Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with euro

How do i pay a small hospital bill from France?

doiheartwentyone — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:50:04 -0800

How do i pay a small hospital bill from France? GF and I (UK residents) had a holiday in France earlier this year during which she broke her head a bit. We went to the hospital to check it wasn't serious (it wasn't), and filled in the EHIC form and thought no more of it. The hospital didn't ask for money and didn't look like it was really set up for the handling of money either.

Three months later, we receive a bill for 17 EUR, which seems to be 30% of the actual fee. I guess the EHIC has covered the other 70%. It's attached to one of those normal bill payment tear off things, with a note saying something like "For ways to pay, please see over". Unfortunately, the bill seems to be a photocopy or something because there's nothing on the other side.

So, firstly, what are those ways to pay, that a French hospital would normally accept? And secondly, are any of those feasible from abroad? I see the "Eurocheque" doesn't exist anymore, and I would rather not have to pay Western Union or similar 100% of the bill amount to get this done.

If it's at all useful, I will be in Berlin for a weekend next month, so perhaps there is some kind of euro-denomination cheque I could get hold of there ?

USD to EUR/Spanish Debit Cards

PaulingL — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 05:51:53 -0800

LivingAbroadFilter: What can I, in particular, do to avoid conversion fees from USD to EUR? I am currently living in Spain. I will be returning to the states as of summer 2010. All my money is in American banks.

Is there something I can do to avoid fees? If not, what would be the best solution so as to keep them to a minimum?

Extra Questions

I have an online ING Direct account, with one of my banks attached to it. 1. Could I withdraw money from the ING location that is near where I am now?

2. Could I open a Spanish account, and use the online ING account to transfer funds between the two? I would like to get a Spanish Debit card.

Thanks!

Where to exchange dollars and euros?

meantime — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:34:02 -0800

Where to exchange euros for dollars? Where are the best places to exchange euros for dollars - either in Europe or in America?

I know about xe.com and they seem pretty good, but I've found a few local exchange shops in Prague, for example, that change Czech Koruna to either Dollars or Euros for better than XE or banks. The same was true in Singapore.

I havent been able to find a similar location that offers Euro-Dollar exchanges for good rates on either side of the pond.

Can anyone help?

thud thud thud thud

SNWidget — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:40:10 -0800

BubbleGumPopFilter: My deep shame as a professional musician is that I love European bubblegum techno pop music. I've heard a bunch, but I'm craving more - what should I be listening to? Here's something to guide the suggestions - I'll take anything and everything.

* Both of Aqua's Albums
* Tarzan & Jane by Toy-Box
* Space Invaders by Hit'n'Hide
* Jet Set Life by Smiles & More
* Butterfly by Smile.DK

Most of this stuff includes a sickeningly sweet melody, poppy sounds, heavy bass line, and (usually) contrasting male and female voices.

I'll take album suggestions, as well as individual songs. I just nee more of this stuff.

How to hedge personal finances against currency exchange (Euro/AuD) upheavals?

kandinski — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:04:05 -0800

Please help me calculate the risks and likelyhoods of the Euro rising or falling against the Australian Dollar in the next twelve months. I live in Australia, but derive most of my income from my Spanish clients, so I get paid in euros. In the past year this has meant that my income has grown by almost 25% without me doing anything. Yeah, I can't believe my luck either. In fact the idiot who paid me 10k euros a year late has ended up doing me a favour. But this is random blind luck, and one doesn't feel comfortable having to trust on luck, hence this question.

We are having a baby and we plan to go visit the Spanish family in the next 12 months, and I travel there for work now and then, so it also makes sense to keep some money in Spain. But we don't know when, or how much to keep or transfer. Obviously getting all our money here now is not very smart if the AuD is going to drop further. But neither is keeping it in Europe if the AuD is going to rise.

Does any mefite have a clue of what is the optimal strategy for benefiting from the possible currency ups and downs, or at least not suffering from them? Purely theoretical talk just for the purpose of education also appreciated.

Gold! Always believe in your soul, you've got the power to know...

Zé Pequeno — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 07:54:22 -0800

I am basing my Masters in International Business thesis on Prof. Barry Eichengreen's 1998 paper, 'Does Mercosur Need a Single Currency?' Although by no means an expert, I've been interested in the Austrian School for a long time and, as a result, am instinctively distrustful of central banks and fiat money. Can anyone direct me to any reputable, well-written and persuasive essays arguing the inherent weaknesses of currency unions in relation to this? I'm also keen to read any persuasive essays able to stand up to close scrutiny that successfully argue a reintroduction of the Gold Standard.

