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#11
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Henry wrote:
Claim Guy wrote: "Paul Harrison" wrote in message Is it cheaper to shop in the USA or Canada? The $CAN has appreciated almost 20% against the $US in the last 2 years - I think the Pound and Euro have done similarly, According to OANDA, the average rate for GBP USD for the month of January 2003 was about 1.62. Today it is about 1.88. So, that's about a 16% appreciaiton. On the other hand, the average rate for GBP CAD in January 2003 was 2.49. Today it is only 2.34. Thus, sterling is actually 6% _weaker_ in Canada than it was two years ago. The Canadian dollar has been relatively steady against the British Pound, especially in comparison to the ups and downs on the US$. Never the less, current rates are as you indicate, with a Pound getting you $1.88 US or $2. 34 Cdn. Others have pointed out that some products are cheaper in Canada while other things are cheaper in the US. Leaving that comparative pricing issue aside, however, and just looking at how to take maximum advantage of _spending power_, it would seem that the pound should go further in the US rather than north of the border. That is a puzzling conclusion. Granted, there are some things that are cheaper in the US than in Canada, but the sorts of things that a tourists would be interested are generally about the same. Living close to the border and having done my share of cross border shopping, I have been amazed at the number of things that have the same sticker price on both sides of the border, clothing, computers, software, music, even US grown produce. Prices vary within the US. On a trip to Colorado a few years ago we had to do some grocery shopping and found a lot of prices significantly more expensive than I was accustomed to paying in Canada. Our dollar was quite low at the time, so it was that much more expensive. Liquor there was $2 per bottle more than here, but in some other states it is much cheaper than our local liquor prices. Given that so many items are the same price, that extra 46 cents on the dollar, close to 25% extra on the exchange rate, the Pound is going to buy a lot more in Canada. cheers, Henry |
#12
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"Henry" wrote in message ... But if the pants cost less in Canada, why did you write Ummm, because one does not know this unless one comparison shops! It was illustrative of my point that comparison shopping is the ulitmate anlaysis for this exercise. more and more things in the US [are] a bargain for Canadians. ? Many things are a bargain for Canadians, others are not. With the $CAN rising against the $US more things become a bargain. Maybe the pants, maybe not. We never know until we comparison shop. |
#13
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"Henry" wrote in message ... Dave Smith wrote: I was responding to the point that the US dollar is quite weak at the moment. If you have sterling pounds and you convert them to USD, you will receive 16% more than you would have two years ago. On the other hand, if you have sterling pounds and you convert them to CAD, you will received 6% less than you would have two years ago. So if you have sterling pounds and you need to convert them, which looks better, USD or CAD? How much you are able to buy with whatever kind of dollars you get is a different question. I wouldn't say it's a different question - it's the ultimate question. This is not a mathematical exercise. Walking around with more ultimate UK purchasing power in my pocket is not a benefit until I try and spend it. If less (relative to the US) purchasing power could have been exercised more effectively in Canada, that has to be the goal.. |
#14
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Henry wrote:
That is a puzzling conclusion. Of course, the actual price being paid is of concern to the shopper. Sometimes it is the paramount concern, occasionally perhaps the only concern. I'm not disputing that. I was responding to the point that the US dollar is quite weak at the moment. If you have sterling pounds and you convert them to USD, you will receive 16% more than you would have two years ago. On the other hand, if you have sterling pounds and you convert them to CAD, you will received 6% less than you would have two years ago. So if you have sterling pounds and you need to convert them, which looks better, USD or CAD? How much you are able to buy with whatever kind of dollars you get is a different question. But the direction of the dollar or its past performance are of little relevance to a shopper who is concerned only with current prices and exchange rates. That fact remains that at current exchange rates someone using British pounds gets approximately 25% more Canadian dollars than US dollars, and given that so many prices are the same or close, his British money goes further in Canada. |
#15
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This is a tough call to make. As some poster stated "it depends".
