Bank fees. Why? I worked in a bank for 10 years and every moment I spent conversing with a customer over their monthly service fee, I empathized. My job was to justify the charges. You can see how this was a catch 22.

My goal since then has been to carry my currency with those institutions that allow the security which a mattress does not, without the cost of a night out on the town once a month. With 13 months of travel, I certainly do not want to carry around wads of cash. I thought avoiding services fees at the ATM’s was going to be a challenge. I did my research. A professor I can become with my extensive experience researching this trip! Tangerine, a solely online Canadian bank affiliated with Scotiabank, would give me $300 to open an account, free day to day banking, and allow me free ATM withdrawals globally. The decision was instant. The paperwork less so. I suppose there is always a price to pay.

Keep in mind the bank’s will charge a slightly higher exchange rate when withdrawing funds. However, in my experience in the past, I have been in situations where I have taken out more money than I actually needed because I didn’t want to get dinged another service fee. Now, I can take out only what I need in each country worry-free.

Wherever you are, whatever country you live in, find ways to cost save on banking fees. As well as maximize travel points to help offset some of the travel expenses. My preferred choice of travel credit cards is TD First Class Visa which gives me 3 points on every purchase and 9 points on everything I purchase through Expedia. The points allow me to directly purchase travel items (hotels, flights, travel packages, rental cars) that include all costs associated, including taxes. The annual cost of the card is $120 but my yearly regular purchases accumulate travel points much greater than that amount which offsets the cost. The bank also offers promotions for the first year – whether it be first year annual fee waived or enough points to match $120 or both (I ended up getting both due to timing and patience).

Bottom line: if you want more of your bottom line, do your research!