I use a separate wallet for travel. And at the end of each trip, I never clean it out.

It’s an unintentional habit that always brings a surprise on the next trip. Mostly it’s good news, sometimes a little frustrating.

Typically I find receipts and other knick-knacks that bring a sense of nostalgia. Money is the next most common item.

Finding money is almost always a bonus. A little extra cash at the last minute is never a bad thing — unless it’s useless.

Depending on the currency, sometimes it’s impossible to convert it outside of the country in question. Or at the very least, countries bordering it.

When I flew into London one time I found a little over 1000 Moldovan Leu in my wallet — roughly $80 worth. Most times, this would be a bonus. But even in the world’s most international city, I could not find a single bank or exchange that would convert the cash.

Once more, a few days ago, I found surprise cash once again. This time a bit of a double-edged sword.

I found 50 Euros and 5,000 Albanian Lek in my wallet — worth exactly the same in dollars. The Euros are exchangeable almost anywhere, easy cash for me. However, I’ll likely save them as I’ll be back in Europe soon enough. The Lek, on the other hand, are much harder to exchange. And while I do plan on returning to Albania, it might not be any time soon.

So if, for whatever reason, I was forced to change this money to dollars today, I would both gain and lose the same amount.

Net zero.

Surprise money is awesome, but only when it’s worth something.