How much cash to take?

FutureMrsTR

FI and I are going to an all-inclusive in Mexico for our honeymoon.  Neither of us have every been to a resort before so I'm not sure what to expect.  Anyone have any idea on how much cash we should take with us?  Or none and take travelers checks?  I think there are two excursions we want to do, but other than that we probably won't go wandering outside of the resort very much.  Tips are included, but a lot of the reviews on TripAdvisor say that they are obviously appreciated.  We'll be there for 7 days.

Also, we want to go zip-lining, but how do you carry your stuff with you while you're doing that?

Any other tips?

andyandhillary

Andy and I took $300-400 for our Disney World honeymoon and all we had to pay for was tips and food.  Hopefully that helps you out a bit!

mandysmear

Do you have a money belt you'd wear under your clothes?

FutureMrsTR

That's a good idea, Mandy.  I'll look into getting one of those.  FI was more concerned with how to take his camera with him.  I don't know if you can wear a backpack with the harness?

Knittibell

I don't know about how much to take... but for the zip lining, I'd get a couple of ever-fashionble fanny-packs*. While never the most lovely accessory, in this case I think it's just what you need.

*H was from the UK, where "fanny" is slang for lady parts. While prepping for a trip to an amusement park, I asked if I should get my fanny pack... you can imagine the rest of that convo.

AmoroAgain

I wouldn't do the money belt.  They're really easy to see and easy to grab.  Same with the passport holders people use around their neck. 

AmoroAgain

Oh duh-- we have a backpack that is accessible only from the back part, so it's great for traveling.

pumpkinpumpkin

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_much-cash?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:84c69edc-5c65-414a-a970-649715170c90Post:35e8a79c-3c3a-4901-b4ef-43bc258b6e03">Re: How much cash to take?</a>:
[QUOTE]I wouldn't do the money belt.  They're really easy to see and easy to grab.  Same with the passport holders people use around their neck. 
Posted by AmoroAgain[/QUOTE]

This.

Also, when we were in Mexico last winter we spent over $1000 in just stupid crap. But, our resort wasn't very nice, the food wasn't good, so we went out almost every night for dinner.

I've been to Mexico 3 times, Cuba twice. I've never had a minute of trouble leaving my stuff in the safes, or just carrying my cash around with me. But, I don't go down there with $1000 cash either. I think we each took a couple hundred, and then used the bank machines. They give you the same exchange rates, and you don't have to worry about carrying around a pocket full of money.

I don't think you'll need to use traveller's cheques either.

Where in Mexico are you going?

FutureMrsTR

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_much-cash?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:84c69edc-5c65-414a-a970-649715170c90Post:9a21752d-b404-4817-ae90-7c11f1058c36">Re: How much cash to take?</a>:
[QUOTE]Oh duh-- we have a backpack that is accessible only from the back part, so it's great for traveling.
Posted by AmoroAgain[/QUOTE]

That's cool, do you know where I could find one of those?

mandysmear

I've never heard any complaints from any friends who travelled with money belts under their clothes.  In mexico, europe, cuba, DR... no one has had their stuff swiped.

I have heard that usually the bad guys will go after the man in couples because they assume that they have all the money.  So, as the female, I would carry it all.

Depending on how much you plan on shopping would depend on how much money you should bring I guess.  I know I'd be in the markets and in the towns shopping, eating lunch, etc.  So I'd bring at least $300USD... how ever many pesos that is - I don't know.

[Deleted User]

We were in Cozumel last winter and didn't take more than a few hundred dollars.  Our resort was all inclusive, and we just kept what we weren't using in the safe. 

tenofcups4me

I'd take a couple hundred in cash, a few hundred in travelers checks, and make sure you've got a credit card with access for more just in case. You probably won't need much cash, but you might for transportation to and from the resort (or is it included?), you might want to go out a night or two for dinner or find you need to pay for something on your excursions, and you definitely might want to buy things while you're gone. You can always use the travelers checks once you get home if you don't spend them there. And I always like to have at least some cash on hand just in case.

AmoroAgain

Yeah, I'm a fan of using cash machines as well. 

The reason money belts aren't a good idea is, your money is hidden on your person- okay, well, how do you get to your money without anyone seeing where it's at?  You can't.  So you have to wear super baggy clothes that are untucked which makes it easier to steal.  I'm not saying that everyone who uses them is going to get robbed, just that IMO, it doesn't really help anymore than just general awareness. 

I think the backpack came from a luggage shop, but I'm not sure.

andyandhillary

I think if you keep the around-the-neck passport holder under your clothes that shouldn't be an issue.  Maybe some people don't wear it under their clothes but we've never had problems.

wadingmoose

Herbert had his money belt cut off of him and removed without him even noticing on a train in Turkey.  He was travelling alone and it was during Ramadan which pretty much left him screwed since no banks were open and he couldn't get money wired to him until after the holiday.

crfische

I must not be a safety girl, because I wouldn't even sweat this.  When we go to Mexico, we take a couple hundred bucks. A lot of ones to tip people, mostly.

But I've always felt super safe in Mexico. So ya know. I take my purse. And Scott takes his wallet. Like we do every day.

