Travel money
The Best Way to Exchange Currency (and the Worst), Compared
ATM abroad, home bank, airport kiosk or card? The real cost of each way to get foreign currency, with a worked $500 example and a plan for your trip.
· 5 min read
Money guides for travelers and converters
Practical guides to exchange rates, travel money, card fees, crypto and gold, with live rates, worked examples and sources. RSS
Travel money
Cash in Japan: How Much Yen to Bring and Where to Get It
Japan still runs on cash. How much yen to carry per day, which ATMs take foreign cards, IC cards, tipping, and a yen budget at today's rate.
· 5 min read
Currency history
Currencies Before the Euro: Conversion Rates and Where to Exchange
Fixed euro conversion rates for all 21 former currencies, from the Deutsche Mark to the lev, what old notes are worth today and where to exchange them.
· 4 min read
Travel money
Foreign Transaction Fees: What They Cost and How to Avoid Them
What a foreign transaction fee is, why it's usually about 3%, how debit cards and ATMs add more, and how to pay nothing extra abroad or online.
· 4 min read
Gold & metals
Gold Price per Gram vs Troy Ounce: Units, Karats and a Price Table
How gold is priced: troy ounce vs gram vs kilo, what 24k, 22k, 18k and 14k gold is worth per gram, and how to work out the melt value of jewelry.
· 5 min read
Exchange rates
How Exchange Rates Work: Mid-Market Rate, Spreads and What Moves Them
What an exchange rate actually is, why your bank's rate differs from Google's, how to calculate the hidden markup yourself, and what makes currencies move.
· 6 min read
Travel money
Pay in Local Currency or Dollars? Dynamic Currency Conversion
When a card terminal or ATM abroad offers to charge you in your home currency, say no. What dynamic currency conversion is, what it costs, how to spot it.
· 5 min read
Exchange rates
The Strongest Currencies in the World (Ranked by Value)
The world's highest-valued currencies ranked by the value of one unit in US dollars, why the Kuwaiti dinar is No. 1, and what 'strong' really means.
· 4 min read
Travel money
Tipping in Europe: A Country-by-Country Guide
How much to tip in Italy, France, Germany, the UK, Spain and 10 more European countries: restaurants, cafés, taxis, hotels and service charges.
· 4 min read
Crypto
What Is a Stablecoin? USDT vs USDC Explained for Everyday Users
How stablecoins keep a $1 price, what backs USDT and USDC, the new US and EU rules, past de-pegs, and what it means if you use them to move money.
· 5 min read