What's The Best Way to Take Money Overseas on Holiday

Hi, I am going to Hawaii at the end of the month and want to know what is the best way to take spending money overseas.

thanks

Comments

  • -1

    In your pocket

  • -1

    Strap it to your body with tape!
    just make sure you wear large clothes so no one notices!

  • +1

    citibank account - but maybe too late now

  • +1

    Sign up to a citibank account tonight, then I'll DM or email you the verification documentation you need to take to Aus Post. It took me 2 calls to their call centre to get this.

    Take it to Aus Post tomorrow then your card will take about a week to arrive and your account details will arrive shortly after.

    Transferring money takes about a day.

    • Can you send to me too? :) I am going to the US next month so glad I saw this thread. I will sign up for CitiBank tonight. Thanks !

      • Will do. I just got home. Let me just check that it doesn't have any of my personal information pre- filed in.

        If you guys DM me your emails I'll send it through

  • +1

    Citibank Plus.

  • +2

    Large amounts of unmarked bills in a bag marked with $.

  • or SWAG

  • +1

    What are the benefits of a citibank account?

  • -1

    Carefully - especially in Hawaii - Terrible dirty place, with people to match. Only had one trip there for 3 days & can say " hand on heart" that we will NEVER put ourselves through the total rudeness,awfulness of local people & hotel staff, taxi drivers, horrible place.

    • +1

      Ive been once before my wife has been 3 times and have always had a great time and met very nice people.

    • +2

      Take it your real name is Robert Allenby

    • +1

      was there a month ago and had a great time. friendly people.

  • +1

    I prefer to take a sackful of the largest denomination of the local currency.

    That way, if someone tries to jack me they get the "ol' sackful sackful of the largest denomination of the local currency" upside the head

  • Citibank debit card for withdrawing cash overseas at the best rate. 28 degree card for credit purchases.

  • For Hawaii I would also take a Citibank Debit card.

    But to answer your more general question regarding the "best" way of "spending money overseas", sometimes it's hard to resist bringing some form of cash to exploit black markets or to avoid proportionally ridiculous withdrawal fees on small withdrawals.

    Up until recently, you could make a killing swapping US dollars in Argentina on the black market. The best forms of currency were iPhone 6 and USD, where you could make 70% or so extra profit. On the flipside, who wants to carry 1000s in cash through the streets of Buenos Aires?

    On short stopovers in cheap destinations you can sometimes save some dollars by exchanging cash rather than using an ATM. For example, all ATMs at Manila airport charge 200 PHP for withdrawals on top of whatever you lose to your bank. For $30 AUD I couldn't throw away 20% on fees, but the cash exchange rate fee was only like 1% or so even for small amounts in Terminal 3. To this day some popular destinations don't have ATMs or card facilities so you'll have to come prepared regardless.

    And sometimes the scammer's favourite, Western Union et al, can end up cheaper than ATM withdrawals - especially if ATM fees are unavoidable. This is because the fees are different between countries (India, Vietnam etc have much smaller fees than Australia).

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