People, we’ve been living under some sort of gypsy curse. In the past two months, we’ve had one stolen wallet, one glitch-y smartphone, and a wonky motherboard. Billing issues have arisen as a result of our travel, too. Since we’re traveling together, what happens to one person happens to the other so these are definitely “we” problems. I don’t want to say who pissed off that old gypsy woman, but someone did something. Ahem.
Before jetting off on our adventure, we had some contingency plans in place but recent issues have highlighted the need for additional back-ups and more care. Here’s what we’ve decided to do going forward…
Smarter Phones
I’m deeply unsatisfied with the service and billing irregularities with my current AT&T contract. I haven’t had a correct bill arrive since we started traveling in August. Also, I my iPhone 5S battery is starting to deplete itself again. I don’t have a lot of faith in either service or phone.
While Jan’s bills have been more predictable, his Moto Z Play smart phone went south when we hit elevation in Peru. The short term fix for his phone was to pop into a shop and ask if anyone had packing tape. Can you feel the terror of a phone failure on your way to Machu Picchu? Yeah. There were a few tense moments when we thought his phone was going to fall apart. There aren’t any Verizon stores in Peru, so had to wait til we got stateside to replace it under warranty.
Since we’re both in flux, we decided to look at plans that offered upgrades and more flexibility as we move and out of the United States. I think we’re going to try Google Fi, hopefully lower our monthly bills by combining services, and get phones that are more suited to the ups and downs of travel. I’m eyeing the Pixel 3.
Computer Support
Jan’s having trouble with his WiFi card and USB ports. After a consult with a local computer tech, we think the solder is coming loose on his motherboard and his laptop should be replaced. The hard drive is okay, but it’s unnerving when the entirety of your work life is backed up in a single location, plus or minus some Google Drive activity.
We both have a serious distrust of uploading everything to the cloud given all the data breeches in recent years and iffy connectivity in different locations. Probably me more than him. I’m the person who runs a VPN, has freezes on all credit activity, and obsessively deletes/obfuscates online activity — work in marketing has taught me too much about what companies do with data. No trust.
So, what’s the plan? Our terabyte hard drive is in deep storage, meaning we don’t know where to find it in the 7.5 x 10 space that houses our worldly belongings. No matter, storage is cheap. We ordered a back-up drive to store our llama pictures and other digital detritus. I even sprung for a little case to add a modicum of security.
Financials
This one is tougher. Neither his bank nor mine has coast-to-coast availability, so we’re considering a move to a bank that has more storefronts in various locations as well as an international presence and/or reciprocal agreements with outfits like ScotiaBank. There are limits to the check amounts that you can upload via smartphone, in case you didn’t know, so a higher limit for that is also required.
Withdrawal fees are ridiculous. BTW, it wasn’t until this week that I realized getting cash back at a grocery store with my deposit card would be fee-free versus going to a non-branded ATM to get cash. It makes no sense. I’m sorry if you knew that already, but I didn’t and I’ve been banking for decades.
Anyway, additional controls going forward will include at least two credit cards each stored in different locations. Extra cash and alternate ID will need to be kept separately, too. We had enough credit and cash between us to make Peru work, but there were a few tense moments getting back into the country that would’ve been smoother if we both were fully credentialed.
So what have we learned? We can handle the occasional crisis, and the panic isn’t as bad with a buddy system in place. Plus, do whatever you must to avoid gypsy curses.
I’ll converse with the Hungarian gypsy side of the family, see if we can’t hook a sistah up. Or whatever that translates to in Hungarian.
Once again illustrating the need for awesome friends! Thanks JZ!
Man alive! It’s a very good thing that you’re both resourceful enough to figure out ways to ride out those evil glitches. You made it seem seamless. Really appreciate these insights too.
Divide and conquer on the cards and ID;
Check international affiliations for banking;
Most importantly, stay clear of curses!
I didn’t mention Dashlane in the post & I should have — we keep copies of important information in our pw manager so we know who to call to cancel what. Plans within plans!