Survey Results/ATM Fee Saver/Vacation Deprivation
Nomadico issue #56
A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.
ATM Fee Saver
This week two of us went to four ATMs in Sarande, Albania. The first didn’t like my card and would have charged $5. The second would have charged $8, the third $7, then the last levied $0 in fees. Albania is not on the ATM Fee Saver app, but 40 other countries are and it will give you a heads up about these sometimes dramatic differences and guide you to the right machine. Even if you have a card that reimburses local fees, (mine’s from Fidelity), it feels good to reward the bank charging the least to get to your money. Available for Android and iPhone here.
Vacation Deprivation Stats
We know that the people reading this newsletter would never leave paid vacation days on the table, but way too many people in workaholic countries do, especially in the USA. The latest vacation deprivation report from Expedia is full of depressing stats to confirm it, but there are hopeful signs too. On one hand, Americans take 8.5 fewer vacation days than the global average, but they are prioritizing travel more than ever—as evidenced by this summer’s flight prices for packed planes. One in five respondents said they would travel “no matter what” this year. They feel that “regular vacations are a basic right” (91%) and “essential to general health and well-being” (92%).
Local Food & Drink Bargains
Do you know what the local food and drink bargains are where you’re headed next? Finding and consuming those can really help keep your travel budget in check. After two months in Greece, I can tell you what to load up on there: bakery items, olives/olive oil, feta, eggplant, oranges, Greek salads, wine (but not beer), Ouzo, chocolate bars (for some reason), and sweets in general. Fish, on the other hand, was usually the most expensive thing on restaurant menus, something I wasn’t expecting.
06/15/23
