As I am going overseas soon, to Taiwan for a holiday, there would be things to take note to ensure the trip would be a great one. Here are some tips on not maximizing your budget overnight by keeping your wallet safe, where they are. Too often, have people cut short their holidays into a mad search for a single Armani wallet that vanished mysteriously as they alight the train or from the night market. To prevent another well-planned trip from turning into a sour one, a few precautions can be taken. These are easy and hassle-free, one just need to be more alert. So, take a look at this list and save another holiday from disaster!

1) Do not travel with precious possessions and be discreet with cash and other valuables. Leave sentimental and irreplaceable items at home preferably.

2) Protect your essentials like travel documentation, passport, traveler’s checks, credit cards and more. Concealing them on-person, in a pouch or somewhere in your clothing is all accepted practice.

3) Be watchful but not paranoid about being at risk of becoming or being a robbery victim. You will end up spending excessive money on cabs everywhere as opposed to taking a gentle stroll and or exploring by foot!

4) Keep valuables concealed in crowded places. Do not consider hip pockets and dangling bags good places for your wallet!

5) Do not carry excess cash you do not need, especially at night and do not flaunt cash in public under any circumstance. Do not make yourself a visible and easy target.

6) Divide and spread your cash and other money instruments like traveler’s checks around your luggage – do not carry it all in one place.

7) A good budgeting tip is wrapping your wallet with a rubber band or two to make it harder for pickpockets to remove it from your pocket without detection!

8) Keep your luggage safe, with you and secure at night when you sleep.

9) Never leave luggage and or valuables in a car, bus, taxi, train or other form of transportation.

10) Always watch at security screenings and customs checks to ensure that your belongings do not disappear.

11) Speaking about customs, when exceeding the duty-free limits, know that it will cost you dearly, up to as much as 10 % on the next $1000 worth of goods.

12) If you purchased many items (over $50 each) and mailed them to yourself, they are still dutiable. Personal items can be shipped home and you will not have to pay duties if returning them to your destination as long as you write on the package “American goods returned” for example.