Travelling Internationally? Take Care of these Financial Matters First!

Planning an international trip can be hectic and intimidating. There are multiple things to consider to make your trip comfortable and free from stress – from securing a passport/visa and booking plane tickets with best deals to finding the most attractive and accommodating Airbnb rental and packing your clothes and other essentials in your bags. With so many things to plan and prepare, many people tend to forget to thoroughly sort out their finances. It is unwise to think you are ready for the trip just by having enough money in your wallet and a credit card to use for emergencies.  In terms of finances, there are still a lot of things to deliberate on and allocate expenses for. So before you go on that trip abroad, take a moment to sit down and plan your finances carefully. Here are some things to remember and do before leaving:

Don’t Forget Your Monthly Bills

 If you will be out of the country for a while, it is important to set up auto payment for your monthly bills. Make sure that you have enough money allotted for the account where each bill is linked to. Most banks provide convenient and easy methods to set up and automatically pay your bills. This should be on the top of your financial priorities. Otherwise, you might get nasty surprises once your vacation is over, and you come home to discover several late fees and suspended accounts!

Keep Y0ur Bank Informed About Your Travel Plans

To avoid credit card fraud while traveling internationally, share your travel plans with your bank before leaving. Ask them to secure and keep all your bank information – credit and/or debit card numbers included – in one place. In that way, they can easily find your information and block your card just in case your card got stolen or lost while traveling. Additionally, check with your bank about international transaction fees if you use your card to purchase something abroad to avoid any surprises in your billing statements.

Know About Foreign Exchanges

Before starting your journey, do examine exchange rates. If you are traveling to multiple countries, familiarize yourself about the currencies they take and whether or not there are any particular rules you need to follow. For example, in Myanmar, money changers only accept spotless US dollars meaning any note with tears or stains are discounted when exchanged. After doing a bit of research, go over your options and choose the best one. Remember that, more often than not, airports don’t always have the best rates.

Take Travel Insurance

Many travelers often forget or disregard travel insurance. It’s important to remember that many things can go wrong while traveling and this can save the day in case of an unforeseen accident or any complication. For example, travel insurance can take care of extra medical expenses, lost or stolen luggage or bags, canceled flights and more. For example, you can get in touch with your health insurer and ask about their policies regarding foreign trips; same goes for auto insurance, in case you plan to rent a car. It might even save you some money before the trip.

Check Your Mobile Service Provider For International Roaming

Almost everyone travels with a phone these days – some use it for picture-taking and recording memorable moments while others use it for business purposes to call and text important people. So if you’re planning to use your phone to call or text someone while abroad, check with your mobile service provider for useful information regarding international roaming charges. But if you can’t be bothered about that, you can go and buy a local sim card once you reach your destination. They are far cheaper and easily available.

Now that you are all prepped up for your upcoming trip, you can be assured that when you are back in the country, you won’t have surprise bills waiting for you. More importantly, knowing about foreign transaction fees on your credit cards and getting travel insurance are much needed in order to keep an eye out for your expenses. Remember, if you want to be a smart and safe traveler, you must sort your finances before, during, and after the trip.