Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with dollars

What is a camera with a good nighttime mode?

linzenoonoo — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:06:29 -0800

I'm looking for an affordable, but still good quality camera to use for nighttime shots. My current camera is a Canon SD1000, which has an incredibly good macro mode, and takes decent pictures otherwise, but the nighttime mode leaves much to be desired. Living in St.Louis, I have lots of opportunities for nighttime photos, but I don't have the camera to take good advantage of these. I'm looking for a camera with a good nighttime mode, preferably in the hundreds of dollars range, as I'm too young for a job and don't get an allowance. Thanks!

Best way of avoiding fees when cashing US cheques in UK bank?

humblepigeon — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:34:15 -0800

I'm British living in the UK but I get sent lots of US cheques in US$. Best way of minimising fees/costs for cashing them?

How to spend British Pounds and Australian Dollars?

grammalvsu — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:22:05 -0800

Through my various online transactions I've ended up with a bunch of British Pounds and Australian Dollars in my Paypal account. I could convert these to USD, but the exchange is currently pretty weak, and to make matters worse Paypal uses one that is even weaker by a bout 1.5% on average. So I was wondering if there's a way around converting this money in order to use it. Can anybody thinking of good ways to spend these GBP or AUD? I was looking through Ebay Australia, particularly for coupons and "e-items" where I wouldn't have to pay any shipping, but couldn't find any. It seems most items along these lines are only posted on Ebay US. Another idea I had was to hire out someone in the UK or Australia to do some graphic design work, but I've had trouble finding any one and am not sure where to look.

Where can I convert Cordobas to Dollars?

willc — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:12:47 -0800

Where in the US can I go to convert Nicaraguan Cordobas to US Dollars, and am I really holding $125,000 worth? This all seems way too good to be true, so I am approaching it with a lot of skepticism. Of course, I'd love to be proven wrong!

I traveled to Nicaragua in 1991 for two weeks. Last night I was going through some old papers and found some Cordobas I had kept when I returned. I remembered that the Cordoba was on a drastic downward spiral in value in 1991, and I thought it would be interesting to see what the current exchange rate is.

In short, I have two 1,000,000 Cordoba bills and one 500,000 bill, which I probably got for a grand total of $5 back in the day.

The online exchange rates I found indicate that the current rate is $1 to every $19 Cordoba, which means between these three bills I have, I am looking at $125,000 USD. Is that possibly correct?

If that is correct, is there somewhere in the US to convert these to dollars? How does that work?

Skeptically hopeful...

Is it becoming the norm for people to work more than one (or even two) jobs just to stay afloat?

msposner — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:21:57 -0800

Is it becoming a more acceptable trend for individuals to work more than one job just to maintain a certain standard of living? I work three jobs (my wife also works full-time) and yet it seems as if we barely can keep ourselves afloat on a monthly basis. Help me from going crazy here! Background information: I work three jobs. Job number one is a state employee (CT) for a position that requires a master's degree (I actually will be finishing up my second one in a few months). Job number two is working as an independent contractor for a technology company (10-15 hours/week). Job number three is a teacher for an adult education program (5 hours/week).

My wife is a full-time teacher.

Together, we have little debt (<$5k) and we are hardly reckless with our spendings. Most of our purchases are related to the upkeep of our home and cars (2). We rarely eat out but we do have a house and all the associated bills. With me working all these hours, we've been able to be afloat in terms of our bills and expenses.

However, I am seeing more and more people, including colleagues in state employment looking for second (and sometimes, third) jobs just to "stay afloat." They too, claim that they don't have any really "out of the world" bills.

I am wondering what other people are experiencing, especially in the state of today's economy and whether this trend is related to the fact that I live in CT (a very, very expensive state) or if this is something we need to expect to become the norm just to maintain normal, decent standard of living.

Or it could be that I don't make enough money with my primary job ($50k/year)...

Any thoughts? Feedback? Insights? All would be greatly appreciated.

