How to 'Baggie' a Bargain

After years of changing currencies on an almost weekly basis, mainly due to my profession, I have perfected the way to remain organised with your money, and not have to have a zillion purses for each country’s visit.

Step in the ‘Sandwich Baggie’.

My boyfriend was horrified when shopping for bargains in Bangkok recently; I would pull out my ‘Sandwich Bag’ full of Thai Baht from visits long ago and an embarrassing amount of change. If you are like me, you just find it easier to hand over a note, and put the coinage away to be forgotten. Well forgotten no more.

I hate the thought that once you leave a country, you currency is deemed worthless unless you fancy holding up the queue at Thomas Cook Money Exchange with your handful of silver. I have a whole draw full of these bags labelled with their country of birth with some of these bags holding phone cards, travel cards and even discount cards ready for my return back to their home at some point.

If you just cannot bear to be seen in your destination of choice handling one of these, then simple. Empty your purse/wallet into another ‘baggie’ then VOILA! You have a purse/wallet now free to put your country of destinations money in. Or better still, keep a purse/wallet free ONLY for your travels and empty at the end of each visit (into a new baggie).

A word of advice though, despite my boyfriend's embarrassment at my new purse (I was just lazy to transfer it all into my wallet) we believe the ‘baggie’ helped me to secure some decent bargains, for the merchants felt sorry for me not owning a purse every time I pulled it from my handbag and thought I could perhaps use the savings to secure one.

**Update: I always try think and act as environmental as possible and in most cases these 'baggies' are reused or recycled ie I do not purchase new ones.