Managing Money When Traveling Solo

I love, love, absolutely love traveling solo! But… there is definitely one thing I dislike about it: managing money on the road. I’m constantly worried about losing my passport, losing my wallet or any other important documents. If I would lose my credit card when traveling with a friend, it wouldn’t be so bad because I would rely on my friend for cash until I sort it out. But what do you do when you’re traveling solo? My best advice is minimize your chances of finding yourself in that situation in the first place! How?

1. Travel with more than 1 credit card: If you’re traveling alone, always, always, bring more than one credit card with you. You want to have back-up in the event that something happens to that one card.
2. Always keep your cards and money separate: So if you have two credit cards, you should be locking up one in your hostel/hotel and carry the other one on you. Same with your money. Only bring the money you will need on you and leave the balance at your hostel. So if ever you’re really unlucky and someone mugs you, you won’t lose everything.
3. Don’t flash your money: Keep it low-key when you’re walking around. You don’t want to be flashing your money and make yourself an easy target.
4. Make photocopies: Always have a photocopy of whatever cards you have, as well as your passport. Especially for your passport because it will speed up the process to issue a new one.

What happens if you’re really unlucky and lose everything? Don’t panic! Most countries do have Western Unions (or other similar places) so head to one if you can. Hopefully someone from home can wire you some money. If not, you can head to your embassy and see if they can do something for you.