AmoroAgain

Yep.  Same with me Fischster.  The best deterrent is awareness!

wadingmoose

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_much-cash?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:84c69edc-5c65-414a-a970-649715170c90Post:b12b89d3-caae-4037-a977-44f98c93f86a">Re: How much cash to take?</a>:
[QUOTE]Yep.  Same with me Fischster.  The best deterrent is awareness!
Posted by AmoroAgain[/QUOTE]


Awareness and avoiding looking like a tourist :)

AmoroAgain

Well, there isn't always a way to avoid that I mean, we didn't look Italian, ever, but were only ever once bothered in the milan train station by a gypsy.The one time there was an attempted robbery, it was a couple of little kids who tried to steal our groceries out of our car in front of our apartment.

mandysmear

My sister is the most paranoid traveller ever.  In vegas she didn't want the maids to cllean the room because she was worried they'd steal stuff from us.  Actually she's paranoid period.  She doesn't want me to get a security system because by having stickers and signs and stuff if just shows that you have something to steal. 

I could only imagine what she'd be like in mexico. 

My GF had her camera stolen in mexico.  I don't remember why or where or how. 

I lady I work with went to mexico.  Solo.  Passed out on a stoop in front of a bar with her expensive camera around her neck.  A couple girls woke her up and took her back to her hotel.  No one took her camera, hurt her, nothing.  She was lucky though.

tenofcups4me

I always just carry a regular bag wherever I am. When I'm with DH, we split up cash so that he has some and I have some so in the unlikely event that someone does do a pickpocket job, we still have half left. Whenever possible, I like to keep cash in my front pocket because there's no way anyone is getting their hand in my front pocket without me knowing it, though I'm not always wearing something with pockets. I've advised DH to do the same rather than keep it in a wallet in the back pocket (but that's true at home too).

wadingmoose

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_much-cash?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:84c69edc-5c65-414a-a970-649715170c90Post:5236099f-82e8-44f0-bab1-39c6705ba370">Re: How much cash to take?</a>:
[QUOTE]Well, there isn't always a way to avoid that I mean, we didn't look Italian, ever, but were only ever once bothered in the milan train station by a gypsy.The one time there was an attempted robbery, it was a couple of little kids who tried to steal our groceries out of our car in front of our apartment.
Posted by AmoroAgain[/QUOTE]


No, you don't look Italian, but these days there are a lot more people actually LIVING in other countries who aren't native to that country.  So while you're not ethnically native, you didn't exactly walk around like a stupid tourist and make yourself a target.  You looked like someone who knew how to travel OR lived there.

There a difference between travellers and tourists in a lot of cases.

georgia_bride09

When we went to an all-inclusive in Jamaica, we just took our purse and wallet. I actually could've left my purse at home, since I didn't need it at all. We took $200-300 and spent probably about 80% of it. We only went to town once, and learned our lesson.

georgia_bride09

H just carried his wallet in the ports for our cruise as well.

Mrs.B6302007

try travelsmith.com and see if they have the backpack with the underside zip

AmoroAgain

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_much-cash?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:84c69edc-5c65-414a-a970-649715170c90Post:a376ce73-7ea5-444e-b132-5d5a8eb11a9a">Re: How much cash to take?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: How much cash to take? : No, you don't look Italian, but these days there are a lot more people actually LIVING in other countries who aren't native to that country.  So while you're not ethnically native, you didn't exactly walk around like a stupid tourist and make yourself a target.  You looked like someone who knew how to travel OR lived there. There a difference between travellers and tourists in a lot of cases.
Posted by wadingmoose[/QUOTE]
Very good point.

mandysmear

what do you mean learned your lesson georgia?

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

I have a small backpack that's one strap across the body. I got it at Patagonia and I use it for short day hikes and traveling. In unsavory areas you can swing it around so the zipped part is in the front. FI wears a passport holder under his clothes, but I've never found this necessary. I just don't bring my nice purses and whatnot with me - cheap change purses when traveling, just in case. We also routinely lock our passports in the room safe. Then again, at home, my passport isn't in a safe. I don't wear a money belt while walking around LA. Dangerous things can happen anywhere, and mostly we just live with that fact.

I wouldn't carry more than $200-$300 on me, tops, at any given time. Then again, the only AI vacation I've been on is a cruise. In Europe, where I normally take about $1,000 in spending for 10-14 days, I just hit up the ATM every 3-4 days or so. If you plan on doing that, make sure to call your bank and credit card company and let them know you'll be traveling out of the country and for how long. I've always done that and never had a problem. FI waiting until the day of our trip to the UK (when we were standing in line at the airport) and ended up having his card cut off. Thankfully it wasn't an emergency and his cell phone worked in London.

Also, your bank might have agreements with other banks where you can take money out and they won't charge an ATM fee (they do usually have a foreign transaction fee, though). I use Bank of America and I know they partner with Royal Bank of Scotland and Deutsch Bank, among others.

Pirata13

I've stashed cash in different spots when travelling. But when we go on HM, we'll be doing mostly traveler's cheques, a little cash and the credit card.  We'll leave our debit cards at home, I think.

FutureMrsTR

I got yanked into a meeting, but thanks for all of the advice ladies!  And P2 if you happen to see this we're going to Riviera Maya.

aplatanada

Riviera Maya is great. Be sure to go to Tulum, it's amazing.

Try to bring smaller denominations of US cash- $1 and $5. Easier to tip. My experience is that USD are always preferred over local currency.

 Also, if you are really  concerned about theft, split up where you keep your cash on your body- ie, some in a money belt, some emergency stuff in a sock.  That wasy if your purse/belt/whatever gets stolen, you will have a backup.  (ETA: oops, didn't see this advice had already been given.)