There is nothing that prompts you more into action than seeing how much you owe on your credit card or knowing there is a big mortgage or insurance bill that is just a few weeks away.
My younger, nondyslexic son has been able navigate our supermarket's checkout scanners since he was 4, using my credit card and winking at me, knowing how astounded I am.
So if you want to save money and have a more versatile way of communicating, take your tablet, get a local SIM card and enjoy your travels, knowing that you will not get a large phone bill when you get home.
Knowing that a rental agreement is negotiable or that a credit-card charge can be disputed and feeling empowered to negotiate or to dispute is sometimes what a person needs to get to a better financial result.