I see a lot of bitching and moaning around here about the "weak" US dollar and how the US economy will crumble because of it, but none of those same people seem to think about these things. Things such as... Average price of gas across Europe Or wait... how about a beer in Ireland? I remember paying something like $7.00 for a combo meal at McD's when I lived in New Zealand, and that was a few years ago. Meanwhile, I just paid $2.75 a gallon for gas, bought a beer at the local bar for $1.00, followed it up with a $1.00 jello shot, grabbed myself a few angus beef patties for the grill and paid $4.00 for those, and a pack of smokes $3.40. Damn that weak US Dollar! People bitch about it all the time, but everyone that does the bitching can go to a mall and shop till they drop. They can go see movies, drink until they can't walk anymore, and probably afford very nice vehicles to take them from point a to point b. What gives? Even here in Nevada this happens. A good friend and I were debating this the other day. She kept trying to tell me how bad our economy was and how our country was going downhill, WHILE TELLING ME ABOUT HER PLANNED TRIP TO HAWAII NEXT WEEK! And no, she's NOT in debt. Like most Americans, she has a job that pays halfway decent. I'm quite happy with the way my dollar spends. And I'm sure I'll be quite happy next year as well. You moaners have been saying the same thing for years. "just watch, next year we'll be in trouble". But the economy keeps getting better. And my life gets better with it. So please... knock it off with the nonsense. No?
You might be happy with how your dollar is, but a good fact is that it was fluctuating at around 50% more valuable than the canadian looney almost a decade ago, and last week it peaked as low as 3.5% or something. And -offtopic- we canadians still get screwed because US companies still charge us ~30% more than the same product in the US.
I bought a watermelon at Walmart today for $2.98. I plan to enjoy all three dollars of it too Yeah, a lot of people bitch, whine, moan and complain. They always have and always will. I always figured it was part of (or a lack of) their home training. Not enough attention from their parents while growing up. While some of us enjoy life, others live a life of self-induced misery. And they deserve every bit of it too!
I get paid in dollars from google adsense, I'm always disapointed when it's converted in to pounds sterlings. What is this shit you guys spend? Monopoly money or something?
Me and my partner suffer too mate because the dollar is so god damn weak compared to mighty currencies like the British Pound and Euro.
Who cares? It buys us a shit load of goods and gives us a kick ass life. While you're converting it into pounds, I'm converting it into the high life.
A lot of our payments are in the Mighty British Pound these days mate and we are getting great value for money globally for that, you can keep your bog roll.
I care, I thought i made that clear. It's ok for you guys and other countries with a weak currency. But when this monopoly money is taken to proper countries with proper currencies it turns in to pretty much nothing.
Oh I see. You missed the op. I guess I wasn't clear that I meant to make a point that the US dollar is not so bad for Americans. As a side note though, I for some reason sense some kind of, I dunno, jealousy from your side of the pond? I mean, it seems you both have to constantly state how superior your precious pound is, when quite frankly, we just don't care. We're happy here. We can do all of our travel within our borders and see virtually every type of climate known to man. Why leave? Of course, if you can afford to travel overseas then great! Lot's of Americans do. And while they may bitch about prices, they aren't sitting in some desert with flies coming out of their noses wondering when their next meal will be. We've got it good here in America.
The basic problem with a weak currency on a consumer level is importing goods, because the American economy produces anything you will ever need, you have no problem just have to forget about buying European goods or going on vacation outside USA. On the other side of the story US products will be more attractive for exportation because of the reduced price. So in the end you get higher internal and external demand, the problem this could lead to inflation on US prices if the producing capacity is not enough.
I guess it's only in america that i would expect someone to celebrate a weak exchange rate because it allows them to be an even bigger consumer. "My money may be worth jack shit, But i can buy more useless junk with it" - So american.
The big threat is if commodities like gold and oil start to get traded in Euros, then the dollar will really go down the drain because of lack of demand for the currency and commodities prices for US business will get really expensive, then American consumers will have to buy less junk
Good luck to you, Whatever makes you happy, No matter how shallow and pathetic it is. While you are buying supersized mcdonalds meals and sweatshop produces running shoes to cram your bloated sweaty feet in to the rest of us are traveling, Seeing the world and taking in other cultures. Because our exchange rates allow us to go to lesser countries, Like yours, And be able to do a lot more with our money.