Zen and the Art of the Moneybelt
In the travel world there are two camps: the Debit card withdraw-it-as-you-need-it people and the Moneybelters. I am firmly a Moneybelter. On my list of must-haves for travel, my moneybelt is right up there with my passport and air tickets. There’s a certain confidence that comes with knowing at all times that my cash is safely down my pants.
That said, I am one of those women who can’t – and won’t – function without my massive purse (is that a lettuce in there? And a curling iron? And a pair of pants? Honestly, all things I either currently have in there or have within the last week), where I do keep my spending money. For that day. Whatever excess cash I have is happily nestled in my moneybelt. Should anyone steal my baby, er, my purse (I’d take them out. Really. No one messes with my purse. But it’s the principle…) I’d still have enough cash to get a taxi to the police station, buy some food to sustain me for the long hours spent filling out police reports in some random foreign language, and taxi me back to the hotel afterwards. A moneybelt will never replace a purse, as it’s just awkward reaching down your pants when you try to pay for your bag of chips at the minimart (especially in some countries, where this could be punishable by jail time). If the hotel has a safe, I use it, too, for any currency I may be carrying for different countries, or just to keep the bulk of the wad in my moneybelt from being too noticeable. And for my passport. But there are times when you need to have your passport with you, and when it’s down your pants in it’s nicely zippered compartment, I know I’m not going to reach into my purse for a mint and accidentally drop it to the curb.
Speaking of passports, I always keep a copy of mine in my moneybelt, too, just in case it gets lost or stolen. It’s also a good idea to have a photocopy of the person you’re travelling with’s as well, and to have them carry a copy of yours. The liklihood of you both getting ripped off at the same time is slim, and having that copy will make it so much faster at the consulate to have a replacement ordered.
I know they’re not cool looking, and they do evoke images of those old couples with the matching khaki pouches on strings around their necks, but everyone should seriously invest in a moneybelt. Besides, unless you have random people looking down your pants (and you know who you are), nobody’s ever going to see it anyway.
I should also add that I’m a strong advocate to travelling with (at least some) cash, and not relying solely on my debit card to make withdrawls as I need it. Firstly, this is way better on your budget, as you know exactly how much you have and aren’t going to just be randomly spending until that magic machine on the wall stops giving you bills. Secondly, if you’re cashless and nowhere near a bank, your taxi driver in Calcutta or Bangkok or New Jersey is not going to take debit. Or, most of the time, credit, either. Nor are they going to understand you when you try to climb out of the cab at the bank, telling them that you’re just going to get some money and be able to pay them when you get back. This last one is never, ever a good idea. Cash is so much more convenient. Yes, you have to be mindful of where your money is at all times, but you should be doing that anyway, right?
Taking the local currency is also a big plus. I’m not saying take nothing but Colones to Costa Rica, but the local currency is guaranteed to be accepted everywhere (the American dollar is a good emergency fallback – you’d love the look of “what’s that, play money?” you get if you try to use Canadian!- but who knows what exchange rate you’re paying) and I, personally, just find it a sign of respect to the country you’re visiting to recognize their culture and not ask them to recognize yours. Plus, you get to play with all the different funky-looking monies out there. They’re totally fun. Like in Hong Kong, where they have 3 different, but equally effective $10 bills, so you have to keep double-checking that yep, that too is $10.
The moneybelt just rocks. If the situation was bad enough, it probably could save the world, though at the very least it could really save your back someday. Join me. Become a Moneybelter!