I know many economists dismiss Austrian economics as voodoo science, so I don't wish to get involved in an academic discussion.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

EUR/GBP Exchange Rates ... What's going to happen?

benzo8 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 02:40:28 -0800

I know very little about the money markets and exchange rates - does anyone with more knowledge than me have a reasonable handle on why the EUR/GBP exchange rate has jumped so much in the last year... And where it might stop? My partner and I both earn in GBP and spend in EUR. This chart shows pretty clearly that since we moved to Barcelona 4 years ago, our money has become worth far less. Recently, the rate seemed to stabalise but no it seems to be on the move again... What factors are affecting this? Why did it climb so much 6 months ago? What upcoming factors may come into play? And where might it end up?

D1am0ndz r 4ever

ReiToei — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:23:18 -0800

Can anyone recommend somewhere good to buy an engagement ring in Toronto? O glorious hivemind. My beautiful fiancee and I are travelling from Ireland to Toronto in August for 7 days. With the euro being as strong as it is, we thought it might make sense to buy the engagement ring while we're there. Could anyone recommend a good jewelery shop in the city that might be worth visiting?

7 hours, how to study?

LSK — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:24:58 -0800

I have the day to study for AP exams and prepare a presentation. How can I spend it most effectively? I have two AP exams to study for: Calculus BC and European History. I don't know half the concepts in Calc BC, because I decided around two weeks ago that I would take it instead of AB. I'm confident that I can learn it, if I knew what to study. European History, I'm a bit more worried about. I don't know what to expect on the test and I don't know how to study a history book.

I also have a presentation that I'm delivering in my Theory of Knowledge class on Friday. I have the slideshow made; I just need to make a 15-minute presentation to accompany it.

I have around 7 hours to do all of these.

Help my friend plan an EUROventure

SirStan — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:47:07 -0800

Help plan an Euro Delivery of a new BMW trip. A friend of mine is taking an adventure for a Euro Delivery of his 2008 BMW 335IX, as he has more money than brains.

That aside; his itinerary looks like this

Arrive: Munich, Germany (5/23, 3:30 PM Local Time)

Departure Options: Munich, Frankfurt, Brussels, Rottenberg, Amsterdam

Length of Stay: ~7 days

Budget: ~5,000

Details: Mid twentys preppy friend of mine will land in Munich Germany, take a quick tour of the BMW factory, and speed off in his brand new 2008 BMW 335I. He has 7 days and $5000 to burn with his father. He has to return the car to one of the above listed locations. He would like to possibly visit Prague, Berlin, and Hamburg, but has no specific ambitions.

Any thoughts on "must sees", or awesome things to goto, or visit with a brand new 335I?

What should a European do with this American savings account that is depreciating in value?

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:42:23 -0800

European who has USD in an American account - what should I do? I'm European, but lived in the US for a little while, where I had a very good paying job that allowed me to save money. I have a little over $10,000 in an American CD now. I came home to Europe and went back to school, thinking I could use that money to start up a business, make a downpayment on an apartment or something once I gradutae.

I have been watching in horror as the dollar went down against the euro and now that money I was counting on is shrinking away. Are there any suggestions on what I should do with it? Should I just leave it and wait for the dollar to recover? Should I buy something in the US that is likely to appreciate in value? If I had a good income now, I would buy an American apartment or something with it, but I'm a student living from paycheque to paycheque.

What should I do?

How do I invest in Euros?

pikaboy202 — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:36:33 -0800

Are there any financial institutions available in the US to buy Euros as a hedge against the falling dollar? As we all know, the value of the Dollar is falling and money in the bank is free-falling due to both the falling dollar and inflation. In a way to hedge against the falling dollar, I thought it might be possible to save in Euros or even the Chinese Yuan instead.

Is there any financial institutions are methods to invest in Euros or have a savings accounts entirely in Euros instead of Dollars in the US?

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?)

How to avoid losing most of my inheritance to Uncle Sam?

