The exchange rate is killing me!!!!

[tiggerlover]

Just went to pay our rent today and the Euro to dollar rate has dropped....again! My rent used to be $826.00 (When I moved in that was 826.00 Euro, even exchange), today our rent cost us $909.95!! ARGH!!! I miss paying for things in dollars!!

 

[Mamu]

Debbi so sorry to hear this. It's news I'm not excited about. With 7 months till we visit. I watch the exchange weekly.

I've hear the Italians are not happy with the euro either. I loved the lira. With an exchange rate of over 2000 lira for every american dollar.

Not sure how the change will effect our trip, but it sure sounds like we'll be paying more this time.

 

[gina2000]

Years back, I was in Italy when the exchange was 1200 lira to the dollar. Talk about getting walloped! Everything was so expensive!

Higher interest rates will bring a stronger dollar. Sometimes war also does it, though this threat doesn't seem to be helping. Higher oil prices (oil is paid for in dollars) usually brings some strength to the dollar. Truthfully, the world is upside down....alot of economic truisms are not working this time around.

Hope for the best. Stinks being dollar poor, doesn't it????

BTW, can you renegotiate your pay based on euros instead of dollars?

 

[Mishetta]

Oh....good point Gina2000 about re-negotiating pay! Try it!!

 

[jsmith]

Wonderful suggestion guys-but I think tiggerlovers Dh is US military-the pay in US dollars worldwide with no negotiation. However for expatirates working for private industry that is a totally awesome idea!

 

[tiggerlover]

Wow, if only I could re-negotiate military pay!! I would bring the pay up to the civilian equivilent in a heart beat. Seriously though, we do get a small compensation when the exchange rate changes, but it doesn't help if you spend a lot of euro. The only place we can spend US dollars over here is on the base, but since the big base with all the facilities is an hour away I usually end up buying a lot of stuff on the Italian economy, plus my rent and all of my utilities are in euros. The savings I would get by going the 2 hour round trip would be eaten up in gas and tolls alone.

Mamu, I am hoping that by the time your trip comes around that things are a lot better with the euro! One of the major reasons the Italians are uhappy with the euro is because when they converted from lire to euro they raised the prices of everything.

When I first arrived in Italy in 1992 the lire to dollar rate was one for one, I remember at the airport in NY before we got here it was 800 lire to the dollar....very poor. When we left 6 years later it was hovering around 1800 lire to the dollar. When we returned a year ago the euro was slightly stronger than the dollar, I just hope it changes. I would be happy with one for one again, it makes it easier to know how much I am spending on something.

 

[Buz]

Tiggerlover,

I know how you feel. Long, long ago, we were stationed in Germany. Every time Jimmy Carter gave a speech, the exchange rate dropped and my rent went up 20-30 bucks. Not to mention the cost of beer and wine!

Buz