Dollar rises against Euro

[Mark Barnes]

It may be time to think about buying Euros, with dollar rising, if you are planning to walk soon.

 

[t2andreo]

But, only if YOU can choose the exact moment of purchase. With international events so dynamic. I have watched the Euro bounce up and down daily. If you think you are ever going to get a bargain, or even parity (1 = 1), fuggetaboutit!

The European Central Bank (ECB) very carefully manages (manipulates) the value of the Euro to keep it strong against the dollar, in particular. Other currencies usually trail in a synchronized fashion.

This has more to do with export - import issues and trade surplus imbalances than raw politics. But, sometimes external political events conspire to overcome the ECB's ability to catch the swing in time to control the results.

I suspect that is what is happening just now. There are so many global events, both good and not so good happening, that the ECB is working as fast as it can to respond and adjust. Who knows, we might just get lucky... But, always remember, the ECB is keeping the best interests of the EU at heart when keeping the Euro strong against other currencies. They do not care that you have to pay 20 or 50 percent to buy their currency. In fact, they much prefer it that way.

Hope this helps.

 

[Suzanne S.]

When I walked in 2015, the rate was nearly 1:1. Those were the good old days...

 

[Mark Barnes]

But, only if YOU can choose the exact moment of purchase. With international events so dynamic. I have watched the Euro bounce up and down daily. If you think you are ever going to get a bargain, or even parity (1 = 1), fuggetaboutit!

The European Central Bank (ECB) very carefully manages (manipulates) the value of the Euro to keep it strong against the dollar, in particular. Other currencies usually trail in a synchronized fashion.

This has more to do with export - import issues and trade surplus imbalances than raw politics. But, sometimes external political events conspire to overcome the ECB's ability to catch the swing in time to control the results.

I suspect that is what is happening just now. There are so many global events, both good and not so good happening, that the ECB is working as fast as it can to respond and adjust. Who knows, we might just get lucky... But, always remember, the ECB is keeping the best interests of the EU at heart when keeping the Euro strong against other currencies. They do not care that you have to pay 20 or 50 percent to buy their currency. In fact, they much prefer it that way.

Hope this helps.

I watched the dollar to euro for over a year prior to my walk in 2017. I bought euros through my bank in Texas doing several buys over a two year period to “dollar cost average” when the dollar was higher. I bought 2,000 euros in four buys of 500 euro each time. I saved a couple hundred dollars doing this. It may not be worth it to some but it was to me. You should be able to go to your banks web site and see what the dollar to euro buy rate is for that day/hour. There are several web sites that track this to keep you up on what the dollar is doing against the euro in real time.

 

[AlexanderAZ]

I use the app “XE Currency” which offers live exchange rates, historical charts as well as rate alerts.

 

[t2andreo]

Mark, you did it the 'right' way. But few others will go through such an effort.

Personally, I maintain a non-resident bank account in a EU country. This gives me a debit card, with an IC chip easily accepted all over Europe. I have done so, since I left Europe, having lived there for a few years.

A month or so before I plan to travel over, I assess the exchange rate. If it appears to be fluctuating, I wait. If it has been constant or on an upward (negative) trend, I just pull the proverbial trigger on the funds transfer.

Using my US Paypal account with their Xoom service, I can transfer USD into Euros, moving them to my EU account at the most favorable rate. The interbank relationship and rate is the same, but they charge a very nominal amount for the service. The fee they charge is reasonable (IMHO) for the convenience of using a native EU debit card to shop in Euros.

I never worry about cashing in all my Euros while I am there, as I am always returning somewhere in a few months. In one respect, over time, this ends up behaving very similar to dollar cost averaging.

Hope this helps.

 

[lt56ny]

If you could time any market you would be rich enough to build your own Camino!!!!

 

[joecamino]

No investing for me till I get rid of the 20,000 "Forever" postage stamps I bought in 2013...

 

[Andrea Mayfield]

It may be time to think about buying Euros, with dollar rising, if you are planning to walk soon.

Yep -- I bought my starting stash last week (in the US)

 

[Andrea Mayfield]

No investing for me till I get rid of the 20,000 "Forever" postage stamps I bought in 2013...

 

[trecile]

But do the fees that you have to pay to buy Euros in the US negate the benefit of buying them?

 

[Andrea Mayfield]

American Auto Association (AAA) in the U.S. sells foreign currency, at no charge, for members.

