by Toma Haines
If you're planning to travel abroad this summer, it would be a wise idea to know the local currency exchange rate for your country of travel before you go. The best currency convertor website is http://www.xe.com/. With today's currency (mid-May 2009) $1 USD is equal to .75 Euro cents - or to say it another way, $20 will only give you 15 Euro. After a long spell with exorbitant exchange rates between Great Britain and America, the rates are now quite reasonable and similar to that of the Euro. $1 is 66 British pence - $20 is 13. While the swine flu might have you rethinking trips to Mexico, the exchange rate sure won't - $20 is 262 Mexico Pesos!
Wherever your
summer travels take you, if you're going abroad create and print an exchange
rate chart to carry with you in your purse or pocket. That way when you see a price on a
sensational item you want to buy, you'll know how much it's costing you in
"real money"! The first time I went to
France I accidentally paid $7 for a can of coke! When I want to buy a souvenir when traveling
abroad (and with me, my souvenir is almost always an antique) I like to fully
understand how much I'm paying for something to know if I'm getting a good deal!
A US Dollar to Euro Pocket Cheat Sheet looks something like this for May 2009:
$1 = 0.75
$5 = 3.75E
$10 = 7.60E
$20 = 15E
$50 = 37.75E
$75 = 56.60E
$100 = 75.50E
To read more exciting articles written by The Antiques Diva visit www.antiquesdiva.blogspot.com or to book a European Antiques Shopping Tour at www.antiquesdiva.com

