Dollar at 12 month high

[wayneg]

$1.68320

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business/market_data/currency/11/12/default.stm

Perfect timing to pay off our cruise, needs to be paid in the next 3 weeks

 

[TigerandBear]

Its a great exchange rate! Hope it keeps getting better for our hol!

 

[ankersandrew]

Ive got my dollars for our holiday at the end of Sept. $1.63 - 1.65 in the last couple of months. not seen it this high on the high street for ages.

The place i use is MoneyShop they always given me the best rates.

 

[wilma-bride]

All good news. Paid some money off my 2015 cruise today

 

[Ware Bears]

I paid the majority of mine too - the rate today was too good to miss.

 

[tinkerpea]

Wow that's crazy I'm gutted I just changed 1500 last Sunday at 1.62 as I thought it was high!

 

[wilma-bride]

Wow that's crazy I'm gutted I just changed 1500 last Sunday at 1.62 as I thought it was high!

The rate quoted in Wayne's post is the business rate, not the tourist rate so you wouldn't get that on the high street anyway. Even with the rate high, the best you are likely to get on the high street is around 1.65, which is only a difference of about $45 extra. No reason to be gutted. At the end of the day, the rate could just as easily have gone down and you would have been even more gutted that you didn't exchange before.

 

[wayneg]

As Joh says most high street exchanges will be $1.65 or less, only way to get the interbank rate is with a fee free credit card, best collection rate is $1.665. $1.62 is not a bad rate.
See if this link works.
http://travelmoney.moneysavingexper...ction-london/further/500-pounds-worth#results

 

[2Tiggies]

For anyone with a FairFX card, if you get the promotional emails, they sent one on Wednesday offering a special rate of 1.64-odd. When I opened the site on my browser it showed us just under 1.62 but when I clicked through the link in the email to log in, it offered $1.6537. I promptly topped up.

If we were traveling in the next couple of weeks I would have probably left it to chance in the hope of an even better rate if it doesn't drop, just using my fee free credit card, but since this rate is more than my budgeted base rate, I am more than happy.

 

[wilma-bride]

For anyone with a FairFX card, if you get the promotional emails, they sent one on Wednesday offering a special rate of 1.64-odd. When I opened the site on my browser it showed us just under 1.62 but when I clicked through the link in the email to log in, it offered $1.6537. I promptly topped up.

I added some money to Gary's Fairfx card last night, at $1.6537 also - more spending money for New York

 

[edinburghlass]

Seventeen days to go

But having just renewed my house insurance I won't be ordering until nearer the time as I'm only covered for £250 in cash at home whereas our holiday insurance covers us for more.

 

[wilma-bride]

Seventeen days to go

But having just renewed my house insurance I won't be ordering until nearer the time as I'm only covered for £250 in cash at home whereas our holiday insurance covers us for more.

Good point. Could be risky having too much cash lying around

 

[Elise79]

It's great timing for me as we are off shopping to the mall today with my PO CC everything will be a little bit cheaper

We never carry more than about $200 in cash as there is just no need - everywhere takes card payments virtually. In Florida we only used cash for tolls and an extra tip in YS as we paid for dinner using out TIW card by wanted to leave our server a bit extra than the standard 18% and find it easier than messing with the bill.

 

[mickg7dyd]

Hi,
Not sure if it's country wide but our local Asda guarantees to beat any rate within 4 miles. Prior to this I always used Cash Generator as they were consistently the best rate.
Mick

 

[tinkerpea]

It's great timing for me as we are off shopping to the mall today with my PO CC everything will be a little bit cheaper

We never carry more than about $200 in cash as there is just no need - everywhere takes card payments virtually. In Florida we only used cash for tolls and an extra tip in YS as we paid for dinner using out TIW card by wanted to leave our server a bit extra than the standard 18% and find it easier than messing with the bill.

For some people they just like cash to keep an eye on what they are spending,
We never even had anything on credit until we got a card a year or so ago!
So we always take cash, but have a cc for emergencies.

 

[Elise79]

For some people they just like cash to keep an eye on what they are spending, We never even had anything on credit until we got a card a year or so ago! So we always take cash, but have a cc for emergencies.

I didn't say I had anything on credit - we pay in full every month by direct debit.

If I lose my card - I call the bank and stop it with no financial risk to me.

Lose cash and it's gone.

Bonus is I get the interbank rate

 

[2Tiggies]

I didn't say I had anything on credit - we pay in full every month by direct debit.

If I lose my card - I call the bank and stop it with no financial risk to me.

Lose cash and it's gone.

Bonus is I get the interbank rate

That's what I do too. Make the cards work for me without owing for services

My travel insurance only covers £500 in cash for me and £250 for DD (as she is a minor). I don't take that much in cash anyway but if got lost or stolen at least I know the full amount we do take is covered.

 

[tinkerpea]

I didn't say I had anything on credit - we pay in full every month by direct debit.

If I lose my card - I call the bank and stop it with no financial risk to me.

Lose cash and it's gone.

Bonus is I get the interbank rate

It is still a cc though correct? Which alot people can't even get these days,
Which is why I think alot of people still take cash,
We have never even used our card,even.if I was to pay it off in full by direct debit it's still a.cc!
I understand it works for some,and works well.

 

[2Tiggies]

It is still a cc though correct? Which alot people can't even get these days, Which is why I think alot of people still take cash, We have never even used our card,even.if I was to pay it off in full by direct debit it's still a.cc! I understand it works for some,and works well.

Yes a credit card is a credit card but if used wisely it can save you a lot of money. I've raked in hundreds of £ of savings between better exchange rates, cash back for purchases, and about £200 from cash back sites for changing the cards every other year for a successful application

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[torsie24]

For some people they just like cash to keep an eye on what they are spending, We never even had anything on credit until we got a card a year or so ago! So we always take cash, but have a cc for emergencies.

I just think unless you're insured for big sums of cash it's too risky to take it.

We use a pre-paid credit card (FairFX) as that way you can save in advance and get the good deals of the rate is beneficial.

And now that you can get only any time any place it's easier to check your card balance than count your cash!

Also I don't understand people not having CCs. We never book holidays or make big purchases with cash/debit cards.

Which has benefitted us twice. Once when XL Airline went under 5 days before a holiday. And again when the shop I ordered my bridesmaids dresses from shut suddenly, keeping my 50% deposit and leaving me without BM dresses! Got the money back in both instances no problem.