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02-22-2018, 04:32 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Mid Atlantic Campers
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: State College, PA
Posts: 267
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Money on the Road?
We are going to be taking a trip across country from PA to Alaska. I can't figure out how to get cash. I don't want to have to pay high ATM prices, any ideas?
Thanks,
Scott
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Scott Pierce
2014 Itasca Cambria 27K
2021 Subaru Crosstrek 6spMT
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02-22-2018, 04:35 PM
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: western NC mountains!
Posts: 4,106
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unless you take a boat load with you, ATM's are the only way, other than using Walmart's 'cash back' every time you make a purchase with your Debit or Credit card... but,
why cash?
We went to Canada and Alaska, and well, everywhere, and use the Walmart credit card - very little, if ever, need for cash... though I had several hundred with me just in case.
In Canada, Walmart credit card, or probably any credit card, will automatically provide the monetary transfer from US $ to CA $, plus the difference in the exchange rate, plus a small fee, automatically. You don't have to do anything. Since the Canada exchange rate is favorable to US money, you usually come out better even when the Canada prices for things are slightly higher, such as fuel.
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02-22-2018, 04:48 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Spartan Chassis
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Northwest Washington State or Western Montana, depending on the season.
Posts: 3,473
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The credit or debit card is today's cash! That said, do you have an account at a bank with branches in the areas you will be traveling in? If so, you can stop in at any local branch and draw cash from your account. If not, you might consider setting one up. Otherwise, use a debit card when you make a purchase and get as much additional cash as the merchant will allow.
I usually carry about $500 in cash...well hidden in the coach...for an emergency, but the credit and debit cards usually make that unnecessary. Virtually anything you will want to buy will be available via one or the other.
TJ
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Jim (W7DHC), Diane & Mini Schnauzers, Lizzy & Ellie
2018 Mountain Aire 4047
2014 Honda CR-V 2020 Lincoln Nautilus "toad" w/AF1
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02-22-2018, 04:56 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Sacramento, California
Posts: 1,402
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Cash is always accessible with an ATM card. And most gas, restaurants, grocery stores take ATM.
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02-22-2018, 05:01 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 1,513
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Don't take this wrong, but if ATM fees bother you, be warned, you are heading for an expensive place! Prices in AK are not what you're used to.
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Newmar Ventana 4037, 2023.
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02-22-2018, 05:02 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 35,411
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When my cash stash gets low, I replenish by paying with my debit card and get cash back at supermarkets and Walmart.
I bought $18.00 of groceries today. They said their network was down and I had to pay with the card at the service desk. It was mobbed, so a scraped up the cash and paid the clerk. Now I'm cash broke [emoji4]
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02-22-2018, 05:06 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,963
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Almost every store that accepts our debit card offers cash back. The grocery stores and big box stores are the most common place where we get cash.
Our bank used to offer a nationwide low-or-no-fee ATM network, but no longer.
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Mark
2008 Holiday Rambler Admiral 30PDD (Ford F-53 chassis)
2009 Honda Fit Sport
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02-22-2018, 05:08 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,539
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I have also used cashapp to transfer funds when on the road. I can pay someone from my bank account no matter where I or they happen to be. Transfers almost instantly and has no fees plus no one gets access to my bank account since it creates a one-time pin with each transfer.
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2020 F28 RKS Titanium
2017 Creekside 23 RBS Sold
2016 F250 Super Crew XLT Overworked
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02-22-2018, 05:19 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Thor Owners Club Pond Piggies Club Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: NE. Ohio USA
Posts: 5,973
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Quote:
We are going to be taking a trip across country from PA to Alaska. I can't figure out how to get cash. I don't want to have to pay high ATM prices, any ideas?
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On long trips ( 2 - 6 weeks ) we'll carry $1000 cash. Anything small like ice cream shop, fish bait, newspaper, gallon of milk I'll just pay cash, everything else is credit card. Usually we only use 2-$300 of it.
Now on our Alaska trip on the way up we were going to be in Canada about 3 weeks. So while at home I went to my bank in ( NE. OH.) and exchanged $250 US for CA. Even with them telling me I would get the exchange rate $1US to $ 1.29 CA. they charged me a 15% "fee". I felt that was a little steep. While in Dawson City in the Yukon at their casino they would exchange $ 1 US for $ 1.25CA. with no extra fees. For a total of about 4 weeks traveling thru Canada ( to & from) we spent about $300 CA.
We did have issues with our CC company. While in Canada they kept "freezing" our CC after our 2nd week in Canada.
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02-22-2018, 05:33 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 14,588
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I was employed by a Canadian Company and had to travel to Canada, Europe, and South America a lot. One of the first trips abroad my CC was denied, luckily I carried several. When I go home I had to make some calls to get it straightened out. The customer service person suggested I call them before overseas trips and tell them so the knew not to freeze my cards. Worked great.
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Jim J
2002 Monaco Windsor 38 PKD Cummins ISC 350 8.3L
2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee w/5.7 Hemi
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02-22-2018, 05:34 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 1,513
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Capital One- , no foreign transaction fee.
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Newmar Ventana 4037, 2023.
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02-22-2018, 05:41 PM
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#12
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"Formerly Diplomat Don"
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 24,064
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We do EVERYTHING on our Capital One card. I carry about $500- $1000 in cash on long trips, hidden away in the coach, with a $100.00 in my wallet. I find that by the time we get home, I still have about $950.00 left.
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Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2019 Ford Raptor
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02-22-2018, 05:55 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Oroville, CA
Posts: 3,133
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We've been in Canada twice in the last 3 years. My wife handles the dough, I drive. She says no matter what way you try to get cash, you're gonna pay a fee. ATM, Credit Card cash advance, you name it, someone is gonna charge you a fee.
We even checked before we left, last time, with the DW's bank. They have a 'partner' bank in Canada, Scotia Bank. Well, the deal is supposed to be that if you go to a Scotia Bank with your BofA card and wihtdraw from your account, they won't charge a fee.
Well, BofA charges the fee, in secret, after you leave Scotia Bank, and you don't know it until you see it on your BofA statement. Then there are endless phone calls (roaming fees) from Canada to US to get the fee waived, which it is supposed to be, according to BofA. Not once, but every time we tried this we would be charged and would have to call to have the fee waived. I don't know what the final stat is on fees waived. So, money in Canada is gonna cost you, you have to look at each and every option to see which one will charge you the least. Sometimes you get charged twice!
And then there is the cost of fuel, and everything else!
But Canada is on Sale! as the exchange rate is still in our favor. But it is much more expensive to do anything in Canada. No regrets, beautiful country, but its gonna cost you.
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Bill, Kathi and Zorro; '05 Beaver Patriot Thunder
2012 Sunnybrook Harmony 21FBS (SQEZINN)
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland
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02-22-2018, 06:00 PM
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#14
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Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Ocala Nat'l Forest
Posts: 22
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You might do well to check out banks that offer reimbursement for ATM fees when you use your card at other banks. Our bank, PNC, does this, so we don't pay ATM fees. I'm pretty sure that they only reimburse ATM fees from other banks and fees charged by ATM's at Publix supermarkets.
Since we've only ever used Publix ATM's I don't know if they do for other grocery chains. Don't think they will do it for ATM fees charged by ATM's at convenience stores, gas stations, etc.
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