Using Foreign Currency-My Tricks You Will Definitely Use!
It would be great if foreign countries would list price tags in your home currency, but I have the next best thing to share. Write up a tiny, homemade currency converter on paper and stash it in your wallet or handbag like a dollar bill.
I make a currency converter for all of the countries’ currencies I will encounter on any given trip. I very often travel overseas to visit multiple countries, so I have devised this strategy to limit my confusion .
Since I carry a little book with paper pages that I can keep in my little handbag, secured to myself with a hardy strap, I simply create pages for each currency so I can breeze through every shopping experience. No one has ever stolen my little paper book from me; it has value only for me.
I visit www.XE.com and type in my currency, the US Dollar in the box on the left. I enter the currency for the country I will visit in the right side box. I jot down the value of US $1, US $20 US and US$50 in their currency. If I hope to spend $10 to buy a particular item, I just add a zero to the $1 figure. If I want to compare values to $100, I just double the $50 figure. It is easy to do this; it takes less than 5 minutes per country or currency. If you don’t know what the currency will be in a given country and you cannot find it on the www.XE.com website, just type your question into a search engine. For example, Currency in Thailand can be typed into your search engine and you will find that currency before you click on any of the links. In Thailand, they circulate the THAI BAHT. I will show you what I write into my book when visiting Thailand…
32.14 Thai Baht = US $1
642.70 Thai Baht = US $20
1,606.75 Thai Baht = US $50
They use the abbreviation THB for Thai Baht, so I also make note of their abbreviation to avoid further confusion. This information, at my fingertips helps me to make decisions and to shop wisely. Try it! You’ll like it!
Lastly, if you are using credit cards, be sure you have a card that pays for foreign transaction fees. About a third of credit cards have this feature, and if not, you will pay an additional 3% for everything you charge. You never want to walk around a country with none of their currency, but it is easier to pay by credit card than to walk around with loads of cash. By using your credit cards more you will also pay less of an undeniable fee to convert your money, which has varying fees that are quite high in some Currency Exchanges. Spread your risk a little and be ready for all challenges and opportunities by planning ahead. Remember, “Suffering is optional!”-Dr. Cie