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This is beautiful Phuket in Thailand. A real budget travel destination. Beds starting from just US$5.  |
I don't know about you, but few things piss me off more than banks charging me outrageous fees for the pleasure of accessing my own money!
And that's just at home in Australia!
When we go abroad they increase the fee burden in obvious and hidden ways:
*An initial loading fee (apparently it's very hard work to load money onto a card)
*An inactivity fee (God forbid I don't use my card all the time!)
*Currency exchange fee (done by a computer in seconds)
*Crappy exchange rate (often hidden from me unless I specifically ask)
*ATM withdrawal fee
*Purchase fee
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How would it feel to enjoy a nice meal on this lake? This is beautiful Phuket in Thailand. A real budget travel destination. Beds starting from just US$5. That's one coffee at Starbucks!
Who knows what fees they'll invent next?
Also, I wanted to mention that occasionally I send out a unique newsletter with my secret and unique money saving tips, great deals on flights, and special locations unknown to the average tourist (at bargain prices). You really can travel on a super small budget to exotic locations if you have all the information the travel companies don't want you to know about!What most people in the US and Australia don't know, is that in Europe, fee free international transactions come as standard on most debit cards (except for ATM cash withdrawals). No currency exchange fee, no purchase fees and no crappy exchange rates (because the exchange is done by Visa / Mastcard and they have pretty good low rates). Also, I wanted to mention that occasionally I send out a unique newsletter with my secret and unique money saving tips, great deals on flights, and special locations unknown to the average tourist (at bargain prices). You really can travel on a super small budget to exotic locations if you have all the information the travel companies don't want you to know about! SIGN UP FOR FREE! SIGN UP FOR FREE! Where it's free for customers of European banks, in Australia, international transaction fees are more often $5+3% per transaction. For the US it is more or less the same. Perhaps we should start charging them fees? A fee for making me wait in line during my lunch break, a fee for not opening up past 4pm, a fee every time the receipt disposal is full at their ATMs!! Well until that miraculous day comes, the good news is that there are good alternatives for Americans and Australians!
HOW TO TEACH THE BANKS A LESSON - FREEDOM FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BANK FEE BURDEN Australia The card I've been using for a few years now is the 28 Degrees Mastercard. In the past it was better because I used to load it up with my own money and ALL transactions, whether at ATMs or in a shop, were free. And there were no fees for the card either! I was paying literally no fees for anything! Unfortunately, since that time they have become a little greedy. Whilst all international purchases are still free, ATM withdrawals do now attract fees. So now I use two cards. The 28 Degrees Mastercard for all purchases abroad, and the Comm Bank Travel Card for ATM withdrawals. Although I hate Australian banks, sometimes they do offer the best deal in certain circumstances. The only reason I use it is because it has the least insane fees for ATM withdrawals. It has no initial load fee, nor a monthly inactivity fee and the lowest currency conversion fee of 2% (still criminal if you ask me, but better than the rest). United States In the US market, the Charles Schwab high yield checking account is the winner be a country mile. Despite its name, you don't need to have a lot of money to use it. Here are it's unique benefits:
Depending on how long you are traveling for and where, bank fees can end up costing you thousands of dollars and shorter holidays. There's no legitimate reason banks should be charging so much for accessing our own money, and since the government at the moment is too scared to step in and keep them in line, it pays to shop around and make sure you aren't being taken advantage of!
BREATHE EASY There's nothing quiet as freeing and as exciting as planning your dream escape, continue from start to finish with my step-by-step getting started page. |