 

[nycwalking]

My first camino was in 2001. Spain was on the peseta. True good ole days!

 

[trecile]

American Auto Association (AAA) in the U.S. sells foreign currency, at no charge, for members.

Yes, but their exchange rate isn't the greatest.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

The Euro / US dollar was this morning at 07,00 = 1,19141 US dollar

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The Euro / US dollar was this morning at 07,00 = 1,19141 US dollar

That is about the same as September 2017. A Euro costs about 4 cents less today than it did a month ago. Good luck guessing currency fluctuation!!

 

[naplesdon]

When I walked in 2015, the rate was nearly 1:1. Those were the good old days...

The good old days was when I was able to buy my apartment in Biarritz with $0.75 for each Euro.

 

[t2andreo]

The VERY OLD good old days. That must have been around when the Euro was first implemented in France. I have a closet full of Mephisto dress shoes that I bought for about USD .86 to the Euro at a similarly medieval time. Being retired, these very fine and not worn shoes now just sit in the closet.

Yup! The VERY good old days my friend...

 

[wisepilgrim]

Am I the only one that misses the Peseta? Not converting to dollars, which I still can´t manage, but the cost of goods was much friendlier.

 

[jeffnd]

When I walked in 2015, the rate was nearly 1:1. Those were the good old days...

I walked 2014. 1 euro was around $1.40. A year later is was $1.06.

I heard my bank account weeping...

 

[C clearly]

I walked 2014. 1 euro was around $1.40. A year later is was $1.06.
I heard my bank account weeping...

In 2014 you paid $10.60 for a 10-Euro pilgrim meal. In 2015 it would cost you $14. That still doesn't seem like cause for tears.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I walked 2014. 1 euro was around $1.40. A year later is was $1.06.

Now it is $1.168, the same as July of 2017. It will change, and NO ONE can accurately predict it!

 

[david g]

But do the fees that you have to pay to buy Euros in the US negate the benefit of buying them?

i buy mine at Wells Fargo. If you have an account with them there's no fee. (I opened an account just for that reason)

 

[trecile]

i buy mine at Wells Fargo. If you have an account with them there's no fee. (I opened an account just for that reason)

There may be no "fee", but what rate are they giving you? I have never found a bank, AAA, etc. that will sell you foreign currency for the same exchange rate as you'll get at an ATM on Europe, or wherever.

 

[Kanga]

Does anyone else remember that wonderful book “Europe on $10 a day“?

 

[Kanga]

My older brother says it was originally “Europe on five dollars a day”

 

[trecile]

My older brother says it was originally “Europe on five dollars a day”

Your much older brother I presume.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Does anyone else remember that wonderful book “Europe on $10 a day“?

As a kid I remember reading a book titled Around the World on 80 Dollars and the author got some company to pick up the tab. It was published around 1950 I think.

 

[Saint Mike II]

Does anyone else remember that wonderful book “Europe on $10 a day“?

Hola, Jill, but now you are going back to the 1970's or maybe even late 1960's. But I do find the Euro a plus - I went from Belgum to France to Ireland in one day - all on one currency !!

 

[jeffnd]

In 2014 you paid $10.60 for a 10-Euro pilgrim meal. In 2015 it would cost you $14. That still doesn't seem like cause for tears.

I think I worded that wrong. What I meant was in 2015 my dollar would have went a lot farther in Spain. I don't have my exact numbers, but if I spent 30 euros a day in 2014, it cost me $42 a day, or $1470 in total day expenses over 35 days.

Now in 2015, those same 30 euros would have only been $31.80. and my total day expenses would have been $1,113, and I would have saved $357 in total! Once you also figure in other expenses like hotels, transportation to and from the Camino, and the gifts and stuff I bought, it works out to quite a savings!

Now it is $1.168, the same as July of 2017. It will change, and NO ONE can accurately predict it!

Oh but if I could... haha!

There may be no "fee", but what rate are they giving you? I have never found a bank, AAA, etc. that will sell you foreign currency for the same exchange rate as you'll get at an ATM on Europe, or wherever.

I bought some euros from Wells Fargo in case my card didn't work when I got to Europe. (Which it didn't, despite me informing them beforehand.) It rate wasn't exactly what the market rate was, but as a one time purchase, I think it's worth it so you can have some cash on you when you land.