When someone mentions a museum about money, it doesn't usually elicit an immediate “Hell yeah, let's do that” response from me.

Even as a currency trader, it's not something that gets me terribly excited.

I have visited the Museum of American Finance on Wall Street and it was interesting, but it wouldn't be at the top of my list of things to do in the NYC.

But then again, I was basing my entire opinion of the finance museum genre off of one visit.

After all, there aren't too many financial museums around. Of course, there are the Wells Fargo Museums, but they just seem too much like blatant advertising.

The finance topic does tend to put people to sleep, so I can see why there aren't too many museums of this type.

Just try to bring up Forex trading at a party.

Then watch the eyes glaze over.

So when I saw the Bank of Finland Museum come up on TripAdvisor's recommended places to see, I passed it up the first time around.

But after doing a bit of research and reading this blog post by Nomadic Matt, I was sold.

After visiting the museum, I must admit that it changed my mind as to what a finance museum can be.

Here are the top five reasons why I recommend visiting the Bank of Finland Museum, the next time you are in Helsinki.

5. Learn the History of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Before visiting the museum, I understood what the IMF did, at a basic level. But I never took the time to research the history of the organization and what they have actually done.

There was an informative and easy to read timeline of the IMF on the wall near the entrance that I really enjoyed.

It wasn't too technical and highlighted the big events in the history of the IMF. Luckily everything in the museum is in Finnish, Swedish and English, so no translator was needed.

4. It's Free

Although I am totally willing to pay for a quality museum, Helsinki is pretty damn expensive in general.

So any time you can get into somewhere without paying, it is a nice bonus.

If there was a donation box somewhere, I totally would have donated.

But if you are traveling on the cheap, free admission is a welcome phrase to see on the sign at the door.

3. Interactive Displays

There were several different interactive displays, but my favorite one was a calculator that showed you how much a previous currency would be worth in today's money.

For example, you could find out how much 500 1901 Finnish markka (FIM) would be worth in 2015 Euros.

2. Fun Displays

Whoever created the displays has a knack for being able to explain monetary concepts in a way that is easy to understand and visually appealing.

One display that I liked used pressure gauge like dials to show the current and projected rates of inflation in Finland.

You can see the dials below the fun Nostradamus-esque painting.

I also liked looking at the different types of paper money that Finland has had over the years.

You really realize how boring US currency has been when you look at the history of some of these other currencies. Some of them really are works of art.

1. Learn The History of Finland

Maybe one of the reasons that the Museum of American Finance wasn't super interesting to me was because it was about, well, American finance.

Don't get me wrong, it is a fascinating topic.

But we just don't have very much history to talk about.

A bunch of guys started trading stocks around a tree and there were a couple of big crashes.

In contrast, European countries have centuries upon centuries of history and studying their means of exchange is a great lens through which to learn about what was happening in the country during various periods of time.

I learned a lot about Finland, from their their occupations to the big recession of the 1990's.

Where I am from, Finland never came up in discussions, so I didn't know much about it.

But by visiting sites like these, I'm slowly learning about the country and it is fascinating.

Next on my list are the National Museum of Finland and the Helsinki City Museum.

Bonus Sightseeing Tip: Uspenski Cathedral

After your visit to the Bank of Finland Museum, I would highly recommend checking out Uspenski Cathedral.

It is just a few minutes walk from the BoF Museum and totally worth the visit.

I am a huge fan of religious history and architecture, although I'm personally against religion as an institution.

In the same way that you can trace the history of a civilization through its monetary system, looking at their religious beliefs also gives us a deep glimpse into how their society has evolved.

In countries where religion plays a significant role in the society, the churches are tremendous.

I am honestly in awe when I look at some of these churches.

The most impressive one I have seen in person is the Wavel Cathedral in Poland.

Although the Uspenski Cathedral is not at that level, it is quite ornate and I enjoyed looking at the architecture and design, both inside and out.

While we were visiting, we had the good fortune of being able to observe a wedding.

I felt bad that the church was open to the public during such a private event, especially since some visitors were pretty rude.

But I was grateful that we got to see part of the ceremony.

Unlike most weddings were the guests sit, or sit and stand (and sit and stand, and sit and stand), there were no pews at this wedding and everyone stood.

There is an unsolved mystery at this church. A valuable icon was stolen in broad daylight in 2007 and has not been recovered yet.

Conclusion

So if you are in Helsinki, I would highly recommend checking out the Bank of Finland Museum.

