Founder

Justin Rampono

Justin is a financial services professional with over 20 years of experience in foreign exchange. He has worked in all levels of industry from banks to corporates to startups.

Most recently, he founded, built and sold thecurrencyshop.com.au, thecurrencyshop.co.nz and exiap.com

Qualifications

FINSIA Graduate Diploma ­ Applied, Finance and Investment 2002 - 2006 Curtin University Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.), Accounting and Finance 1996 - 2000

Previous Experience

Founder
The Currency Shop
Helping clients save money by comparing exchange rates from foreign exchange companies and driving them better deal.

Articles written by Justin Rampono

how much spending money for USA

How Much Spending Money You’ll Need in the USA for 1, 2 or 4 Weeks

It’s not an easy task to figure out how much spending money to take to the USA. The United States keeps you on your toes with every American state (and sometimes even individual cities within states) imposing its own tax rates and rules. Those rates and rules will affect everything you buy, from your Statue of Liberty souvenirs to tickets to a baseball game. In Montana, for instance, there’s no sales tax. But in Louisiana, it’s 10%. All of that means there’s no standard budget you can apply to every state. On top of that, how much you spend will […]

how much spending money for Europe

How Much Spending Money to Take to Europe for 1, 2 or 4 Weeks

It’s almost impossible to calculate the right amount of money you need to take with you on a holiday to Europe. You’re talking about a continent that features 50-odd diverse countries and some 25 currencies. The amount of spending money for Europe depends on a variety of factors, including: Where you intend to travel How long your stay will be The style of travel you prefer Are you sticking mainly to Eastern or Western Europe? Venturing up to Scandinavia or down to the Mediterranean? Are you staying in one city or country, or are you travelling across broad swathes of […]

Best ways to take money to Europe

The 6 Best Ways to Take Money to Europe

Thanks to the proliferation of a single currency (the euro is the official currency of 19 European nations) and the global rise in plastic payments and ATMs, it’s easier than ever to carry cash across Europe. You no longer have to worry (for the most part) about exchanging money as you cross every border. Nor do you need to load yourself up with travellers cheques before you go. But with many more money options out there – credit cards, debit cards, travel money cards, or cold, hard cash – it can also be harder than ever to figure out what […]

Best Ways to Take Money to New Zealand

The 6 Best Ways to Take Money to New Zealand

New Zealand already has so much in common with Australia that you could be forgiven for thinking you could use your Aussie dollars in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Not so. Instead, you’ll need to convert your Aussie dollar into the local NZ dollar. But what exactly is the best way to take money overseas, from Australia to New Zealand? Our advice: combine a few of our top six options to get the most flexibility: Paying with your Australian debit card Buying a prepaid travel money card Pay with a credit card Take Australian dollars to exchange in […]

is it cheaper to exchange currency abroad

Where is it Cheaper to Buy Foreign Currency, Australia or Abroad?

In most cases, it is cheaper to buy your foreign currency at home in Australia before you head overseas but there are some important exceptions. It’s cheaper to convert Australian dollars into foreign currency if you are travelling to Singapore, Bali, Thailand or Hong Kong. If you are heading overseas in the next few months, here are some practical tips to get more out of your travel money: Places with the best exchange rates in Australia Buying currency online Using credit cards and debit cards overseas The best places to exchange currency abroad Conclusion and travel tips Buying travel money […]

foreign currency coins

What you can do with foreign currency coins

If you’ve travelled overseas, chances are, it’s happened to you. During your trip, your wallets and pockets become filled with foreign currency coins. Coins that, when you look at them, you have no idea if it’s worth 5 cents or 5 dollars. Then when you get back home, they get piled in with all the other coins from other trips or worse – they end up in the bin. Unfortunately, Australian money changers will rarely exchange these left over foreign coins but they aren’t worthless. Here are a few alternatives to throwing them out.