Grither — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:00:39 -0800

How do I get money (30,000 Euro/$50,000) from Europe to the United States with the least amount of pain? My mother used some money from my grandmother (to be a sort of inheritance for me) to buy a house in France, and she has now sold the house, and wants to give the money to me to do with as I please. We are trying to figure out the best way to get this money to me from Europe without giving most of it to Uncle Sam. It seems like she can gift $12,000USD to me each year without any tax implications for her, but will I get taxed on that? And is there anyway of doing the whole amount in one fell swoop without losing most of the money to taxes?

I have gone through previous questions, and I do not want advice on what to do with the money, as that has been answered many times, I am just looking for some help, ideas, info on how to get the money into the country. Should I be talking to a financial planner, lawyer, or accountant on how to accomplish this, or should I just try to get the money over here without any counsel, and just figure out the tax implications on my own?

FX gives me a headache

barrakuda — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:46:02 -0800

I am permanently moving from the US to Europe in about a month. I have about $50K in savings in HSBC high (and ever-falling) interest account. I am at a loss as to what to do with this money. Money-savvy Mefites, please come to the rescue. So I have all this money sitting in savings. For the next four months my salary will continue to be paid in dollars. I am a horrible, albeit charming, investment ignoramus. On one hand, I feel terrible about converting my savings to euros, on the other I don't know whether I want to leave my money in the States especially if the dollar is to further depreciate against the euro. I considered buying an apartment in Washington, DC and renting it out; but I wonder if there are other means of managing my hard-earned money and assuring that it will not loose its value. Ideas? Comments? Anyone? Bueller?

Dollars for Moldovanians!

greytape — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 09:02:19 -0800

Why don't small countries use the dollar or the euro in place of their own currency? So I'm the President of Moldovania, a small, poor, corrupt country located somewhere in Africa/Latin America/Central Asia. We have trouble with inflation and would like to make international business easier, so I hit upon the idea of scrapping the national currency and using another major currency in its place.
Why do my economic advisors tell me this is a stupid idea? Is it because this would piss off the US/EU, and be in some way illegal, or would the move simply be suicidal in terms of abandoning control of my own economy? Has it ever been tried?

How can I quickly compare prices of common items here in the states vs. in various foreign countries?

J-Garr — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:28:33 -0800

How can I quickly compare prices of common items here in the states vs. in various foreign countries? I've looked at cost of living sites and read numerous euro vs dollar articles but nothing fits what I was hoping to find.

I know that in Portland Oregon a pint of beer will cost somewhere between $2-$8. $2 being a great happy hour and $8 being full price at a more expensive restaurant. What I want to know is what is the price range for the same item in Frankfurt or Toyko or London? It would be great if the same site would give me the comparison: The Euro is currently worth about $1.50 so a $5 beer in Portland would cost $13 in Munich (or whatever/wherever).

Does that site exist?

[forex filter] Who knows how many euros one dollar will buy next summer? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller??

deejay jaydee — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:36:08 -0800

What do currency speculators think the euro-dollar exchange rate will be in June 2008? Are there online sources that currency speculators use to project or predict exchange futures? Can non-traders see these sources? Am I asking for something that just doesn't exist??? I've seen at least a couple of folks here on the green express some expertise in foreign exchange and currency trading. And I'm not interested in engaging in such trades, but I do have a professional opportunity to travel to Europe next summer, and in order to put together the most iron-clad proposal for funding from my boss, I kind of need to know what currency traders *think* the dollar-euro exchange rate is likely to be in June 2008. (I work at a well-funded, but appropriately tight-fisted NFP.)

Now, I know that the actual, honest answer is "who in the f@ck knows?! (and now geddoff my lawn!!)" But at the same time, I can't believe that currency speculators simply guess at this stuff . . . they must base their predictions on some sort of data. (Mustn't they? Eek.) Is this data privately held? Does it result from ungodly derivatives and financial models only slightly less complex than your average Rube Goldberg machine? Or is there some sort of secret website run by the Trilateral Commission? (Who, of course, must preordain these sorts of things [responsibly, of course]. Oh, and btw, if there is such a TLC site, can you send me an invite via MeFi Mail? We'll be BFF! I promise!!!)

But to return to the serious side of my question, I found lots of discussion on how to make/lose a ton of money in forex by searching the green (and the internets) . . . but I didn't see anybody talking about sources for the data that trader and speculators base their assumptions or predictions on. Can a simple, honest, international traveler get a bead on where the euro is likely to be in June 2008?

