Buyer Beware - Hidden Transaction Fees

One thing I'm painfully aware of is that Visa and Mastercard charge extra money for each transaction you make outside the US. Usually it's 1-3% of the purchase. On top of that, your bank may charge additional fees.

I found this great website here. The website has a chart at the bottom that shows exactly how much you will pay in foreign transaction fees while using your debit or credit card overseas (or in Canada and Mexico sometimes as well).

So, how do I avoid this? Well, first, we're going to get debit cards attached to our account at a military specialty bank. Then, we're going to go to the bank in person on base and withdraw the necessary amount of cash needed for each pay period.

It sounds like a pain in the butt, because it is.