Nickel and dime stuff

Hogshead — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 05:47:58 -0800

I've got a quantity of US coins, maybe $30-40. I'm in the UK, specifically London, and not likely to be visiting the US again. How can I do some good with this money? Banks won't convert foreign change. Does anyone know of a charity that might accept them, or something similar?

invest 1 million dollars guaranteed income

endlessknot — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:34:00 -0800

Where should one invest 1 million dollars for guaranteed income ? I have been reading that there are Fidelity and Vanguard income funds guaranteed for life. Please suggest how/where to invest 1 million dollars for at least 10% interest per year. Thank You. endless

Make me a Zimbabwe Dollar billionaire

ph00dz — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 07:48:44 -0800

I wanna be a Zimbabwe dollar billionaire. Where can I buy Zimbabwe dollars in bulk at a reasonable price? To be clear... I'm not a collector. I want fistfuls of the actual money... like... I wanna be able to grab a giant sack of Zimbabwe dollars and throw it all over the bed before I make love. When I see my rival rappers in the club, I wanna be able to throw millions of Zimbabwe dollars in their face, just to let 'em know that I'm for real. I wanna pose for pictures on my myspace page with my my billions of Zimbabwe dollars on display, just stacks and stacks of it... maybe even make a little youtube movie where I flash my Zimbabwe dollars in my hands and yell, "I'm rich, bitch!"

I see 'em on eBay, but the prices are... well... shockingly high, given the value of the Zimbabwe dollar.

Looking for advice about getting and spending money while in Mexico.

iamkimiam — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:02:20 -0800

Traveling to Oaxaca, Mexico next week. Looking for advice and information about money while I'm there. A friend and I will be spending some time in Oaxaca, Mexico in July. We are wondering about how to get and spend money while we're there. Specifically, whether or not it is better to bring dollars in, or go to ATMs once we arrive. Why? How do conversion rates work? Should we get pesos too? What ratio of dollars-to-pesos should we have? Where is our bargaining power and when is it most effective to offer to pay with dollars versus pesos? Any other monetary info welcome as well. Thanks!

Sending Dollars from India

Non Prosequitur — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:45:59 -0800

I'm wondering how to send a check in dollars to someone in the States from a bank account in Indian rupees (for a low sum like $200). Essentially I'd like the equivalent of what, out there, would be mailing a money order. (I'm just ruling out the notion of sending a personal check in rupees and hoping their bank would take it and deposit the dollar value?)

Do bank wire transfers sometimes convert currencies so if I have the payee's routing number and so on it may work? (My mom has a special account with a dollar balance so I'll check with her bank--they let her deposit international currencies but withdraw only rupees.)

Long shot: can traveler's checks function as a psuedo-money-order?

Any ideas welcome.

What's the safest possible thing that I can do with my money?

Afroblanco — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:18:24 -0800

What's the safest possible thing that I can do with my money? Anyone who's seen me around the finance threads knows that I take bearishness to an extreme. Having witnessed the 2000 tech crash, I have no faith in the stock market or the US economy. I keep all of my money (USD) in a savings account. However, with the recent financial turmoil, I have a few questions :

1) Is it conceivable for the FDIC to fail?
2) If so, is there a place where I can put my money that will be safer than a savings account?
3) What's the safest, most risk-free way for me to save money and not get killed by inflation and the tanking US dollar?
4) If there is a safe way for me to save money and not be punished by inflation and the depreciating dollar, is there a way that I can do this without having to stress out and micromanage my finances? I don't want to be checking the finance page and making adjustments every day.

One thing that I must ask of you all - please do not turn this into a political debate. I know that issues of economics are often politically charged, but I ask you to please not address that aspect of the situation. Also, please take it easy on me. Even though I follow finance news, I've never done any investing or money management other than socking money away in my savings account. I'm a n00b, I admit it, so please don't talk down to me.

Any links to relevant articles or informational resources - especially those readable to the layman - will be appreciated.

Thank you.

converting dollars to cheese!

