Every one of us needs to face the fact that our consumer life consists of many unexpected hidden fees. These unexpected charges seem to be all around us. We sign up for services which are seemingly free, unaware that they have fees attached to them.  In order to help you, here is our list on the most common hidden fees. We hope this will keep you from making a big mistake for your next relocation.

What is a hidden fee?

A hidden fee is an expense you don’t expect and it ads on to our purchases. Most common hidden fees can be minor, like those you end up with when traveling by plane, or a little bigger when staying in a hotel. Hidden fees are especially dangerous when you are moving to a new home. Even though you calculate your budget, you still find it hard to stay under it. And these additional expenses are only making it worse. So, let’s learn how to fight back and save some money by avoiding unnecessary fees, too.

Foreign transaction fees

If you decide to make a purchase with a foreigner bank, know they will charge you with extra fees. Credit cards usually add one to three percent on top of your purchase and that counts as a foreign transaction fee. If you are traveling abroad, you can avoid this by paying in cash or by using cards that don’t include this kind of fees.

Monthly bank fees

You can find a lot of financial institutions which advertise their free accounts. And that seems perfect for you. But, when you get to read the fine print, it reveals that there’s actually a hidden maintenance fee and you pay it monthly. What we don’t know is that if we meet certain conditions (for example daily minimum balance), we won’t be paying for this anymore. So, to avoid most common hidden fees, find reliable banks which offer free accounts with no strings attached.

Moving expenses and the most common hidden fees

We all know moving can be stressful and expensive, especially if we forget about those less obvious expenses. During the move, a lot is going on in our mind and we can make small mistakes that can cost us a lot. We don’t read the fine print, don’t ask about additional charges and end up paying more than we bargained for. So, whether you hire a professional moving company or you do it by yourself, additional costs will most certainly be there.  In order to prevent this, you will need to organize your moving. A good organization is key for every successful relocation!

Hidden moving fees when moving by yourself

It might seem to you that your relocation will be a lot cheaper if you do it by yourself, but this isn’t always the case. There are a lot of hidden costs you might not think of at first.  For example, if Columbus is where you decide to set your roots, and you live far from it, you will need to take care of truck rental fees. And most of us don’t know there are extra charges to be paid if you return it later than you were supposed to or with less fuel. Also, don’t forget about truck insurance, moving equipment, dealing with possible damages or injuries. Sometimes, the best option for you is to hire professionals if you don’t want to end up with the most common hidden fees added to your bill.

Hiring professional movers and hidden fees

If you want to have a fast and safe relocation process, ask professionals to help you with it. But, before you do that, inform yourself about a few hidden costs. If you ask for packing services, know that some companies may charge extra for their materials or if they have to pack fragile items.  Ask upfront about these fees in order to avoid the extra charge. And if you don’t want to worry about any hidden fees, Best Cross Country Movers are the ones for you, along with other reputable companies. Just make sure that the movers you book are not fraudulent.

Hidden hotel fees

Before moving to a new city, a smart idea will be to visit it in order to find out the estimated cost of moving to the big city. And in order to do that, you will need to stay in a hotel. A few decades ago, getting a bill after your stay at the hotel couldn’t bring you an unpleasant feeling. But today, hotel fees are normal and your bills are much higher. Hotels in popular destinations charge their fees ranging from 15$ to more than 30$ a night!

Which hotel fees may pop up on your bill?

• Safe warranty fee. If you get a room with a safe, you’ll end up paying for it even if you didn’t use it.
• Resort fee. In the past, a resort fee meant paying more if a hotel had expensive facilities. This way you were paying for its maintenance. But today, even low budget hotels use this to charge you for services like having a Wi-Fi, phone, faxes. In short, you pay for services that are usually free.
• Parking fee. If you plan to go on a holiday and drive to your hotel, learn about their parking fees. Some hotels have free parking spaces. But some of them, especially those in major cities, will charge you even if you don’t use them.
• Minibars. One of the most common hidden fees to avoid. Some of the minibars have sensors which will trigger when you take an item out of it. So, you can get stuck with the tab, even if you just take an item out of it and put it right back without using it.

These are some of the most common hidden fees to avoid when staying in a hotel. But how to avoid them? Before you book a hotel, inform yourself about the possible extra charges. Read carefully all the terms and conditions. If you discover the fees which weren’t disclosed to you, point that out as soon as you notice them. Also, don’t forget there are good hotels with free services. You’ll just need to find them.