The miserable US$ to C$ exchange rate

[greenacres99]

It is obvious, but important still to keep these changes in mind when looking at the hotel bidding sites. The hotel price might be the same in CAD, but appear to be dropping in price if you are "shopping" in USD. Again obvious to many of you, but worth making sure you are comparing apples to apples...

For example, I was looking at these pre-paid "great deals" from my credit card and when I finally converted the CAD amount from the hotel's website (with free cancellation), the "deals" were only very marginally better than the hotel's website in USD.

 

[Lily from Montreal]

The title of this thread should be reverse...or another one created ''how US $is nicer to possess ''lol
,should keep both running and we just yo-yo between each depending of the rates... loll

 

[Sol Tee Nutz]

I just sent my daughter to Italy yesterday and it cost me $1.54 for every euro.......................... Ouch. A few months ago it would have cost $1.35
Put as I said before a low Canadian dollar is good for the economy. Think if Quebec separated and had their own currency, exports would flourish and Imports would be outrageous.

 

[michael99]

It doesn't look at all as if the US dollar is getting stronger

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/28/us-markets-forex-idUSBREA0K0NG20140228

it's the Canadian dollar getting weaker

 

[EagerBeaver]

The US Dollar today is getting $1.1197 Canadian at this moment, which is the highest the exchange rate has been this year and another 5 year high. It is threatening to surge past $1.12 before the day is over which would be another 2014 high water mark.

 

[cpp433]

eager I seen on oanda its 1.10813, can you tell me a more reliable place to get the currency rates?

 

[EagerBeaver]

I get currency rates in real time from the XE currency app. It's on my iPhone. It just went down to $1.1195 since my last post 21 minutes ago. Also according to the XE app 1 Euro=$1.5401 CDN. Here is a link to all the XE currency apps:

http://www.xe.com/apps/

Totally free for the iPhone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[EagerBeaver]

A late day surge has taken the rate over 1.12 to $1.1205, which I believe is a 5 year high.

 

[warmtouch]

I just need it to hold out for three more days!

 

[EagerBeaver]

Sharky I get a much higher rate on XE, 1.1212, than either reuters (1.1112) or bloomberg (1.1111), and it's way up from where it was earlier in the day. Are these real time rates?

 

[EagerBeaver]

XE's rate as of 8:04 p.m. tonight is 1.1212

 

[simonpaul]

Don't matter the exchange just have an account in U.s dollar.With Us dollar you can trave and visit the world and you will not have a problem with the exchance.

 

[views]

so where are some decent options to exchange USD cash for CD in the downtown area?
obviously there is the airport but usually not the best rate there.

 

[EagerBeaver]

the Calforex on Peel is my go to exchange place in the downtown core. It is just south of St. Catherine on Peel. I always get a good rate there. The other downtown exchange places are carnivores. But there is an Arab guy on the north side of St. Catherine not far from the Hyatt ( a few blocks west) who will match the rate of the other place.

 

[views]

Thanks EB and sharkman
both options are close to where i'll be
I just love it when a plan comes together

 

[malboro_man]

the Calforex on Peel is my go to exchange place in the downtown core. It is just south of St. Catherine on Peel.

ATM should be your best bet...these exchange joints are sharks!

 

[EagerBeaver]

ATM should be your best bet...these exchange joints are sharks!

Only for withdrawing piddling sums - I don't think you can withdraw more than $200 and that isn't going to get you enough money to see even one (1) outcall escort from Good Girls. A $20 hand job with a streetwalker, yes, but while that may be your cup of tea, it is not mine. I usually make one large withdrawal and I like to get 100 dollar bills back. The exchange places only take a transaction fee on the 1st $100 so if I change $1000 it is not costing me shit.........plus I get $100 bills back rather than $20 bills, and I am not capped at withdrawing $200. The girls don't have to count the money and they like that.........

With ATM withdrawals you also get hit with a transaction fee, on much smaller withdrawals.

 

[malboro_man]

Only for withdrawing piddling sums -

I can withdraw $600 at a time with a transaction fee of $5. The exchange rate is the market rate. Some ATM machines offer 50 or 100 bills.

 

[Sol Tee Nutz]

Only for withdrawing piddling sums - I am not capped at withdrawing $200. With ATM withdrawals you also get hit with a transaction fee, on much smaller withdrawals.

Not sure how your banking system works in the US but here you can get unlimited transaction packages very cheap plus ( for me ) $1,200.00 daily limit and many machines offer $50 & $100. Also, I have never had a girl count the money in front of me. My daughter was in Italy and money from ATM was easy and same exchange rate.

 

[greenacres99]

Not sure how your banking system works in the US.

Our banking system is extremely American! Meaning there is not one single, unified approach, but all kinds of seemingly random rules and restrictions. Depends on the bank. I had a bank that offered free ATM usage worldwide. They never charged a fee, they would refund me the ATM fee, and they didn't charge a foreign transaction fee. Another bank will charge me the two fees PLUS a 3% fee each usage. Others will not charge fees depending on which kind of Canadian ATM you use. And so on. This is all in my tiny non-important town. Depends on your bank. Oh and so does the daily amount allowed, which can be troublesome if you want to pay girls and eat the same day without doing some cash stockpiling beforehand! There is at least one other thread that covers this ground...