As a keen budget traveller, I know all about money being tight and the constant factor it plays in my adventure planning!
And I know all about how much time I spend searching for ways to keep costs down so I’m not limited by my lack of funds.
Because of all this cost-cutting and deal-searching work, falling victim to any sort of theft while on the road can be a complete disaster for me, or any budget traveller for that matter.
After spending so long scrimping and saving, the last thing I want is to find all of my cash has disappeared and all my hard work gone to waste.
But don’t worry, there are a few things us budget travellers can easily do to greatly limit the chances of this happening.
One of these is to invest some time researching security apps that will help keep your money safe while travelling.
There are many different security apps on the market, all with the intent of helping you manage your money and keep it safe whilst on the road.
The amount of different security apps however, can be overwhelming, so I’ve selected the best 5 around, meaning you can just concentrate on having the time of your life while travelling instead!
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#1 Online Banking App
The first of my best 5 security apps to keep your money safe while travelling is not an individual app per say, but is relevant no matter who you chose to bank with.
That’s because an online banking app is crucial in helping you manage, and therefore secure, your money while you’re abroad.
Most finance organisations now offer mobile banking options in the form of an app and for travellers this is a massive help.
In order to get the best out of your online banking app, it’s essential to have yours installed, set-up and running before you jet off around the world, so that you can iron out any problems while still at home.
Once you are all up and running, an online banking app is then by far the cheapest and easiest way to keep track of your money whilst travelling – making sure it’s safe.
With an online banking app, you can monitor your spending and flag up any suspicious behaviour quickly before your bank has time to close down your account.
Without it, the only way to keep track of your funds is via the phone, and that will often involve hefty roaming charges, which nobody wants!
So trust me, an online banking app is definitely one of the best security apps to keep your money safe while travelling.
#2 NordVPN
If you are going to use a mobile banking app as a traveller, which I highly recommend, then it’s also essential to have a Virtual Private Network (VPN) installed.
This is because, when you are travelling you are often forced to use public wifi services to access the internet.
Such public networks are notoriously insecure, as they leave your data flying around unencrypted for anybody to intercept.
This means every time you input a password or credit card details via a public wifi network, you risk such data falling into the hands of malicious hackers and cyber-thieves – not good for security!
Fortunately, by installing and using NordVPN, you can create an initial secure connection between the device and the VPN server, which encrypts your information and allows you to connect confidently.
This certainly makes your money safer when you’re abroad and is the reason NordVPN is definitely in my list of the top 5 security apps you can get as a traveller.
#3 Protect Your Money
This nifty little security app is a great add-on to avoid costly charges from your phone itself.
As most travellers rely heavily on apps to get them around, it’s worth keeping track of unwanted charges that might happen without your knowledge.
The Protect Your Money app identifies these potential costs by tracking the permissions that any app you download requires to access.
Apps that request the ability to send texts, make phone calls or download add-ons are flagged up, so you can ensure you aren’t falling victim to unwanted expenses.
As such, Protect Your Money is clearly one of the best security apps for travellers, helping to keep your money safe by making sure you are aware of exactly which permissions the apps you are downloading require.
#4 BillGuard
The BillGuard security app is a lifesaver for anyone trying to avoid monetary theft – travellers included.
This makes it one of the best security apps to keep money safe whether you’re currently travelling or not.
By syncing BillGuard with your bank account, this clever app brilliantly tracks all of your income and expenditures, also warning you of any suspicious activity.
Such notifications can be extremely handy for travellers who don’t have direct access to their bank accounts when away – instead of having to receive a phone call from your bank about a potential infiltration, the app flags it up so you can deal with it promptly and efficiently.
Although there has been some debate about whether inputting so many personal details into BillGuard is safe, it’s come out triumphantly in many reviews and is one of the most highly-acclaimed security apps – good enough for me!
#5 Level Money
The final entry on this list of the best security apps to keep your money safe while travelling may seem a little strange – its purpose is not to prevent outside theft, but to protect you from yourself instead!
Even the strictest budget traveller is at risk of becoming overly enthusiastic and enjoying their experience too much! And we all know the result of this – spending money we don’t have!
Luckily, Level Money is a great security app that can help travellers stay within their budget and stop them from bankrupting themselves.
As well as keeping track of your outgoings, Level Money also provides you with graphs and spending patterns to help you understand where the most of your money is going.
It’s revolutionised the business world with outstanding reviews from the likes of Forbes and Business Insider and is quickly increasing in popularity as one of the best security apps for budget travellers trying to keep costs down.
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So I hope you’ve found the above list helpful.
Worrying about your money should never overtake the enjoyment of your travelling experiences and hopefully, with these 5 best security apps, you’ll be able to easily manage your money so you can concentrate on the most important thing – enjoying your adventure.
If you know of any other apps that can help protect your finances while travelling or have had experience with those mentioned, be sure to leave a comment below and continue the discussion.
Great info! Thanks!
Thanks Sharon, glad you found it useful 🙂
Amazing apps for travelling. Online banking is one of my favorite while travelling.
Couldn’t agree more – so helpful!