Currency exchange rate now 1.30 to 1.00

[87112]

As I type I can get 1.30 Canadian dollars for every 1.00 USA.
So what in the world are you guys still coming down here to buy? With the crazy long wait times at the border and awful rates is it worth it at all?
Curious cause I still even a lot of Canucks down here.

 

[westwoody]

It's a nice drive even if you don't buy anything.

Lots of things are cheaper at Best Buy Canada than Best Buy US. But there are some things you can't get here, ie the reissue/remastered Led Zeppelin vinyl albums. Saw exactly one at local HMV but the BB in the USA had a pile of them.
Appliances at Home Depot or Lowe's are sometimes cheaper but they are a PITA to transport.
Lots of Harley stuff isn't distributed in Canada, and lots of different models in the US than Canada. Dealers won't sell me a new bike but there are lots of nice used ones available.
Barnes and Noble has a lot of books I cannot get in Canada.

Almost all this stuff is easier to get on the internet though. I'd say most people go for a change of scenery as much as bargain hunting.

 

[badbadboy]

I had to buy stuff for my biz yesterday and shelled out 1:1.25 phuck that hurts my margin.

 

[sybian]

Cheap Government subsidized Cheddar Cheese...It's not as good as Canadian, but you can eat it.
Oh !! Booze,...The hard stuff because 4% beer doesn't go over well at Hockey Games.
Most Canucks think they are still saving money by crossing over the border, and perhaps they do, but it's habit forming due to your product selection ,compared to here.
I prefer to have my dining table be from Canada...It's just a personal thing, as I'm a commercial food producer. If I can't get it here, no matter what it is...I'll just go without.
Other than John Deere parts...I'll cross to buy them in Sumas...But I always get interrogated, I have one of those faces.

 

[princeofdarkness]

It's all about timing on when to cross and return to the USA.

Personally, one cannot put a price on selection and service that is available in some USA stores. I assume that most of us work hard for our earnings.

Canadian retailers need to wake up and stop treating paying customers like circus animals by offering them an additional 5 to 10% discount if they use their Bay Card and or save an additional 5% or whatever if one uses their Bay Credit Card. Enough of the idiotic loyalty programs... it's soo '80's.

London Drugs has no loyalty program but simply offers their best price without asking you to use a card of some sort. Retailers should simply give customers a discounted or best priced item. Pure and simple.

I don't mind paying more at small 'Ma and Pa' family operated stores.

Apologies if my post came across a little abrasive.

Peace.

 

[87112]

Yes, those store discounted member cards from this supermarket or drug store or whatever is a pain in the ass. Most people have too many cards and stuff in their wallets as is.

 

[deathreborn]

even with the crappy exchange rate thanks to the assholes running the bank of canada, there are still things cheaper down there. i still get a fair amount of my groceries at fred meyer because they are cheaper. 99 cents for a half gallon of milk. 99 cents for a huge loaf of bread that maintains its freshness far longer then canadian bread. certain pop is cheaper down there and you don't have to worry about stupid bottle deposits and recyling fees. a dollar for a bottle of coke (brand name) is really a dollar. cheese is obvious. even chef boyardee is cheaper. 86 cents a can versus 1.69 up here. more things will become cheaper down there again as the cost of goods here rises as the lost currency value takes effect. convenience for me is a factor as well as i am literally 30 seconds from the border. one right turn and i am in the nexus lane at the truck crossing. from home i can be at the fred meyer in north bellingham in 18 minutes. i love nexus.

 

[rick hunter]

even with the crappy exchange rate thanks to the assholes running the bank of canada, there are still things cheaper down there. i still get a fair amount of my groceries at fred meyer because they are cheaper. 99 cents for a half gallon of milk. 99 cents for a huge loaf of bread that maintains its freshness far longer then canadian bread. certain pop is cheaper down there and you don't have to worry about stupid bottle deposits and recyling fees. a dollar for a bottle of coke (brand name) is really a dollar. cheese is obvious. even chef boyardee is cheaper. 86 cents a can versus 1.69 up here. more things will become cheaper down there again as the cost of goods here rises as the lost currency value takes effect. convenience for me is a factor as well as i am literally 30 seconds from the border. one right turn and i am in the nexus lane at the truck crossing. from home i can be at the fred meyer in north bellingham in 18 minutes. i love nexus.