Since I am spending an extended period of time in Finland, I am going to be looking for more interesting things to do. One suggestion that I got from Chris Capre was to visit the IceHotel in Lapland.

That looks really cool and is currently at the top of my list.

Even if you can't visit a foreign country at the moment, I encourage you to get out from behind your screens and explore your local area.

I will bet that there are some really cool things that you never knew existed, right in your neighborhood.

Ghost tours, brewery/winery/distillery tours and oddly themed Meetup groups can be a great place to start.

The more common scenario is that there are probably some really popular places that you haven't visited yet because you have taken them for granted. I know that is certainly the case with some places in Hawaii, where I am from. So take some time to explore those too.

If you are traveling slightly longer distances, my Traveling Trader's Gear Guide can give you some good ideas on how to pack light and tips on useful gear that you will need on your travels. I've been able to get a good trade since I have been here.

Hope your trading is going well.

The post 5 Reasons Why You Should Visit The Bank of Finland Museum In Helsinki appeared first on Trading Heroes.

I love to travel.

I've shared my experiences traveling to places like Hawaii, Poland and Estonia.

Since you want to learn to be a successful trader, you probably have a similar goal.

But why wait until you are a successful trader to travel?

You can get started with this right now and you don't have to be rich to do it.

You just have to change your mindset a little.

It is all about figuring out how to collect miles in the normal course of your everyday life.

It is not only about collecting credit card miles either.

That is certainly part of it, but there are also many other ways to collect miles…

What is Travel Hacking?

The definition of Travel Hacking:

Travel Hacking is the process of accumulating airline miles, rewards points and using other strategies to make travel as cheap as possible.

Airline tickets, hotel rooms and other travel expenses can many times be reduced to almost zero.

This post is only meant to be an introduction to the topic, so if you want to find out more, there are some resources at the end to help you get started.

Taking Surveys

The whole taking surveys for money is pretty sketchy. The way that it works is that you take a survey and are entered into a drawing for a cash prize. Of course you never win and it turns out to be a gigantic waste of time.

But taking surveys for miles has been different, in my experience. When you finish a survey, you get your miles, it's as simple as that. The number of miles that you get varies by survey, but I have received as many as 300 miles for one survey. Here is some of my recent experience with Opinion Miles Club.

It's not a ton of miles, but it adds up. Again, this is just one way that you can get miles without flying.  To get 350 miles, took about 20 minutes. If I had to get those miles through a purchase on a credit card, I would usually have to spend about $350, so it's not bad for a few minutes of work.

I have also been with E-Miles for awhile. They don't give out a whole lot of miles, but it can be worthwhile if you come across something that you were going to purchase anyway or a charity that you would like to support.

I've probably made about 1,000 with this website so far.

Credit Card Offers

You probably know this one already, but if you sign up for a new credit card offer, you can get 25,000 or maybe 50,000 or even 100,000, just for signing up.  Then every time you make a purchase you get a certain number of miles for each dollar spent.

This is not for everyone, you have to have the credit to be able to qualify for a card and you have to manage your balances responsibly. But if you can do that, the miles can add up very quickly.  Charge as many everyday items as you can on your card and use your cash to pay it back.

Mileage Arbitrage

Did you know that you can earn miles on one airline, then use them on a partner airline for a higher value? For example, US Air is probably one of the worst airlines in the world.

But they are very generous with their airline miles. They hold promotions a few times a year where you can really load up on miles for very little money.

But you are probably wondering why you would want miles on a crap airline.  Well, the reason is that US Air is part of the Star Alliance and you can redeem those miles with other partner airlines.  From what I've been reading, Asian airlines provide a better value per mile and are a good use of your US Air miles.  But do your homework because things do change.

Shopping Rewards

This method does not require a special credit card, just some planning.  Most major stores such as Best Buy and The Apple Store offer miles when you purchase through the airline website.

For example, I like to accumulate United MileagePlus miles.  So before I purchase something, especially a bigger purchase, I check the United MileagePlus site.  As you can see from the screenshot below, there are tons of opportunities to earn miles and you can earn 4 miles per dollar spent, or more.

There are also rewards programs that just require you to hook up your existing credit cards to your account and every time you purchase something from one of their partners, you earn miles.  It works for restaurants, gas stations and more.