I'm sure this is one of these impossible questions . . . but it can't be most stupidly impossible question asked here today . . . can it?? I mean, I know if there were an ironclad site for this stuff, then everybody in the world would be using it and making jillions of dollars trading currencies. And I also know that YANMFA, and that MMWV, and all of the other acronyms that we use here in lieu of "watch your six." But at the same time, is it really the case that currency speculators base all of their models simply by following financial headlines? There isn't some sort of predictive market for this field? One that I can peek at??

Bonus points for anyone who can explain currency futures to a total financial numbskull (like myself).

Saving money in euros...

Afroblanco — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:49:23 -0800

I keep all my savings in a Citibank e-savings account, which is like a regular savings account, only with a higher interest rate. Recently, the dollar has totally been tanking, and this trend doesn't show any signs of reversing. What's the easiest, safest, most profitable way for me to save my money in euros instead of dollars? This is what I like about the e-savings account :

1) My money is FDIC insured.
2) The interest rate is higher than that of a typical savings account. It's somewhere around 4.25%.
3) I can take my money out any time I want without incurring any kind of penalty.
4) It's ultra-low-maintenance - I can just put my money in and forget about it.

I would like to put my money in euros without sacrificing any of the above, if possible. I know that I won't be able to find something that's FDIC insured, but I would like something that has a similar degree of security.

The fact of the matter is that the dollar is totally tanking, and I don't want to see my life's savings evaporate because of inflation or anything else that I don't really understand.

When to convert Dollars to Euros?

sirion — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 05:30:56 -0800

Financial Advice: I need to convert a lot (10k?) of Dollars to Euros in the next few months. When should I? Are there some pretty well-known patterns in the ebb and flow of these currencies?

Best exchange rate

sic — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 04:31:46 -0800

Exchanging euros to dollars for a vacation. What's the best way? I'm going to the US for around a month over the summer (late august - september) and I was wondering what is the best way to exchange euros to dollars. I'm looking for the most advantageous exchange - should I buy cash, traveller's checks? Should I simply use credit cards? Should I exchange money now or will the dollar continue to drop over the next 6-7 weeks?

I'm not planning on spending a great deal of money - perhaps a few thousand euros.

How to make a small profit with currency if you have regular access to the Euro and Slovak Crown?

freddymetz — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 13:24:47 -0800

How to make a small profit with currency if you have regular access to the Euro and Slovak Crown? I'm not really sure how to phrase this question, but i am regularly in germany and slovakia and the euro has much more value than the slovak koruna (1 euro is 34.44 koruna). How do i make a small profit when using these two currencies?
and also how can i follow the exchange rate to make profit?

What the EU will do to protect the Euro.

easyasy3k — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 17:33:59 -0800

Can the European Union "take over" a country's economy? A while ago I thought I heard that the EU had the authority to assume control of a member nation's economy if it was in very dire straits. This would be done to protect the Euro. I also thought that this authority had been used since the Union's inception.

Of course, I could be imagining all this, since I haven't found mention of it on the web, archival news searches, or with librarians. All I've found is mentions of sanctions against the economically weak nation.

Please help this confused USian.

I am looking for Euro-Trance Music Videos. Are there any good sources, possibly torrents?

cheero — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 22:22:25 -0800

I am building a collection of music videos and currently, I have about 100 or so videos that range from rock to metal and etc, however, I am in desperate need for Euro-Trance videos in .mpg format from the likes of names such as Groove Coverage, Tomcraft, Tiesto, Ferry Corsten, and etc. Does anyone know if there are any download/torrent sites deticated to this genre? Thanks in advance.

How to open a bank account abroad?

altolinguistic — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 04:40:21 -0800

Does anyone have any experience opening a bank account in a country in which they are not resident? I live in Britain and would like an account in France. I work freelance as a translator, and have several clients in France and Belgium, who pay by bank transfer. I'm registered self-employed in Britain, and pay my taxes here. I realise I probably can't escape transfer expenses of some sort, but I'd rather not be at the mercy of the exchange rate more than I can avoid. So I'd like a euro bank account.

I'd be interested to hear others' experiences of this. Would I need an address in France? (I don't have one, but I know people who do...) I used to have an account with the Caisse d'Epargne when I lived there (pre-Euro) but stupidly closed it when I came back to Britain as I needed the money contained in it.

I guess I wouldn't necessarily need an a/c in France, any Euro country would do, but I speak and understand French better than any other European language apart from English.