Originally posted on April 12, 2017 @ 9:19 am
Traveling can be a fun thing to do, even if you’re traveling for work. It’s a great way to get out and see places you wouldn’t if you just stayed home. The thing with traveling is, though, that there are always risks.
How you travel poses some risks, like car accidents or plane crashes. But your money is also at risk when you travel. If you’re not smartly carrying your money you could end up with none, between accidentally dropping some cash to someone stealing your wallet or purse.
Get A Credit Card
Credit cards are definitely safer to carry than money is. If someone steals your money on vacation you really have no way to get it back, but with credit cards, you can cancel the cards quickly and fight to get any fraudulent charges removed. If you’re on business travels you can use your business credit card for expenses as well (pretty handy).
The key to protecting your money when it comes to credit cards is to have all of the contact information on those cards written down and stashed in a completely separate space (such as your suitcase). This list will make it easy to cancel your cards in the case they are lost or stolen (smartphones with your banking apps can make it so you don’t even need that info, just log in and report the cards stolen).
Use A Debit Card
Debit cards are much like credit cards. If it’s lost or stolen you’ll cancel it the same way. It’s also a direct link to your bank account, and if you do need cash at all on your travels you can easily get some with it from an ATM.
Make sure that you have a check register with you, though, so that you can keep track of your spending. Sometimes overdrafting your account can feel as bad as getting your card stolen. The charges can add up if you use the card more than once after you’ve expunged your available funds.
Be Careful With Cash
If you do need to take cash with you, for whatever reason, you want to make sure that you are doing what you can to protect that cash. That means not keeping it all in one place, for one thing. Put only a small amount of cash in your wallet or purse. Keep some in a smaller pocket or even in your shoe.
When you pay for things with cash be aware of the money and the people around you. Keep all of your cash in smaller bills (it looks less attractive that way). Also be very careful not to drop any money and look around you after paying in cash for things to make sure you didn’t accidentally drop a bill or two. It’s also not completely paranoid to double check your pocket for your wallet (or purse) from time to time.