to take care of it immediately.

    Another tip: I only take 2 credit cards to mitigate any risk. I make sure the one I use doesn’t have transaction fees. The other cards I leave at home, just in case I get robbed, etc. Maybe this is super risky, too, but on an international trip I’ve photocopied my cards and given to a close friend just in case anything happened.

  6. I’ve never thought about cancelling services when we’re away, perhaps that’s because we never really go on long trips…boo! Now you’re making me want to travel 😉 The last time we went away I called my credit card company as usual but they actually said I didn’t have to do that anymore if the flights were booked on the same card. I guess that makes sense with all the hidden algorithms they use but I’d never thought about it.
    Hope you’re doing well Penny!

    • That’s amazing that you don’t have to call anymore. I thought my credit card company was getting fancy because now you can just click a button through your online account to notify them.

  7. K, 100% printing this off and going through before my next big trip. I feel like we have the same travelling philosophy. Ready to go on a European adventure with you any day now hahaha.

  8. Automate, automate, that’s how I deal with money while traveling. I travel full-time so had to make sure everything is accessible from my phone and set to automatically process as much as possible. I also find it extremely helpful to have someone go through my mail. Sometimes unexpected bills need to be addressed and it is great to have someone trusted back home.

  9. My biggie is that I forget to warn the credit card companies that I’ll be out of town. It’s never caused a problem, but when I went to FinCon in Orlando I did have to call my bank from the hotel room because I realized that a $1,000 (youch!) bill on a business card that barely gets used — and only in Phoenix — would probably look suspicious. I’m hoping I’ll remember to call before going to D.C. but only time will tell.

  10. Leigh

    Great tips!

    I think it is important to have both cash and card available when traveling. I once was abroad with only my debit card (I was young and inexperienced) then had a fraudulent charge appear that meant my card had to be cancelled. I had enough cash on me for my trip but I knew that I was going to need a credit/debit card to buy the train ticket I needed at my next destination. I was able to use the cash to get a local prepaid card at the airport and that saved me multiple times on that trip when just having cash wouldn’t have worked. Of course, I also learned not to travel without a credit card, too.

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