Most people spend an excruciating amount of time on planning their vacation. If only they'd invest as much into the financial aspects of their trip! Finding a cheap flight and accommodation won't be of much help, unless you back it up with a strategy to protect you against currency fluctuations, excessive ATM charges and absurd exchange costs. As a consequence, many either end up spending a lot more than they initially intended or find themselves unable to afford the things they really want – both of which can turn what promised to be a magical vacation into a major disappointment. To prevent this from happening again in the future, you need to look for affordable solutions.
And you no longer have to worry about spending the full amount on the card, either: If you return with money on your card you can always exchange it back to the original currency subject to mostly minor charges You will always get the best exchange rate though so this won't be too much of a problem.
The best thing about the currency card, however, has to be the knowledge that you are saving money when compared to other holiday money options. By reading this article, you've already demonstrated that you're willing to invest time into sensible budgeting. Thanks to a currency card, you will now be able to reap the benefits of this investment.
Saving money with a currency card
As mentioned, desperately few holiday-goers take currency exchange and payment options into their considerations. When going abroad, however, one of the things you absolutely need to consider is how you are going to take your money. Travellers cheques, once the ideal payment method abroad, are no longer widely accepted. Taking your money to an exchange bureau on location is about as sensible as throwing it away. Which leaves you with the option of exchanging money before you go at an exchange bureau or use a currency card which is preloaded with money before you go. The latter is increasingly catching on with many people and with good reason - it can save you money.No ATM charges
Firstly, a currency card usually won't charge you for using an ATM abroad. This is great news because most people have been caught out with hefty fees when they have made a withdrawal, even a small one. It is even better news considering ATMs are now widely available in most countries and thus make it a lot easier to budget in advance or to come by much-needed cash should you urgently need it. And besides saving you money, free ATM use has another benefit – your peace of mind. After all, you won't have to run around trying to exchange your money whilst enjoying your holiday and will know that you can use it almost anywhere.No debts
A currency card will also give you the freedom of using a card whilst abroad whilst avoiding any fears of getting into debt. After all, you can only spend what's on the card. Which is not to say that you can not top it up – all major currency card vendors are allowing you or even family or friends in case of an emergency, to add money to your balance. But it does mean that you are firmly and fully in control of how much you want to spend and what you'd like to spend it on. This way, you can be sure to always have enough just the right amount of money at your disposal.No exchange rate problems
Finally, a currency card fixes the exchange rate, meaning you're no longer subjected to the wild mood swings and speculations of the money market. While this is unlikely to constitute a major issue in mainland Europe, currency fluctuations can cost you a lot of money over a very short timespan in other parts of the world. Even currencies like the Japanese Yen can oscillate wildly against the Pound, and others can turn out to be even worse.And you no longer have to worry about spending the full amount on the card, either: If you return with money on your card you can always exchange it back to the original currency subject to mostly minor charges You will always get the best exchange rate though so this won't be too much of a problem.
No safety issues
The safety of a currency card is also important. It contains a chip and PIN so you needn't worry about someone stealing your money. In fact safety is one of the major benefits of the currency card. If you have your card stolen or you lose it then just let the currency card company know and they will replace your card and the money that was on it when it was stolen. They could even deliver it to where you are staying on holiday.The best thing about the currency card, however, has to be the knowledge that you are saving money when compared to other holiday money options. By reading this article, you've already demonstrated that you're willing to invest time into sensible budgeting. Thanks to a currency card, you will now be able to reap the benefits of this investment.
This article was written in association with Tuxedo, a leader in the field of currency cards and prepaid technologies.
No comments:
Post a Comment