I live in Manitoba and occasionally buy things in the USA. I get so-called used books from amazon.com in the USA and shipped to my northern Minnesota postal address for "very good" prices as compared to getting them in Canada. Remnants and so-called "used" of the subject matter I require are hard to come by here in Canada. I have even purchased university level mathematics text books that way at substantial savings (like 50% of the Canadian university bookstore price). Some sporting goods are less expensive here than in the USA. Baseball and rock climbing, and cycling - some rock-climbing friends buy here (from www.mec.ca) for instance and have them shipped to the USA. Apparently a savings for them that way - and the gear is "US made"! I purchase Levis Strauss denim jeans in the USA and then bring them back because the particular model/type of jean is not available here in Canada. Food is generally less expensive here than in the USA. For instance turkey sells for $1.09 on both sides of the border, but one is in USD and one is in CDN $. Same for apples: $1.29 USD vs. $1.29 CDN There should be bargains, but I don't go into grocery stores in the USA to search them out. US beer is less expensive than Canadian, but the beer certainly depends on one's taste. The 3% beer is not worth drinking in my opinion. There are however, some excellent micro breweries that are just excellent and their more expensive prices are certainly worth every penny - a part of a traveler's expense. One poster mentioned that Montana is not as populated as Calgary. Bear that in mind because it can drive the prices up on some things in northern Montana that would be perhaps less expensive in Minneapolis or in California. For example, when we stopped in Shelby (spelling??) northern MT several times in the early 1990s food prices in the grocery store were MUCH more expensive there than in Calgary. Ken Winnipeg, Canada Paul Harrison wrote: We're visiting Alberta and Montana in the summer with two teenage girls. Flying to Calgary and travelling down to Yellowstone via Glacier NP and back. Is it cheaper to shop in the USA or Canada? |
#16
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There is no provincial tax in Calgary... Therefore all you pay for tax
is 7% GST. This is an awesome deal. Not too sure on the tax in Montana. On Sun, 30 Jan 2005 13:54:57 -0600, Ken Pisichko wrote: summer with |
#17
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Claim Guy wrote:
"Paul Harrison" wrote in message ... We're visiting Alberta and Montana in the summer with two teenage girls. Flying to Calgary and travelling down to Yellowstone via Glacier NP and back. Is it cheaper to shop in the USA or Canada? Paul; You won't find much selection in Montana as there are no sizable "cities", like Calgary. If the girls are going to be looking for "fashion", Calgary will have the best selection you are going to see on your route. I won't suggest that you drive 3 hours north from Calgary to visit a mall in Edmonton, like the other poster does - Calgary has almost 1 million residents and you can find whatever you want there. For some reason, Edmontonians take some strange pride in having the world's biggest mall in their midst. Hey, why do all the trees in Calgary bend north? Cause Edmonton sucks! Guess which two cities have BIG rivalry :-) Having said that, there will likely be some things that you can find cheaper in the US, if you are thinking of standard Wal-Mart type fare. The $CAN has appreciated almost 20% against the $US in the last 2 years - I think the Pound and Euro have done similarly, making more and more things in the US a bargain for Canadians. If you want to do some pre-trip research, check out www.Walmart.com prices online and compare them to www.hbc.com (The Hudson's Bay company - which operates The Bay, and Zellers, Canada's premier regular, and economy, respectively, department stores - for similar items. Or, you could try www.sears.com (US) vs. www.sears.ca (CAN) Do remember that Alberta has no provincial sales tax, so the only tax will be the 8% GST. Have fun - Glacier is beautiful. Remember that it is a trans-border park with Canada's portion called Waterton Lakes Provincial Park. Waterton/Glacier will be much less crowded than Jellystone (sorry, but I love Yogi Bear cartoons!), so look for your "peaceful" time there. GST for AB = 7% |
#18
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Mark Brader wrote:
I'm not a person who pays a great deal of attention to prices, but as a rule I expect things to be somewhat cheaper in the US, except if they were made in Canada in the first place. Until recently, selection and bargains at US "outlet" stores (last year's styles, remainders, odd/larger/smaller sizes) were superior, having a larger market to draw from. An upscale outlet consolidator called Winners in Canada, part of the US TJ Maxx stores that include Marshall's (not to be confused with Chicago's Marshall-Field's), has brought better values in that sector. Gap stores in Canada feature more Canada-made items while US stores feature more Mexico-made items. gld |
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