Of course milk and cheese is cheaper due to the US government heavily subsidizing it. Coke/Pepsi is sometimes on sale for exactly the same price here. Saw it for 99 cents/ 2l bottle this week at Superstore. I've got no problems with the deposit/recycling fee. Better than having people throw empty cans onto the street and fields.

 

[booblover]

Canadian Coke is not the same as US Coke..... I have seen Canadian Coke for sale on eBay and Americans actually buying it because it tastes better. There are two different sugars used in production between the two Countries

 

[rick hunter]

Also US milk has growth hormones/antibiotics while Canadian milk doesn't.

 

[hornygandalf]

Would be interesting to overlay that with the price of oil.
Although it is a relatively small portion of exports, it seems to have a disproportionate influence on the exchange rate.

And yes, it is at an interesting point on the chart. Will it break to the downside or reverse? Or maybe it is more an issue of what the US dollar does and with the current shifts away from the USD, at some stage I expect it to plummet. At that point the CAD will probably outperform the USD, but still be dragged down with it.

 

[bc.guy]

For me it the price of gas and the greater selection of items. But, yeah, 1.30 does sting a bit.

 

[BofSea]

I have only lived in Seattle for 8 yrs now so had my share of .65 cent dollars. And of course shortly after being here it went the other way. Today I win cause I get extended time(with my favorite girl) or a discount(on a new one) because of it !

 

[HunkyBill]

Umm. Try $1.35 to $1.00 from Royal Bank (own customer rates).

Then add the cost of gas to and from, taxes and duty at the border, plus time. Are you really saving? Hell no.

 

[summerbreeze]

gas price difference is a reflection on road tax

the US have not taxed enough to maintain their highway system which is why older overpass, bridges, and especially highways exposed to a lot of salt (winter de-icing)

the reason is they had never accounted for the trend towards more fuel efficient cars or indexed cost of living/inflation in their tax model

major trend now towards new pay toll highways and the existing ones being privatized, while our gas tax is higher, at least we built in a system to maintain the roads better. (not that these budgets are fully funded but that is a different story)

bargains on both sides of the border, does not matter what exchange rates are, this is always the case

makes it more fun, challenging to the sharp shoppers out there who have the time and inclination to get a better deal

of course all these cost savings come from the shopper discounting their labour or time to zero, otherwise it would not make sense

 

[hornygandalf]

Cheap 'wine' is $2.50 US for .75 litre, or $3.25 CAD. That's how much BCLDB would charge for the fricking cork.

Except, you have to be out of Canada for 48 hours or more for this to apply.
I got stung on my last trip to the US when I wasn't away that long, and the duty imposed meant it cost more for the wine I bought than if I'd bought it in Canada

 

[HunkyBill]

Not only having to be out of Canada for 48 hours, the cost of accommodation, and the game of russian roulette with CBSA in bringing in more than your allowable share of booze. I always factor in the PST, GST, duty on all items except duty free grocery when considering if the item is a bargain or not.

On average, the taxes etc. for importing more than your allowable exemption (for wine, beer, spirits) is at least 100% of the price of the item. There are a few calculators available from the Apple and Google Play Store than can do the math for you. I like "Duty Calculator" https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/canadian-duty-calculator/id501801484?mt=8

 

[HunkyBill]

Charlie's is very good.

Nobody will match his prices. However, unlike other currency exchange houses he only accepts cash. No debit/interac.

I may be wrong, but I think the quality of the gas in Vancouver is better than that in the USA.

The gas I get at the Vancouver Shells, have more power in my car, than Shells in Washington.

I think that has a lot to do with your highway driving and your perception. In fact, traditionally US gas has been considered lower grade than in Canada.

 

[summerbreeze]

I may be wrong, but I think the quality of the gas in Vancouver is better than that in the USA.

The gas I get at the Vancouver Shells, have more power in my car, than Shells in Washington.

probably higher octane here

 

[deathreborn]

Charlie's is very good.

Nobody will match his prices. However, unlike other currency exchange houses he only accepts cash. No debit/interac.


I think that has a lot to do with your highway driving and your perception. In fact, traditionally US gas has been considered lower grade than in Canada.

http://www.expressgoldltd.com/

express currency exchange in white rock is pretty good. gives a good discount against banks , and takes debit cards. most of the time the US money they provide is brand new never been circulated. love the smell of new american money.