US$ and other currencies - travel now

[Bigritchie]

Originally Posted by Andy R

I saw the dollar drop 17% during my trips to Brazil since January 2006. Add inflation and the overall cost to live there went up nearly 25%.

The currency I find most interesting is the Norwegian Kroner. They have an amazing economy (driven by oil reserves), a small population to take care of, low corruption and huge surpluses of cash.

They just had a article on drudge today how 1 in 86 of them are US millionaires and that does not include real estate values.

[bpp3]

Originally Posted by MasterBlaster

If you have the guts to really make a killing here, borrow money in Japan where interest rates are around 1 percent. Then take that borrowed money and invest in Icelandic Krona (or other currencies) that pay ~11 percent or so.

That's what the carry-traders do. And they have done very well so far.

That's effectively what I do, though I just consider it diversification. If I happen to be getting a boost from the carry trade for now, great, but I do expect it all to unwind (any day now... as I have been thinking for years now...). Which probably won't be fun, but I plan to keep buying through the dip, same as with stocks.

[claire]

its around £3.00 per pint over here now - approx six dollars - scandelous isnt it?

[Grizz]

Jeez, seems like yesterday that my Canadian Loonie was at just 65ish cents to the US greenback. Now, thanks mainly to a crazy oil boom it's at about 95.5 cents.

It has been said and calculated that $90 oil will bring parody. When that day arrives, and assuming that the housing disaster in the U.S. continues its downward slide, I believe that it would signal the perfect storm for lots of Canadians looking to shed their scarfs and mittens and buy up Florida and Arizona property. Anyone teaching courses on how to operate an air conditioner?

[Basenji]

Originally Posted by claire

its around £3.00 per pint over here now - approx six dollars - scandelous isnt it?

Seems like it was just yesterday that we were paying 90p for a pint (ok, it was 1984-85), and with £1=$1 to $1.10, we were downing dollar pints. Woohoo!

[kumquat]

Originally Posted by Grizz

I believe that it would signal the perfect storm for lots of Canadians looking to shed their scarfs and mittens and buy up Florida and Arizona property. Anyone teaching courses on how to operate an air conditioner?

+38C (99F) here in Canuckistan yesterday. Had to get the instruction book out.