Look after your money when you are away. The notes and coins will be unfamiliar, so be vigilant.
There are lots of people who may use your ignorance to their advantage, so get itemised bills when possible and ask to have all charges explained to you if you don’t understand them.
Use a calculator if necessary to work out percentages, tips, etc., do your own arithmetic (i.e. don’t rely on theirs) and never let anyone rush you.
If you are using cash and you are given change, count it immediately in front of the storekeeper (except in Japan where it is considered rude to ever count change).
For countries where you can’t use traveller’s cheques or charge cards (usually in the third world), take a quantity of one-dollar American bills or low denomination Euros, and secrete them around your pack/clothes (under the insole of your shoes, for example), as these are considered the nearest thing to a universal currency and can be used almost everywhere.
Before you leave, remember to let all your card issuers know you are going away and where you are going so that you don’t get your cards suspended when you use them in a foreign country (call the Customer Service Department). This is important as sometimes it is hard for them to contact you when you are away to check it is really you using the card.
Look after your cards too. The magnetic strip can easily get worn with a lot of use and even demagnetised by various means and it can be hard to get replacements to you at short notice or in some countries.
The pads used to deactivate security devices in new books, CDs, and DVD’s, some security screening machines, fridge magnets, speakers, some cell phones, and magnetic clasps on wallets and purses can also demagnetise a credit card, as well as other cards such as transit passes used on many subway systems.
You can get protective paper envelopes for your cards at some banks in the States (Chase, for example), but keeping them in a safe place away from electrical equipment and magnets works just as well.
Be aware that in Europe most people use the “chip and pin” system for credit card transactions and in North America hardly anyone does (this is changing, however). So if travelling between these places look out for this difference (Google “chip and pin” to find out more).
Find out the procedures for replacing all of the above (cards and cheques), make a note of customer service numbers of banks and credit card issuers (on paper or electronically), save to your portable storage or send them to yourself (via email) as discussed in the ‘Security‘ section of this website.
Try to avoid paying bribes to officials when travelling, even if they ask for them (and it will happen in the developing world). It is usually illegal and you can get arrested for it. If you are certain that an offical is asking for a bribe (usually at checkpoints, when trying to get visas, etc.), you can either play dumb, pretend you don’t understand, act like you aren’t in a hurry, or ask for a receipt. If you do decide to pay, don’t refer to it as a bribe, rather as a ‘tax’ or ‘fee’, as in “Is there a smaller tax I can pay?”
