How do you carry your $?

vicshippers

We go to NYC in September, need to get our $ sorted soon (hoping that the rate will life a little like last week soon).

Was just wondering - how would you carry your $?

I've never used travellers cheques, only ever taken cash or used FairFX while abroad. I obviously don't want to carry $1000 anywhere...

I was thinking of carrying $200 cash and loading the rest onto fairfx. Any other tips?

Meepster

When I went to the states I got an American Express travellers cheque card. Not sure if they are still available??

Mark_Hewitt

What's fairfx? And why can't you just take your normal cashpoint card with you?

eslick

about $500 worth of notes and the rest a credit card like the post office, this way you get near enough the bank rate. We have done it a few time now and wouldnt go back travellers cheques.

fairfx is a card you load up before you go, havent had one the inlaws did a few years ago and they found it more complicated as you needed to track your spend and not all places take them. its supposed to be ok now but tracking down to the penny doesnt appeal.

vicshippers

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

What's fairfx? And why can't you just take your normal cashpoint card with you?

When I go to Europe I take my FairFX card as the exchange rate is normally better and I don't have to worry about PIN scanners on card machines. It's a card that you load with currency before you go and use like a normal mastercard. eslick - it's definitely much better now, even in small European shops in small towns I had no worries using it (was accepted everywhere Mastercard was). I'm going to have a look see at the Post Office card, thanks!

I don't take my cashcard as my bank charges for withdrawals and the rate is appalling.

ferf1223

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

What's fairfx? And why can't you just take your normal cashpoint card with you?

https://www.fairfx.com

Depending on which 'normal cashpoint card' you have you may find it costs a lot more than expected to withdraw cash abroad.

We only recently started using FairFX and still won't use it for the bulk of our holiday money - just too paranoid about what happens if Newcastle Building Society who back the card go bust...because the funds are not protected.

Personally I think travellers cheques are a total pain...we do a combination of cash, FairFX and Nationwide Flex Account debit card...plus we have a PO credit card for anything we want to charge.

torbrex

Credit card for everything, I have used the Nationwide card in the past because there were no charges, now at 1% I believe.
I take cash with me, about $20-30 dollars a day for incidentals but all meals, shopping, fuel, excurtions, hotels and even groceries go on the card, it gives a better exchange rate and I just clear it when the bill comes in.

LittleMissAspie

eslick wrote: »

fairfx is a card you load up before you go, havent had one the inlaws did a few years ago and they found it more complicated as you needed to track your spend and not all places take them. its supposed to be ok now but tracking down to the penny doesnt appeal.

Wouldn't you need to track spending with a credit card too? Or do you not have a budget?

We are going to have to use FairFX and Caxton as we both got declined for the zero commission credit cards. Don't fancy carrying $3,200 in cash around.

eslick

LittleMissAspie wrote: »

Wouldn't you need to track spending with a credit card too? Or do you not have a budget?

sure track what you spend but if you say put $500 on and try to use it to by something for $30 and you have spent $480 and hadnt got an exact total then you would be declined. i think i know what I mean :)

Mark_Hewitt

Not really. You are saying you have no idea what you've spent?

dzug1

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

Not really. You are saying you have no idea what you've spent?

Well I don't keep track to the penny or even the pound (or even £10 come to that) of what I'm spending on a CC card overseas - a rough count of the $$ or €€ etc serves until the statement comes.

Do you count that as not having a budget?