It’s no secret that most of us don’t carry a lot of cash around. That’s because we can conveniently pay for things using debit or credit cards. The thing is, that’s not always possible when you travel to a foreign country.
As a result, it makes sense to carry some cash with you to pay for stuff. And depending on where you travel, you may find that cash is the only payment option open to you! So, with that in mind, how can you carry enough money on you to pay for stuff? And how can you best protect that money when you are traveling?
Conceal your cash in four different locations
You may think that it’s a good idea to stash your cash in one area on your person. But, it’s a bad idea – especially if a thief has spotted where that “hidden” location is on your body!
What you need to do is split your money into four different locations. The location of those places will depend on what you’re wearing and where you feel comfortable hiding the cash. That way, if the worst happens, you will still have some cash at your disposal.
Consider paying for large purchases electronically
Do you want to buy something expensive on your travels? If so, ask the seller if you can transfer the money to them electronically. These days, there are many ways that you can do that.
For example, you can use services such as Western Union, Knightsbridge FX, and PayPal. Another option is to do a transfer direct from your bank account. Some banks allow you to open foreign currency accounts; they are useful if you travel abroad a lot.
Electronic transfers also negate the need to walk around with vast sums of cash on you. Plus, they are useful if you don’t want to pay with a credit card because of high currency exchange fees.
Carry a dummy wallet with you
Let’s set the scene. You are walking down the street in an unfamiliar area and in a foreign country. You have the gut-wrenching feeling that the guy following you is about to mug you, but there is no-one else around. What do you do?
It’s unlikely you will have a weapon with which you can scare off the would-be thief. And if you don’t have any self-defense skills or a black belt in karate, you’re probably can’t avoid what’s about to happen.
In those situations, the last thing you want to do is hand over a wallet full of cash and cards inside of it. The smarter thing to do is to hand over a “dummy” wallet that doesn’t contain much cash.
Have small bills available to hand
One final tip is to keep a selection of small denomination bills available. You could keep them at the front of all notes in your wallet, or perhaps in your dummy wallet.
Doing so will ensure that you won’t have to worry about would-be thieves seeing what cash you’ve got. That’s because you will quickly get out the notes you need, rather than handing over a large bill to pay for your coffee!