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:13:32 -0800

I'm going to Europe for at least a year in September. When should I convert my dollars to euros? I know that if I were planning on staying in the US, converting money to different currencies would not be the best course of action. But what about in my specific situation?

I will probably be in France from at least September-June (longer if possible). There, I will only be making ~750 euros/month after taxes so I will want to use money that I have saved for this trip to supplement that. But! I'm worried that something awful will happen in the next six months and my US savings will be worth a more meager sum than they already are. (Am I on the wrong track here? Will the economic stimulus package fix everything?)

Would it be totally foolish to transfer my dollars to euros now? If so, when should I do it instead? (and how?)

Sending money to Canada from the US?

ikkyu2 — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 16:23:06 -0800

Best way to send money from the U.S. to Canada? My superb graphic designer recently performed some services for me and invoiced me in US dollars.

I tried to PayPal her the money and the amount of pushback I got from PayPal was excessive - they voided the first transaction, and after I jumped through all the first set of hoops, they voided the second transaction and requested another set of hoops.

I then tried Western Union. It all looked good until it came to the fee, which was 11% of the invoice amount. I couldn't stomach that.

She has a bank account there; I have a couple of bank accounts here. She'll take either $Can or $US. I'm happy to do whatever it takes. What's the right way to do this?

Is anyone else having bank problems?

mr. creosote — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 18:41:53 -0800

Has anyone noticed banks here in the U.S. pulling shenanigans today? This may be nothing but I want to ask anyway. One of our friends tried to cash his CD today for several thousand dollars. The bank manager had to call a higher-up to get approval, and they declined to cash the CD saying that because it wasn't paid for in cash, it couldn't be cashed out. Another friend said their bank imposed a cap on wire transfer limits this week.

Tonight, my wife and I were doing our monthly bill paying, the same way we've always done. Up until last month the web interface always allowed us to move money immediately between our accounts. It no longer allows this and is making us wait until the next business day (Monday), thus we're unable to pay our bills out of that account this weekend and understandably we're pissed.

And of course what do I hear on the news but job numbers being way down and Bush finally talking about a recession.

Is this just weird coincidence or have you all noticed any new troubles?

How much spending money should I bring for a 15Day trip to India??

lonemantis — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:04:42 -0800

How much money (in US$) should my S.O. and I bring on a 15 day trip to India? Here's the backstory: My wife and I are going to India, so that my parents can at least have a Hindu wedding ceremony so that extended family can join in the festivities of me (an only child) get married (to a non-Indian). Basically this trip and the ceremony is for my parents. We're going to be staying with family in Mumbai, so lodging would be free, but I'm sure that we'll be eating out, as well as taking tours, tipping cab drivers, and all the other charges that come with being out of the country on a pleasure trip... so... being that the US dollar doesn't command as much value as it once did:

How much spending money for 15days in US$?

American Bringing Cuban Goods into the U.S.

cookie googleman — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 06:58:33 -0800

I'm an American traveling to Cuba legally (under a general license). What are the restrictions on what I can/cannot bring back into the U.S.?

Transfer funds internationally - fast!

TrashyRambo — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 19:06:07 -0800

What's the fastest way to transfer money from a British bank account into an American (Honda car dealer's) account? I have identified a car in the US (where I am). I have the money in the UK (where I used to live). I don't have a US bank account but need the car right away. How can I send the money?

How best to transfer American dollars for use in Glasgow during a year abroad?

cowbellemoo — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 20:33:29 -0800

Is this [AskMe post] the best way to use American funds for living expenses in Glasgow? What other options are available? I'm asking for a dear friend who deserves the peace of mind that closure to this question would give.

Hi, I am leaving the US to attend grad school in Scotland. I plan on opening a bank account in Glasgow with either RBS or BoS. There is no American bank with a branch in the city (there is one HSBC but I was told by an HSBC representative that it is treated as a separate bank in each country; in other words I couldn't access an American account in Scotland.) My question is, what is the best way for me to get my money from America to Scotland? From what I understand, an international wire transfer requires a trip to the consulate in Edinburgh for a stamp. Should I just take a whole mess o cash with me on the plane? Some combination of the two? You'd think internet transfers would be an option in this day and age but that suggestion has been rebuffed by the banks at every turn. Thanks for your help!

