[November 2010 update: As of 17th November, the Wizard Clear Advantage Mastercard will be rebranded as the 28 degrees Mastercard due to GE Money no longer having the rights to the name after selling Wizard Home Loans back in 2009. Other than the name change, the new card is identical to the old one.]

Need a break? I certainly do. Luckily for me I’m going on holiday next week, and as part of the trip we’ll be visiting a couple of the major Asian destinations, Hong Kong and Korea. Of course shopping will be very high on the list of things to do, but of course there’s that little problem of changing currency. Seasoned traveller’s will know the drill: use your bank credit, debit or ATM card and get ripped off on hefty withdrawal fees and foreign exchange fees, or buy travelers’ cheques and suffer their crappy exchange rate.

No more! Thanks to the Australia Frequent Flyer forums, I’ve discovered the Wizard Clear Advantage Mastercard. This nifty little card is not much to speak of. It does have no annual fee, but the interest rate is pretty average, the balance transfer deal is no better than most other banks, and there’s no rewards scheme to speak of. Where it really shines is when you take it with you overseas.

Firstly, they don’t charge withdrawal fees. While most banks would slug you with several dollars per transaction, the Wizard card don’t charge a single cent. Nada. That means you can withdraw as much or as little as you like, as often as you like. No more playing the “paranoid tourist” carrying around wads of cash hidden in a cache down the front of your pants, or looking everywhere and failing to find a place where you can cash your cheques. Just look for any ATM that has the “Plus” symbol (which you shouldn’t have any problem with in all but the most undeveloped countries) and you’re good to go.

Second, you know how the exchange rates that the bank or bureau gives always differs significantly from the ones you see on the news by a fairly wide margin? Well the travel gurus at the forums have also figured out that Wizard offers one of, if not the, most competitive exchange rates, varying only very slightly from the published ones. So not only are you paying no fees, you’re also getting a better bang for your buck.

Damn good so far, right? But wait, there’s an even better trick: you can pre-load the card so that you’re spending own money and not have to pay interest on a cash advance. You can put your credit card into credit by paying more than what you owe, so that the balance goes into positive. Then you simply withdraw any amount of funds at your destination up to your daily withdrawal limit and/or credit limit. This isn’t an advertised feature mainly because of the implications for money laundering, but unless you’re planning on bringing the whole country home with you, it won’t be a problem.

Brilliant, eh? Apply for a 28 Degrees Mastercard as part of the planning for your next holiday – you can’t go wrong.

Further reading:
Answers to a bunch of Frequently Asked Questions by one of the AFF forum members, FL360

You wouldn’t think it from the weather in Sydney this long weekend, but we’re officially in Spring season, and of course, that means spring cleaning! Get started with these tips:

Avoid harsh chemicals
Don’t fall for marketing gimmicks, those cleaning products won’t provide you with a miracle cure for getting rid of dirt. The best treatment always has been, and always will be, elbow grease and a natural ingredients. For instance:

• baking powder (bi-carbonate soda) makes a wonderful cleanser. It removes discolouration in the bottom of teacups, and works wonders for removing stains from your pots and pans
• Use a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water as a Spray-and-Wipe substitute that can be used both in the kitchen and the bathroom (but not on stone or marble though, as it will corrode the surface). Better for your skin and easy on the nose!

Cleaning windows
Don’t bother with the old squeegey that leaves puddles of water at the base of the window:

• Kill two birds with one stone by using old newspapers as a window cleaner. Then you can still pop it in the recycling afterwards! Used with the water-and-vinegar mix above, news print is fantastic for a streak-free clean.
• A smear of tea-tree oil (again, applied using newspapers) can help to keep windows and mirrors fog-free.

At the end of the day, the most effective way to get a clean house is to just get off your butt and do some cleaning!

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What other chemical-free, or environmentally friendly house cleaning techniques do you use? Feel free to share in the comments!