Englishman in New York
Posted by Arianne | Filed under Arianne
Actually, I was a Canadian in Ireland but I’m sure you get the idea!
My Christmas-slash-New Year’s vacation was to the Emerald Isle. Just over two weeks of fun and frolic in a foreign country to recharge my mind, body and spirit for what I hope to be a wonderfully successful 2012. There are two key things I struggle with before any vacation:
- How much is too much when packing for a vacation?
- How much money will I need (keyword is “need”) while I’m away from home?
The answer to question one is simple: you can never pack too much. I’m a lady who enjoys her options. The answer to question two stumps me every time. Since I had to buy Great British Pounds for this trip, I didn’t know if there was a good or bad time to convert money at the bank. I consulted friends who travel often; I even called my bank to see if they could give me some pointers. All answers pointed to ‘any time is the right time ‘cuz the dollar ain’t getting any better.’
This trip was a gift from my best friend and her husband, whose daughter was being christened in Ireland. Bask in her cuteness here:
My lil Willowbean!
I‘m her godmother and I couldn’t afford the ticket. My accommodations were taken care of and so was the majority of food. All I had to worry about was cash for any recreational activities I would want to involve myself in. After much deliberation I decided on £500, which cost me $825.80 CAD. Like, whoa! Isn’t that insane?! My goal was to return to Toronto with money left over to put back into my account.
Taking out this money put me back into the overdraft I never wanted to see again. I calculated I would be out of the red by the end of February and come hell or high-water, I will be! I think it’s pretty easy to lose sight of a goal when you’re brain is set to ‘vacation mode.’ I felt very confident in my ability to take part in pub outings and Boxing Day madness while staying true to the budget I set for myself.
Now I began writing this blog entry on the third day of my trip and I had spent £20 up to that point. I have now returned to Toronto and I spent a total of £358. When I convert what I have left it works out to be approx. $224 CAD which isn’t terrible considering all the sights I saw, the extracurricular activities, buying ‘thank you’ gifts AND getting bumped from my connecting flight home and having to spend a night in Amsterdam! Hmm…I think I’m going to wait to deposit this and see if I can get a better conversion rate in a month or so.
Being responsible with money doesn’t equate to having less fun while you’re abroad – take it from me!
PROOF – the cutest shoes in the world and they were £9! Cheap high, soul satiated…everybody wins. UNTIL NEXT THURSDAY!
A single gal who just turned thirty and a first-time home buyer, Arianne is trying to defeat the monstrous debt she accumulated in her twenties. “That debt is the result of my biggest and most dangerous vice: Shopping” says Arianne.
January 26, 2012 at 9:21 am
The way the pound is going, I’d recommend converting now and not sitting on it in a month. Times are a bit turbulent still across the pond!
January 26, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Thanks Steph – I’ll see what I can get for it the next time I’m doing my banking!
January 26, 2012 at 12:52 pm
this is something my man and I have battled with. Even when we did all the math for our anniversary trip this past october we still ended up going over….but more on that on Wednesdays!
Great Post Arianne
January 26, 2012 at 1:44 pm
I look forward to Wednesdays!!!
January 26, 2012 at 1:40 pm
From the research that I’ve done from my numerous past trips, the cheapest way to get destination-country currency is actually to just go to ATMs in that country (most countries use PLUS network ATMs, which jive with the Canadian banks). The foreign exchange rate you get charged is actually significantly better than what you get if you exchange money here in Canada at a local bank (they justify this by saying there are costs involved in keeping currency on hand, etc.), and MUCH better than using one of those FX stalls at the airports.
Additionally, you don’t take any exchange rate risk from the time you convert the money here in Canada to when you’re actually spending it in the foreign country.
The one inconvenience is that you won’t have any cash when you land (although you can usually find bank-affiliated ATMs at airports, which is what I’ve usually done). Additionally, you will be charged a foreign exchange ATM fee when you withdraw the money from your bank and likely the foreign bank(usually ~$5 total per withdrawal), so it’s best to take out a larger amount of money at once, limiting your trips to the ATM (hopefully to just once if a reasonably short trip) and spreading that fee across a larger amount. Almost always, you’ll end up significantly ahead than exchanging the money here in Canada at a local branch.
January 26, 2012 at 1:48 pm
Thanks Tyler-Chris. This is really good information that I’m sure most people don’t realize. Or maybe they do and I’m the odd one out! Hahaha…regardless, I appreciate you sharing all of this.
I am Calamity Jane at the best of times and I really only wanted the budget I set out – so I took out the money and left the debit card at home! My card has been compromised so many times (once even internationally and that was a horrendous thing to go through). So I dig going into my home branch, getting my desired amount from the teller and paying the extra “whatever I have to” simply for my own piece of mind. By no means do I think most people should do this – save money if and when you can…I’m just completely gun-shy of using my debit card at all, home or elsewhere.
January 27, 2012 at 12:23 am
Arianne your trip sounds delightful. How many people have the opportunity to go to Ireland, and doubly delicious that the flight and accomodations were a gift! Sounds like you managed to reign in the collateral spending damage. Kudos for coming back with change,ha ha ha . For me, its all about the all inclusive so that I stay on budget . Of course that will never get me to places like Ireland, but maybe some day….
January 29, 2012 at 12:58 pm
It may not get you to Ireland but there are so many other options it can get you to. I looooove an all inclusive and that’s my goal for this year (but I have to save that story for another post!!!)
January 27, 2012 at 10:12 am
Arianne – your god-daughter is TOOO cute! Thanks for letting us bask in her cuteness! They grow so fast!
Congrats too on your research and staying on budget while away. Ireland is on our “wish list” for travel since hubby’s background (and now my kids!) is Irish.
I’m not a shoe person but those are great! I remember finding a pair in Germany back when I studied in France for a great deal – makes you feel warm and tingly when you find a great, practical souvenir for cheap!
January 29, 2012 at 1:01 pm
Isn’t she though? As terrible as it sounds I would eat her everyday as pudding – SCRUMPTIOUS and LOVE HER!
My connecting flight home bumped me and the airline had to put me up in Amsterdam for the night. All I wanted to find was a wooden tulip (the only flower I adore) but alas…came back empty handed. So these shoes have helped me through that disappointment…HAHA!
What did your shoes look like??? You know I’m going to be curious!!!
January 29, 2012 at 12:15 pm
I chanced upon your web site via an opinion from a different blogpost about NYC and I am satisfied I did. Excellent stuff you’ve got here… With thanks!
January 29, 2012 at 1:02 pm
Hi New York Photo! I’m happy you stopped by Gail’s page ad doubly-happy you stopped long enough to comment on my post! Y’all come back now, y’hear? (terribly-typed Beverly Hillbillies reference – I hope that came across…hahaha)
January 30, 2012 at 10:44 pm
Hi Arianne!
I spent a weekend in Amsterdam a LONG time ago when I did my 3rd year of university in France. Good times!
My shoes – nothing special and hard to describe. Plain black, low heel, ribbons for laces – just something I hadn’t seen before. They are a good souvenir!
I love to travel but now have 3 new loves (hubby and 2 adorable children!) so I haven’t been able to afford travel in about 8 years. So.. it’s nice to be able to remember all the places I have been to pre-family!
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