About Money & Money Saving Tips

When you are traveling, be sure to have several ways to access your money. If your travelers checks get stolen, then an ATM card would come in handy until you get replacements.

For a trip to Europe get a short PIN code, because most European ATMs only support 4 digit PIN codes.

Try to select the ATM that is monitored by bank security or with security camera.

It is good idea to do your ATM transaction with family member or with your best friend.

Always try to choose ATM in heavily traveled areas or familiar location.

As automatic teller machines proliferate, travelers are increasingly relying on credit cards for local currency rather than carrying around travelers' checks or bulky wads of cash. But in an unfamiliar city, how do you find the local ATM? If you have acces to a computer, the Websites of both Visa and Mastercard will tell you. Visa's service (www.visa.com) can be accessed in English, Spanish and Portuguese while Mastercard offers ATM safety tips (www.mastercard.com). Both databases can be searched by country, region or airport.

You can usually get a better exchange rate by buying stuff with a credit card, rather than exchanging your cash. This is because the credit card company aggregates all its transactions and get a better rate than any one person could get.

TIP: Do not take unnecessary identification or credit cards in case they are stolen. Take only what is necessary. Obtain traveler’s checks if needed.

DID YOU KNOW?
RFID microchips can be found in bank cards, credit cards, ID cards and passports. Each chip contains your personal information and emits radio waves which can be read and downloaded by thieves using an RFID reader and standing as far as 10 feet away from you. You can reduce the risk of identity theft and protect your personal data by using RFID blocking sleeves, wallets and bags.

OTHER MONEY SAVING TIPS

If you want to find more available seats at cheaper rates for your airfare, make your travel plans in advance and book your tickets at least 2 months in advance for off-season travel and 3 to 5 months in advance for summer or holiday travel.

When you plan to travel by plane, search for flights departing Monday through Thursday, because most flying companies charge weekend surcharge. This will give you not only lower price, you will have another great advantage, much better seat in the plane.

To qualify for the majority of cheap airfares, your trip should not exceed 30 days, because if your stay is between 30 and 60 days you will have to pay about 10%-15% more and if it is between 60 and 90 days you will have to pay about 30% to 40% more for your ticket than if you stayed less than 30 days.

Another big money saving tip for your airfare is to check total price with taxes included because sometimes it is possible to have a cheaper base fare but very expensive taxes (usually on more expensive fares).

When you rent a car, you don't have to accept the insurance options the car rental company offer. It is usually cheeper to check with your own auto insurance agent to see if you're covered under your policy. Also check with your bank, because in most cases if you use a premium credit card, travel insurance is included.

To avoid extra charges, always inspect the rental car carefully before you leave the rental lot and if you see any damage, make sure rental company officials note it on your rental contract before you leave.

If you don't have a big family with you, rent the smallest car available at the cheapest rate because about half the time, the rental company won't have the small car you ordered and will have to give you a larger car at the small-car price.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Maya Gavric, entrepreneur, consultant, former realtor, writer, web developer, artist and marketing coach has been working, researching and reporting on the Internet for years. Her numerous articles offer valuable insight and tips on wide variety of topics. In recent times she has paid particular attention to knowledge management on the Internet and environmental problems, exploring how our attention to hot issues might best transform current situation into better practice.

The article "About Money & Money Saving Tips" reprinted with permission.