Paying for RVing or traveling

[DogFatherFL]

I do most of my RVing around FL. Travel by plane to visit friends &
relatives, who farther away. Either way I need to have money. I have CC (credit cards)and DC (debit cards). But,I keep my money in mutual funds, not at banks. So, I need some emergency way to get money, if the need arose. Traveler's Checks do not work like they used to. My CCs have large spending limits, but much smaller cash advances. Any ideas on how to carry more cash available with me.

Something like a GC (gift card) with the ability to get cash at an ATM. That also is password protected. I have used Amex & Walmart GCs in the past.They worked well for me. Sometimes they even give discounts on gas.

I would think a GC with the ability to get cash at an ATM and is protected in some way, from theft or loss, would be a great product.
Anyone know of such an animal?

[Jean_S]

Redsky, we don't carry much cash anymore. Back in the day when we did, hubby made a false shelf bottom about 1 1/2 inches deep. It looked and felt just like normal and was held in place by metal pins. A magnet was used to move the pins and open it. Yes, we were broken into, once. But no burglar is going to run around your rig trying a magnet on all your shelving. A few minor things raken, but the $2000 in the shelf bottom was still there.

[kab449]

Padlin wrote:
Transfer $ from mutual fund XXX to Money Market Mutual Fund.
Transfer $ from Money Market fund to Bank account attached to your debit card.
Can be done on the phone or internet.

I've not done it but I believe you can transfer right from fund XXX to the applicable bank account as opposed to going through a MM fund.

My TD Ameritrade Account allows direct electronic transfers from my Investment Account to my Bank Account. Always Credit Cards with the associated protections not given to Debit cards. Electronic statements from the credit cards and online payment of the balance every month.
Don't get any easier than that.

[Padlin]

Transfer $ from mutual fund XXX to Money Market Mutual Fund.
Transfer $ from Money Market fund to Bank account attached to your debit card.
Can be done on the phone or internet.

I've not done it but I believe you can transfer right from fund XXX to the applicable bank account as opposed to going through a MM fund.

[Passin_Thru]

We use a Chase Visa united mileage awards card. Pay off at 30 days and get miles to flie everywhere as we use it for everything. They threatened a fee and we said OK, we can get a Chase card, no fees. They backed off. We hate BA and will never do business with them. The Secured Cards have so many rules they are almost worse than Aiirline tickets. My Fidelity account has a $4000.00 witdrawal limit and is available same day. We also use Corporate Family Cr Un and have 2 accounts so could w/d $600 ea day from ATMs at any 7-11 for free and a lot of other ATMS for free also.

[Redsky]

I carry cash up to $3,000 on trips. 30 100-dollar bills takes very little space. I may need to go to a bank to get smaller denominations as many places are wary of 100's and sometimes even 50's.

I have $200 or less in my pocket so that is all anyone is ever going to see in public. I don't wear a Rolex or other flashy jewelry so I am not a target for a mugger and I don't tend to travel to places like Florida where mugging has been a problem over the years.

I use a debit card with its PIN for most transactions where I might use cash like in a supermarket and credit cards for hotel charges, and fuel purchases. I like to use cash at restaurants as that is where I have experienced the most problems with people copying down my card information and then making purchases. I have the banks issue new cards with new numbers after every trip. There is no charge for doing this.

[CavemanCharlie]

Well, I don't travel much. I do my banking at the same small town (400 people) bank that I have been banking at for over 40 years now. I have one credit card with a 3000 dollar limit. I forgot the pin number on it years ago and I have never used a ATM. I write checks. Free checking in my bank and if I run low on money in there I call them on the phone and tell them to transfer some money from savings. I just carry about 100 cash in my wallet and have another 100 stuck under the insole in my shoe.

[1775]

Just open a bank account that has no balance limitations at a bank with ATM access in most areas and deposit an emergency sum in the account before you leave on your trip. Don't use the atm card as a debit card, but find an atm machine and make a withdrawal. Credit Unions are good for this and are now open to the general public in many places. Credit Union atm cards are good at any other Credit Union's atm machines with no atm fees and there are credit unions just about everywhere.

[noe-place]

Our investments portfolio is set up so we may take money anytime we want. I must credit DW with getting us started many years ago and now retirement has been even more pleasant than I expected.

[2gypsies1]

You can use a Discover card at the register and get $60 cash back. We do this occasionally but then we always pay our credit card bills in full when due.... no interest charges for us!

[Chris_Bryant]

wbwood wrote:

Chris Bryant wrote:
Personally, I would not travel with a debit card. To get cash, just shop with a credit card at Wally World (or most grocery stores) that let you get cash back.

Why not a debit card? If it's a visa (which most are) you are protected as with a visa cc. And to get cash off a cc, it would be a cash advance. Some credit cards will charge a fee for that. You can get cash off your debit card at Wally World just the same.

You are protected to some extent- but the protection is nothing like for a CC. If your card is compromised, all of the money can be withdrawn from your account. Yes, it will be put back, but not for days. A debit card is a direct link to my checking account, and traveling, I would really rather not provide that.

[wbwood]

Chris Bryant wrote:
Personally, I would not travel with a debit card. To get cash, just shop with a credit card at Wally World (or most grocery stores) that let you get cash back.

Why not a debit card? If it's a visa (which most are) you are protected as with a visa cc. And to get cash off a cc, it would be a cash advance. Some credit cards will charge a fee for that. You can get cash off your debit card at Wally World just the same.

[Jean_S]

wbwood - compost happens. So do bank glitches. That's why we have 2 checking accts at 2 different banks. If one computer has a nervous breakdown, we can use the other.

[mlts22]

Dick_B wrote:
When we buy groceries on our credit card it is sometimes possible to get extra cash. Seems like Walmart does this plus others.

If I use my bank card with a debit function, Wally World, Walgreen's, and other places will have the option for cash back.

I never thought about banking system failure, but having a strongbox that is crowbar resistant and some cash in that may not be a bad idea.

[Dick_B]

When we buy groceries on our credit card it is sometimes possible to get extra cash. Seems like Walmart does this plus others.