Travelers Swear By This Hotel Hack To Avoid Bringing Home Leftover Foreign Currency

This problem sounds like a joke: having too much money. While financial surplus is rarely an issue in our daily lives, it can be a different story when we travel abroad on vacation. We exchange our money in advance for the local currency or collect our foreign bills from an ATM. We spend as much as we need, knowing that this money is better spent on experiences than items. Then, right at the end of our journey, we realize we have cash left over. This could be the equivalent of $20, $100, or more. We know we'll lose some of its value at a money changer, but if we have no use for additional services or souvenirs, what do we do with all this spare paper?

That's where one tip comes in particularly useful: using the remainder of this cash for your hotel bill. If you're planning to pay with a card, first ask the receptionist to tally whatever cash you have left. Say you're visiting London. If your final bill comes to £340, and you have £67 in your wallet, always use the cash first. You can then use your card for the remaining £273. This way you won't return home with a wad of useless banknotes.

Granted, the ultimate way to avoid bringing home leftover foreign currency is to take no foreign currency at all. Fewer and fewer travelers are using cash when they travel abroad. Travel guru Rick Steves avoids airport exchange booths, a common rip-off when traveling in Europe, and many travelers find that they can just use credit cards throughout their journey. Most transactions in China, for example, are handled through smartphone services like Alipay.

This isn't always the case, though, and can depend on your destination. Failing to carry cash is a common money mistake to avoid while exploring Mexico, and many other nations function in a similar way. It's always better to be safe than sorry in these cases, which means it may be somewhat inevitable that you finish your journey to Oaxaca or Cancún with a good amount of money in your pocket.

Before you burn your last pesos on your hotel bill, though, make sure you won't need them for those final hours. If cash is king in your destination, you may still need some more for your taxi to the airport or for a roadside snack before you drive across the border. This hack works great in most cases, but you'll want to avoid dooming yourself to a last-minute rush to the ATM.