Every trip overseas leaks money in places most Australians never look — the data plan, the foreign transaction fee, the points you bought at the wrong time. I travel about 150 days a year, and over the years I’ve worked out where the leaks are and how to plug them. This is where I keep all of it.
The biggest one is data. Telstra and Optus will happily charge you $10 a day to roam, which adds up fast on a three-week trip. I load an Airalo eSIM before I leave home instead, and the only hard part is guessing how much data to buy — so I built a calculator that does the guessing for you. There’s also the SMS problem nobody warns you about: switch to an eSIM and your bank’s verification codes can stop arriving at the worst possible moment.
Then there’s the money itself. Most Australian cards quietly skim 3% off every overseas transaction — I’ve been stung by it, which is why I built the FX Rip-off Calculator to show exactly what that fee costs you. Pairing the right travel debit and credit cards is half the battle won before you’ve even packed.
The other half is points. Whether it’s buying Qantas points when a bonus lands, buying hotel points for a stay, or moving points around the family with Qantas Family Transfer and Velocity Family Pooling, the maths matters — and it’s easy to get wrong. I show my working every time.
Everything below is the running list: the eSIM tricks, the card hacks, the points plays, and the lounge access that makes the hours between flights bearable. All of it tested on actual trips, not in theory.
I wasn’t nervous at the start of the flight. Not because I’m a nervous flyer — I’m not — but because every time I left the Amex lounge and headed to the gate, I kept getting sent back. The inbound…
I’m a big believer in knowing two numbers: how much you own, and how much you owe. For over twenty years I’ve updated a spreadsheet every six months — more recently a Google Sheet — with exactly that. Assets, liabilities,…
Last updated: May 2026 — caught both buses this week to check the details. Most people know you can walk to Sydney Airport from Mascot station to avoid the train access fee. Fewer people know you can also just catch…
Last updated: May 2026 — we made this trip this week in both directions. Sydney Airport has three terminals: T1 International, T2 Domestic (Virgin Australia and Rex), and T3 Domestic (Qantas). They are not connected airside. If you need to…
I travel overseas four or five times a year. Europe for skiing in winter, Asia on the way through, New Zealand for a quick escape, and whatever else the points and the calendar conspire to produce. My wife Julie travels…
Sydney Airport is where most of us start the big trips. The ones worth remembering. And if you know where to go — and more importantly, which card or status gets you through the door — you can start every…
Are you standing in the terminal wondering if your credit card or frequent flyer status actually gets you into a lounge? Stop guessing. The days of easy reward seat upgrades are largely over. Let’s be honest: when you are travelling…
This free budget planner Australia is designed for points hackers and travellers who want to stop leaking money on everyday expenses and put more toward amazing redemptions. Earn more points. Stop wasting money. Travel further. Free • Interactive • Works…
Most Australians dramatically underestimate their points balance — because they’re only looking at part of the picture. Here’s a question: how many Qantas points do you have right now? If you answered with the number sitting in your Qantas app,…
Skip the roaming bill.
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