Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with pounds

"Seven Pounds" question

Saucy Intruder — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 08:56:20 -0800

Question about "Seven Pounds" (wow this movie sucked, but nevertheless, spoilers are inside) Logic dictates that when you let the most poisonous animal in the universe inject toxin into your bloodstream, your organs become kind of useless, right? This link (via this skeptical blogger) would seem to indicate that the venom disrupts the supply of sodium and calcium throughout the bloodstream, shutting down everything that it hits along the way. This makes it kind of a dick move to give Rosario Dawson a heart that's full of jellyfish poison.

So, is this poetic license run amok, or did the movie's research flunkie do a better job than I did?

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.

Personal Finance with Pounds

Happy Dave — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:01:17 -0800

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery." British personal finance blogs, forums and other resources? After several post-university years of lurching from one personal finance crisis to another, I'm finally pulling clear of my personal debt.

I've had a very decent increase in job income, and I'm also about to receive a legacy which will let me pay off my post-universtity loans, and, for the first time in my adult life, leave me in a position to start saving properly, investing fully in retirement funds and give me a stable enough life to create and follow a budget that isn't going to get dashed to pieces on my bank's indifference and yet another overdraft charge.

Since I started working towards fixing my personal finances, I've been following a few personal finance blogs in the US (Get Rich Slowly, The Simple Dollar etc). While these are very useful, and some of the principles are currency independent, they are very US-focused.

I'd like recommendations for personal finance blogs, forums and other online resources that talk about the specifics of the UK financial world, from ISAs to investing to bricks and mortar. My key aims in the next few years are to pay off £12k in student loans as fast as possible, save 6 months of expenses, a deposit for a house and get my retirement funding in order - which websites will help me do this?

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?

Tacos for 90th birthday party of 50 people

srs — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:48:56 -0800

PartyFilter: What is the cheapest, easiest way to make tacos for 50 people? Should I make my own guacomole and salsa? I read the taco recipes in this previous AskMe thread. Some of them look too easy to mess up when cooking a lot at once, or don't indicate how much taco one person eats.

Googling found suggestions of everywhere from 10-40 lbs of meat (for 50 people). I'm guessing ~35 lbs, but I don't know enough about tacos to guess how much of the other stuff I should buy. How many pounds of cheese, vegetables, rice, beans, etc. do I need to buy at Costco tomorrow?

This is for my grandmother's 90th birthday party on Sunday. Any advice or words of warning are much appreciated. Thank you.

Travel and money in the UK

jmd82 — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 07:51:50 -0800

I'm traveling to the UK over Thanksgiving on vacation and am curious about how to get around and money issues. I fly in and out of London Heathrow but will be staying with a friend (not a native- she's already on vacation) in Edinburgh for 7 days in late November. Two things I'm curious about:

1) Getting around. Neither of us will have a car, so public transportation will be my mode of transportation. How do I get around London and what's the best way to get to and from Edinburgh? We will stay a day or two in London, so will need some way to get around the city. I imagine I can buy tickets ahead of time, but I'm have a hard time figuring out what the best deal is or what exactly I need. I'm not a student, am 24, and already made my plane reservations.

2) Money. Am I better off just using my CC when I get there (I have both Visa and AmEx)? Or just get a bunch of pounds over here or when I get there? Basically, what's my best option for converting money?

3) Anything else in general I should be aware of?

Yen to Pounds : Best Exchange Rates?

0bvious — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 23:35:06 -0800

Currency Exchange: I have a handful of Japanese Yen and a desire the British pound wasn't so strong. What are my best options for getting my Yen converted into Sterling? Any advice as to what I could do with my Yen to increase its Pounds Sterling value?

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?