Too Much Cash
 

No matter how I plan I always find myself with the equivalent of $20 - $30 before leaving for home. Not enough to convert back into dollars, but more that I'd like to throw in the charity boxes in airports. <BR><BR>The euro makes it simpler to bring them home for another trip, but I know I'll forget where I put them. So I usually buy something I don't need at the duty free shop, charging the remainder on my credit card.<BR><BR>Any more creative ideas?

I have used the extra cash to fill up the rental car on way to airport or do as you did: Spend at the airport. Anything left is thrown in a box on a bookshelf at home and taken back on next trip. Euro will really help that out.

KenCt<BR><BR>Most of us end up with some money left at the end of the trip. Euro will make it easier to use on a future trip, so many more countries to use it in, some many more trips in mind...<BR><BR>Pre Euro I would put each country's currency, change and any stamps and travel cards in a separate snack size baggy and store them with our pass ports. The when we got the passports out for a trip I would gave the appropriate bag(s) and be ready to go. Now it will be one bigger EuroBaggie!!<BR><BR>For countries that I did not think we'd be returning to anytime soon (China, Brazil etc), I usually gave it to charity at the airport. In contrast to what we spent on trips, it was not much and could do more good than spending it on souveniers at the airport. My husband has a very sensible attitude on this, "Donate the money, do a good deed. Then buy yourself whatever you want at the airport and use the credit card, that what it's for."<BR><BR>Judy in Germany

Like Judy, I keep the amount I end up with after airport purchases (usually around 10 USD) and file it away in a place I know I can find it. As I have friends and colleagues that travel fairly frequently, usually someone can use it, even if I can't. If you have a stopover in London on the way to Italy, for example, you don't want to stock up on GBP, but it's very nice to have a fiver to buy a magazine and a snack! This plan seems to work out well, reciprocally.<BR><BR>Coins, of course, go in the charity collection bins.

If it's a country I'll be flying in to -- particularly to London, I'll keep some cash for my next arrival. Otherwise the best thing to do is to put the balance (less anything you might need for a final trip to the airport) on the hotel bill. Most hotels will gladly take your balance of cash and then put the rest on a credit card.

You might try selling your currency to someone also on vacation that is from your country. For example, if you live in the US, possibly you will meet another person from the US at the hotel you are staying at. Even if you made a deal and sold the $30 of foreign currency for $25, you would be getting currency you want and giving the person you are selling it to a deal. I guess this is the reverse of scalping. Otherwise, using the balance of your foreign currency to pay your hotel bill, and then paying for the balance of it by credit card is a great idea, that's something that I do all of the time.

Maybe it's me, but I get really nervous with no local currency between the hotel and the airport. What if I need something I packed and checked? Asprin? Soft drink? Ball point pen?<BR><BR>I like the idea of storing the currency with my passport. For use on a future trip or to give as a going-away gift. <BR><BR>

I always like to have some foreign currency on hand to give to any friends and relatives as a gift when they leave for their trips.

I usually spend most of what I've got left over on chocolates at the airport & also a magzine to read on the way back. Any coins go in one of those unicef 'change for good' envelopes while keeping a few as a souvenir or to give to my nieces & nephew.