Australian dollar... May have to rethink the budget :(

[ozliz]

Anyone else spending ages worrying about the declining dollar while waiting for discounts to come out for their travel dates? I can't decide whether to transfer money to a travel card now and get the crappy exchange rate with its built in surcharge or just hope for the best and still use my fee free credit card when I am finally able to book a discounted rate. Either way if it keeps declining I might be staying at all value resorts which was not the trip I originally planned.

 

[LivingforDisney]

When are going?

 

[ozliz]

February so discounts will hopefully be out in the next month but still getting nervous/ impatient.

 

[PrincessInOz]

The dollar has been rather high for quite a while now. It's on its way down and it always tumbles faster than it inches up.

Have you come to a decision about what to do?

 

[LisaAJ]

We are going in Jan and I locked in the the rate on the majority of our $$ on a travel card when it was about 96c (we've been planning/saving a long time)

Now, when I look at it, I'm really glad I did! I know the exact amount everything is going to cost me and there is much less uncertainty.

That's just the way I prefer to do it

 

[WearegoingtoAmerica]

Yes, I'm a little worried. We are not going until September, but not sure if it will come up before then or keep plummeting. Last year exchanged money when it was about the same, but remember going when it was at 56c. We're planning on a 6 week vacation, so that dollar makes a BIG difference.

 

[zanzibar138]

I went through the same thing making bookings for my trip. The dollar was looking pretty ordinary a few months ago, but started to make a recovery just before I left. When we were over there it nearly hit parity again before starting the downward decline again.

In the end I decided it was too hard worrying about what the currency was doing and just booked things when it was best for us. We paid for a lot when it was low-ish, but we also paid for a lot when it was high-ish, so it kind of evened out in the end.

 

[minneylovesmicky]

i spent ages trying to work out the best option - debitcard with aussie dollars or get a travel card.

I was just going to wing it at what ever the rate was in Feb 2015 and just use my debit card, but one morning i woke up with the nagging feeling in my head that winging it was not going to be a good idea, i got so concerned the dollar would plummet whilst in the US and i would be left with heaps less cash than i thought i had. So i went and got a travel card and switched some AUS $$ to US $$, i got a rate of 0.89, was not great, but they are offering 0.83 now, so i look at that as a good rate. Difference of about $800 between the rate i got and the rate now, so much better in my pocket than the banks

For us everything is booked, apart from the character breakfasts, as they can't be done till 60 days before. we got flights for a good price, $400 less than the "early bird" specials QANTAS have just released, so again that went our way.

Like LisaAJ i know exaclty how much cash i have to spend and once i got that card/cash done, it was a huge weight off my mind.

 

[losfp]

Most of our accommodation for next Oct/Nov is going to be DVC rentals so I'm going to have to lock them in over the next few weeks anyway. So that will make the decision easier. Right now the extra cash is sitting in our mortgage reducing the interest so it'll be a close call as to when to cash it in and lock in USD.

 

[Princess Jes]

For us everything is booked, apart from the character breakfasts, as they can't be done till 60 days before.

Off topic/ I thought you could book all dining 180 days out?

 

[PrincessInOz]

Off topic/ I thought you could book all dining 180 days out?

It's 180 days for WDW. DLR is 60 days out.

 

[dabecs]

It just keeps dropping! I've got my fingers crossed it picks up in the next week. I have been pitting off getting my cash and plan on using my regular card while away will be a bummer if it keeps dropping!

 

[PrincessInOz]

I hope the dollar picks up too.

 

[newkie]

I hope it picks up too! We've changed over half of what we're taking with us, but we don't know wether to wait to do more, or lock it in now before it goes even further down

 

[LisaAJ]

I'm going to do it as soon as we have the $$ but that's because I prefer to know what I'm working with. I'll transfer most to our travel card. Going to change some cash too but not sure how much yet.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I'm going to do it as soon as we have the $$ but that's because I prefer to know what I'm working with. I'll transfer most to our travel card. Going to change some cash too but not sure how much yet.

I got my cash last week. I think we have enough in the travel card for our trip; it was just the cash that I needed to convert.

Looks like the dollar picked up a little last night. Back over 87 cents again.

 

[jevs]

I bit the bullet and changed sômelast week. I dônt want to wait around in case it further plummets. If it goes up ill transfer some more across and use it for accommodation.

I guess it swings and roundabouts, we had a high rate early this year when I was expecting less.

 

[Aussiefamof5]

This is the most nerve racking knowing when to exchange feels like I'm forever debating when to just do it

 

[clairenutter]

I am travelling to Oz & Nz from the uk next year & trying to time when I purchase my dollars at the right time so I get a good rate (the rate for buying Nz dollars right now is very good) I have signed up so Thomas Cook email me if the exchange rate changes. Could you not do something like that yourself? Would help you get the best rate you can. Claire xxx

 

[travelwith4kids]

We are also concerned with the dropping rate. We will be on a fairly firm budget so anything we loose with the falling exchange rate means less shopping money!
When people say they are going to lock in some now are they referring to putting money on a travelcard?
DH and I havent been overseas since having kids (10yrs) so are pretty uneducated about the best way to use money.
We have considered changing a large chunk now onto a travelcard but as we dont travel until Sept next year that seems a long time for it to change and it could go either way?? We would be devastated though if it just steadily declines.