cheapest and easiest way to withdraw from US bank account when travelling

i just discovered the cheapest and easiest way to withdraw money from your US bank account when travelling. it is so unorthodox even the folks at western union where dumbfounded when they realized i was sending money to myself. i already tried it and it worked like a charm. i won't be surprised if i am the only one in the world doing this right now. my example here is the philippines. the fees may differ in other countries but probably not much. there might be better ways, and please let me know if you know of a better way.

it's simple: open an online account at western union and link your bank account. then send $1000 to yourself. The fee is just $2.99, compared to the 5% you usually end up paying when using ATMs. easily a $40 difference in fees

important: make sure you click the "receive in dollars" option, not the peso option because western union bites 2% from the current exchange rate when they give you the peso.

western union branches may not carry enough dollars so call ahead and reserve your $1k before going there.

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