Manufactured Spending

There is also a way that you can use your debit card (which has mileage rewards) to purchase cash equivalent cards, like AmEx BlueBird Vanilla Reload Cards.  Then you use your BlueBird account to pay your bills, or anything else that would not be easily paid with a debit card.

It can be a complicated and slightly risky process, so be sure to read up and understand the risks before you try it.

And More!

There are other methods of Travel Hacking that appear and disappear every day, so keep an eye out for new opportunities.  The resources below can be a great way to stay up to date.

Resources

Interested?  Here are some resources that can help you get started.

• FlyerTalk – One of the largest blogs and forums when it comes to Travel Hacking.
• Million Mile Secrets – Daraius Dubash has earned millions of miles and hotel points, without flying or staying in hotels.  Find out how he does it.

Conclusion

These strategies can earn you a lot of miles, but there is a downside. Do not spend more than you can afford, be sure to read the fine print and always, always pay off your credit cards so you do not get into debt.

When handled responsibly, you can take the vacations of your dreams without winning the lottery, getting a raise at work or being a baller trader.

It does take some time to learn these strategies, but once you do, it can open up a whole new world for you.  I'm just learning myself, but I'm just like you…I want to learn to trade so that I can see the world.  Travel Hacking can make the travel part easier.

To keep up with my travels, be sure to follow me on Instagram.

The post Travel Hacking Guide for Traders: Travel the World for Cheap appeared first on Trading Heroes.

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you probably saw my pictures from the San Francisco Bay Area last week. I had a great time and was able to take a much needed break from my 9 to 5 job. I was still following the markets however and did place a few trades.

More on that in another post…

One of my missions on the trip was to finally cross off one of my bucket list items…visit the Winchester Mystery House. Yes, it is a cheesy tourist attraction, but it is something that I have always wanted to see in person.

…and it is supposed to be haunted.

A Little History on the Winchester Mystery House

If you are not familiar with the Winchester Mystery House, it was built by Sarah Winchester, widow of William Winchester, of Winchester rifle fame. She started building the house in 1884 and it was continually being worked on until her death in 1922.

She got the money to do this from a $20 million inheritance and her inherited stake in the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, which provided her with an income of almost $1,000 per DAY! If you think that is a lot of money now, imagine back in the late 1800's.

As the story goes, after Sarah's husband and daughter died tragically, she was told by a medium that she must move out West from her home on the East Coast and build a home. However, if she wanted to live forever, work on the house could not be completed. It has also been said that she believed that continually working on the house kept the spirits of the people killed by the Winchester rifle, happy.

Of course, these are just stories. But looking at the house, there had to be some truth to a lot of it because what else would inspire someone to create a house that is so completely ridiculous.

Unfortunately, they did not allow us to take photos of the inside because of an exclusive movie contract or something, but I did get some great external shots since it was such a nice day. At the peak of construction, the house stood seven stories tall, but the higher floors (as well as other parts of the house) fell in the earthquakes of 1909 and 1989.

Is it Worth Seeing?

Although it does look like a Disney-style haunted house and the gift shop is way too big for its own good, I would highly recommend checking it out. There are tons of pictures on the internet showing the interior of the house, but they do not do it justice. This is something that you need to see in person to truly appreciate.

The head-on collision between money, good taste, superstition and an utter lack of planning is absolutely mad. There is beautiful wallpaper and amazing Tiffany window panes amidst stairs that lead to nowhere and half finished rooms.

As for the stories of the house being haunted, I didn't get any weird feelings walking through the house. But all alone at night, it might be a different story. However, numerous paranormal experiences have been reported. Maybe the spirits had the day off when I was there.

Craziness aside, the property is very well run and the guides do a great job of pointing out all of the areas of interest on the 4.5 acre estate. There is an aviary, stable and many other interesting things to see besides the dysfunctional house, so I would recommend getting the Grand Estate Tour for only $5 more.

If this is something that you want to add to your bucket list, be sure to bookmark the Winchester Mystery House Website and drop in when you are in the San Jose area.

The reason I blog about these experiences is because I want my trading to create more of these unique life experiences. What have you crossed off your bucket list lately? Tell us about it below and if you have some pictures, feel free to leave a link!

If you don't have a bucket list or haven't crossed off anything lately, I challenge you to get off your ass and think of something you would love to do that you haven't done before. It doesn't have to cost money…it could be something as simple as skinny dipping in the ocean.

Have fun!

The post Heroic List #82 Done: See the Winchester Mystery House appeared first on Trading Heroes.