Planning that next trip out of the country, while fun for some, can be quite daunting to others… especially when it comes to the expense$. Here are my top 3 tips on how you can travel like a pro and save while you’re at it!
ATMs vs. Money Changers
ATMs all the way! Most Filipinos in this day and age still prefer to change their money (Philippine Pesos) to US Dollars before traveling overseas. But did you know that between exchanging your money from PHP to USD to the currency of your country of destination, you would have already lost quite an amount? And let’s not even start with the hassle and dangers of getting a huge sum of money exchanged.
The solution to this? Use your ATM/debit card. Ask your local bank to activate it so you can use it abroad and upon landing, find the nearest ATM and withdraw the amount you need. Quick, easy and saves you money in the end.
Be informed. Ask your local bank how much they charge per withdrawal. For BPI, it’s 2% of the amount withdrawn or $3.50 for every withdrawal (whichever’s higher), and $1.50 for every balance inquiry.
Roaming vs. Local Sim Card
This one’s easy. Get a local sim card and skip the nightmare of being charged ridiculous amounts for activating your roaming services. Telephone companies almost always have hidden fees and the last thing you need is to be coming home to a huge cellphone bill. So before traveling, make sure your cellphone line is open in order to be able to use other sim cards aside from your usual carrier.
Do your research. Before arriving, ask around in travel forums or use good ‘ol Google to find out which telephone company provides the clearest signals in the areas where you’ll be staying. Also, when purchasing a local sim card, ask about the deals they have for foreigners/travelers. Most times, they’ll have sim cards that fit your needs — 7 days, 3 weeks, 1 month stay, with unlimited internet and a few minutes local calls.
Bribes vs. Getting an International Drivers License
(for long-term travelers)
Planning on driving around overseas? Apply for your International Drivers License (IDL) before leaving your home country and avoid the hassle of being pulled over and ticketed. While bribes work for most Southeast Asian countries, it really isn’t advisable (shame on you!) and could perhaps land you in jail causing you to shell out more money.
So next time you travel, keep these 3 things in mind.
Peace Love and Lipgloss,
morenabeachbum
Some great advice 🙂 I live in HCMC and I used to drive without a license – it’s pretty safe here, everyone does it and apart from the fact that you’re looking at a hefty un-insured hospital bill if you crash, not much can happen. However, you do have to fork out a huge bribe if you’re pulled over and apart from anything else it’s just illegal. I don’t want to be illegal. I now ride a pushbike! An excellent alternative since I’m fitter, safer, insured, and I can sneak onto the sidewalk if there’s a traffic jam without terrifying everyone in the near vicinity!
LikeLike
Thanks for dropping by! 😊 Yeah, wouldn’t want to be an illegal now, would we? Hehe Good on ya for riding a pushbike. Thinking perhaps when I live in Ubud I’ll get one as well as opposed to getting a motorbike. Good exercise for sure! How long have you been living in HCMC? Never been, just Hanoi. Seems amazing though! By the way, your sketches are a-ma-zing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good op! Are there lots of hills there? Saigon is pretty flat so I have it easy and I can ride for hours, which is useful because the city is huge. I’ve been here about 9 months now. The plan is to keep moving, but I figure I have my whole life and I like to really immerse myself in the places I visit. Every day here I am amazed by something else – it never ends! You should drop by! I’d love to show you around 🙂 And thanks about the sketches!
LikeLike
Actually, I’m not sure. I should look into that… otherwise that would be one helluva workout. LOL Yeah, I really hope to visit HCM one day! Will you be dropping by Bali any time soon?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha it would be indeed! Which I guess is a positive…? Definitely come! I don’t have the funds to get to Bali at the moment, but I definitely want to when I am more flexible in that area
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll definitely give you a shout once I make my way around there. 😊
LikeLike