Hi Solana - In the planning stages of your trip, try to use email as much as possible. Most reputable lodgings have email, and monitor it closely. I know that it may be scary to give your CC over the internet, but again, the good, reliable hosts will have a bit-encrypted payment site. The reason to use a CC, and not send a check, is that if you do not receive the services you have paid for, the CC co. will/may/should reimburse you. Use Tripadvisor.com to check out recent reviews of the the guesthouse/hotel. Actually, most travel agents do this now. In the old days, as a TA, I used to charge a base cost of about $5 for the overseas calls, each. Email makes it much better, and cheaper. Even better, if you need to be somewhere specific, and the hotel you wanted to stay at is sold out, they can usually recommend somewhere that they would send overflow. Remember the time differences, if calling. Talk to the front desk/res person before 12 noon, your time, to get intelligent answers, cause after that you're either talking to the bar keep, or the cleaner. What I use at home since I went from a Bell Land line to strictly Cell - http://www.cicicallingcard.com/ I know that the co. is based in Toronto, but I believe that they do plans out of the US. It has local phone numbers, or Toll-free numbers. While right now I am only calling within Ontario, it took forever to use up $10. In the old days, when I travelled lots, and had Ma Bell, I had a great plan that I could charge my calls from Europe onto my home phone bill, for the same cost as a call from my home, which was pretty cheap. Good Luck, Ana. Hope you have a great trip - where are you planning to travel?? Nancy.

Responding to what 'bonelady' said - (about 9 posts up - Posted by bonelady (My Page) on Wed, Aug 2, 06 at 15:36) Something similar happened to me quite awhile back. I did a balance trf on a card. Got first statement and paid minimum due (it was like $120.00 min due at the time). Then I made a 2nd pymt of $120.00 very close (either before or after the "due date"), expecting the 2nd pymt to "HIT" (be processed) in the NEXT billing cycle. (Taking into consideration mail delivery & processing time) I think I mailed it the day before or day OF due date. My next statement arrived, and I had a minimum pymt due of about $118.00 or $116.00 - something like that. I called them up to inquire. Well...They rec'd the pymt AFTER the due date. However, that 2nd pymt applied to the previous month! Here's why: Let's say the "Minimum Payment Due Date" is the 17th of the month. Pymt is mailed on 1st of month (PRIOR to the 17th) and gets processed/paid on the 8th. (I'm being 'generous' here on time) Now, send a second pymt - lets say mailed on the 16th or 17th or 18th - because you KNOW it needs to travel thru the mail, arrive, be processed, etc. SO, you EXPECT it to arrive AFTER the "Due Date" - (17th). And indeed it DOES arrive and is processed after the due date. So, You're paid for the next month...RIGHT? NO PROBLEM! EXCEPT!!! Hello? Your 2nd payment arrived and was processed on the 23rd. Your new "BILLING CYCLE" STARTS on the 24th! That 2nd payment applied to the previous billing period. They don't "tell you" that there's this one week "GAP" between pymt due date and beginning of next billing cycle! So, now you have to make yet ANOTHER minimum pymt that month! I used to do the extra pymts once in awhile years ago. It was (if I'm not mistaken), if my due date was the 17th, my next billing cycle would start on the 18th. Not that way anymore! I was shocked when this happened to me awhile back...But HEY!...At least I made an extra pymt and was still able to pay the minimum due next statement. PLUS, I learned something I was not aware of then, but I am NOW! Helps for better planning...

Concerning gift cards, be sure to check to see if they have an expiration date (many of them actually do!). If you have a daily-reminder wall calendar, mark the expiration dates down. I'd put a note on, say, 6 months in advance and other sporadic dates saying "You have a $50 Borders card to use up!" so that they remind you that you've got them tucked away and need to redeem them. There's nothing worse than realizing too late that you've lost out on $50 of shopping power. For all those store "preferred customer cards," here's what I do. Most of them I put on a keyring. For cards I use frequently that didn't offer a keyring version, I punch a hole in the corner (away from the bar code or swipey strip). In my purse, I also carry a small rectangular zip pouch that I carry coupons, receipts, paint chips, etc. in, and I tuck in most of the other cards I have and the Bed Bath & Beyond 20%-off coupons (I never shop there without one!). Sometimes I'm tempted to just leave that pouch in the glove compartment (as long as none of those receipts have my full credit card number on them!), so it's there if I need it. Always happens that if I leave the pouch at home, that'll be the time that I need something in it.

Listening to Clark Howard on the radio, he has calls about this often. Seems, he said you can buy a SIM card to put in your phone once you get overseas. Here's what I found on his question and answer forum, the same question was asked by a woman planning a trip to Ireland, but the answer would basically be the same... "you could take unlocked GSM quad-band or world phones, and buy prepaid SIM on arrival. If you don't have a phone like that, and can't get it, then you could have your current phone unlocked if it is a GSM quad-band phone. Unlock prices range from free to $30 to impossible -- depends on your provider and your phone. Two weeks is not much time to get a phone quick, though. You also need a plug adapter for any phone, camera, or tablet computer you take, like this. Phone something like this. Very important! Unlocked quad-band or "world phone" GSM only! On arrival, look for Lyca Mobile prepaid SIMs from the stockists listed on Lycamobile.ie. Calls to other Lyca mobile SIMs in Ireland will be free. http://www.lycamobile.ie/en/nationalrates Calls back to the US would be 3 Euro cents per minute. So... a $10 phone, probably 5 or 10 Euros for a Lyca SIM start-pack on arrival (includes SIM with an Irish phone number and usually 5 Euros or so of credit), a plug adapter ... and you're set. Oh, and be sure if you get a phone that it includes the cord! Otherwise... plan to use the skype app on your phones whenever you have wifi. You can extend wifi spots by getting a one-month subscription to Boingo.com" OK, that's clear as mud...sounds like Skype would be a viable option.