I will forward this post to a similar question to my friend. It seems like a good idea, but I don't think either of us have the experience to know if that's the best plan or if it will work in his situation, or if it's unrealistic to expect the same luck.

Will an ATM withdrawl (in Scotland) of American funds (in pounds) avoid punishing transfer fees? What other options are there?

What to do with an old coin collection?

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:14:20 -0800

Should I sell my COIN COLLECTION, and how would I go about it? I have a large collection of old American coins. I'd purchased many as a kid, but the majority of them that hold any significant value are a large number of silver Morgan Dollars and Peace Dollars that I'd found in a cigar box after my grandmother died in 1989. My question is in two parts....

(1) Should I sell the coin collection? With interest rates at, say, ING Direct, now at 4.25%, and with other invesements types out there too (like mutual funds), it seems to me that I could make better money those ways instead. The value of old coins don't go up more than 4% annually, do they?

(2) How would I go about selling them? Not only do I not have the expertise, but I have so many of those silver dollars too that it'd be much too time-consuming for me to look up and estimate each one's value myself. But, if I take them to a dealer, how I do I know if he or she will be suggesting the proper price for each piece? I don't want to get conned, of course. What would you recommend?

Thank you!

Monetary Policy and Me

clearlynuts — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 06:50:51 -0800

I'm not afraid of bird flu. I'm afraid of waking up broke one day. How do I avoid this? I'm slowly starting to digest some of the effects of monetary policy - particularly that of the United States over the last five years. I've read in various places that a large bit of America's debt is held by foreign entities. I've also read that monetary policy has been to simply print more paper money to stimulate the economy and avoid a recession.

Though I'm not expert, it would seem that these two things work to devalue the dollar. I'm sure that the American government would have us believe that it will never default on it's obligations and that the dollar will always be there. But anything's possible, right?

Didn't something happen in Argentina recently where the currency devalued so fast that the whole country was in anarchy? Utlimately, how can I shelter some of my assets in case the Armerican economy goes to hell in a handbasket? Buy euros? Keep them in a European bank?

How do US citizens best invest in Euros?

pwb503 — Sat, 01 Oct 2005 15:16:15 -0800

Suppose an American citizen living in America wanted to invest 10k - 50k of US dollars in Euros. What would be the easiest way of going about making this investment? I only mention the dollar figure to see if there are any limits before certain rules kick in. What tax hoops and/or other legal hoops would one have to jump through? Is there anything else one should know about before making the decision to invest in Euros?

US dollar bill with a URL for a hotel in Domincan Republic?

o2b — Tue, 28 Dec 2004 10:57:24 -0800

Dollar bill spam? I just got a US dollar bill with a URL on it. Going to said URL brings up the web site of a hotel in the dominican republic. Is this an actual thing? Or is this just someone having some fun? For the record, the URL: http://hetkasteeltje.net/

What's the easiest way to move liquid assets from dollars to Euros?

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Nov 2004 23:58:24 -0800

if one wanted to move a portion of ones liquid assets from dollars to euros ... what is the easiest way with minimal overhead?

Exchanging Currency

shoos — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 19:17:39 -0800

Seeking advice/information on exchanging currency. I am planning on converting a chunk of money in yen to dollars and moving it from a bank in Japan to one in the US. Has anyone had experience doing this and could give me a heads up about what issues I need to concern myself with, aside from the exchange rate?

Better to change pounds to USD in London or Los Angeles?

Optamystic — Tue, 24 Feb 2004 10:57:34 -0800

Money changing. (More inside) I'll be traveling from London to Los Angeles on Thursday, and I will have a goodly amount of cash in pounds. I don't have a UK bank account. Am I better off changing this into dollars while in London, or should I wait until I get to the U.S.? Either way, should I do it at the airport, or offsite?