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Travel Tips: How to Make the Most of Your Leftover Foreign Currency
If you’ve ever come back from a trip with some foreign coins jangling in your pocket, you know that your choices are limited: Exchange at a bank, or throw them into a drawer until the next trip. But bank exchange seems like a hassle for what amounts to a few dollars, and if you’re like me, you’re lucky if you remember to pack socks, let alone a tiny bag full of forgotten coins.
Rather than render your hard-earned euros and yen worthless once you’re back on U.S. soil, here are some ways to get the most from them.
• Play Brewster’s Millions at the Airport
Flash back to the classic 1980s Richard Pryor film, and pretend your wealth depends on spending as much money as possible in a short amount of time. Of course, in the film, the budget was $30 million. You may be dealing with a few dollars. No reason not to have fun with it, though. I once spent a layover wandering around the Denpasar airport trying to find something that was exactly 100 rupiah (about $1 at the time). I bought a sticker, and boarded my plane with nary a rupiah in my pocket.
• Use It to Teach Youngsters a Geography Lesson
When my nephew was younger, we used to play “Where did Aunt Molly go?” with a map and my passport. Now, with my older nieces, we’re doing the same thing with currency. Kids love the different colors, designs, and sizes of various currencies, and it’s a fun way to teach them about different lands. And when they’re older, they can look back fondly on the euro from that trip you took this year, and say that that’s when they learned the meaning of a bank run.
• Say, “Gracias Por El Cafe.”
Grabbing a coffee or a sandwich for a flight that doesn’t include either? While many cultures don’t tip, airport restaurants and coffee shops always have tip jars out for the customers who are inclined to do so. Sadly, these jars are often empty. Drop a couple of coins in, and you’ll make someone’s day by the gesture, if not the amount.
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