The following is based on true events:• Person 1- How much did that cost?
• Person 2- About 2000 pounds.
• Person 1- Wow. That's a ton.
Pun intended.
The previous joke is made possible because the measure of currency in the country we are currently in also happens to be a measure of weight. The Pound. This leads to hundreds of similar joke opportunities.
• Person A- This muffin is only four pounds.
• Person B- It doesn't look nearly that heavy.
There are many other ways in which the £ is different from the regular old $.
1. The British pound (GBP) is currently worth exactly $1.67 (USD). In about five minutes, that number will have changed.
2. They are officially called Pounds sterling.
3. You should not abbreviate the pound as .lbs.
4. 'Quid' is slang for pound. This comes from the Latin phrase 'Quid pro quo' meaning 'Give me all of your money, I've got a knife.'
5. There is no £1 note, but there is a £2 coin. The British once made a £6.34 note.
6. A pound is divided into 100 pence. One of these pence is worth several thousand Japanese yen.
7. The currency makes weightlifting much easier as people are able to carry around hundreds of pounds in their pockets without breaking a sweat.
8. Just like everything else in this country, all pounds have a picture of the Queen somewhere. The closest any American money comes to that is with Hamilton on the $10 bill.
Since arriving in the UK, many of us have probably fallen into the trap of seeing pounds as having the same worth in dollars. Something seems less expensive because of the number on the price tag, but is actually more so because of the strength of the GBP. No wonder traveling is so expensive.
I've enjoyed spending time in the UK almost as much as I've enjoyed spending money in the UK. Dealing with a strange foreign currency has been almost like dealing with a foreign language. Except that money is a universal language. Does that make me bilingual?
At least I know that by the end of this trip I'll have lost a lot of weight.
One thing I am certainly looking forward to when I return to the states is actually paying the price on the tag. I keep thinking I'm getting a real deal until I check my online bank statement and want to pass out. Did you find all the pound to the dollar comparisons on some sort of web site or is this just personal observation? If it is just based purely on observation I am really impressed! I know when I get change I just throw it all into my bag. I also feel like when I get back to the states I am going to keep a serious monitor on all my quarters because since I have been here I have realized that change really adds up!
ReplyDeletei agree! every time i walked out of a store or restaurant i'd say "wow that was so cheap!" and then i would instantly be reminded that, no, in fact it is rather quite expensive. I have also noticed that so many places here won't let you use credit or debit cards. This is weird to me, because back at home i rarely ever have cash on me and always use my Visa. I find this quite frustrating!
ReplyDeleteThe whole money thing over here has really thrown me off! When I look at the price of something I do know that it is actually much more for me than it says because of the exchange rate, but I am so used to seeing the price of something and taking it for what it is that now I just can't help it. When something says 20 pounds I just think it is a little more than 20 dollars. When I stop to think about I realize it is actually like 30 dollars. That is why I try not to think about it too much. I feel like I have been a wise spender these past six weeks but I am at an unfair advantage. My parents and I were talking about how much money I have spent and I told them that they were thinking in dollars while I have been thinking in pounds, so I feel like I haven't spent that much when I know I actually have!
ReplyDeleteI am just proud of myself that I don't have to examine every coin anymore to see what the heck it is. It was so embarrassing to me to be a "tourist." Then I started wondering why I should be embarrassed in the first place- what shame did I have in visiting somewhere else in the world? Isn't that a lot better than most people who don't try to experience anything different? So I got over myself, and decided that everyone in line behind me could just deal with it while I counted my change. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is so true. There have been so many times during this trip where I have completely forgotten that all the prices are not in dollars. This happened in London when I went shopping and realized that 260 pounds was actually was actually 434 dollars. Needless to say, my least favorite thing about the trip has been looking at my bank balance online after returning from weekend trips. Barcelona in particular did some heavy damage, even though the Euro has a better exchange rate. I agree with Alex, I'm looking forward to no suprises and not having to use the calculator on my phone to see what the price really is. Cheers to the American Dollar, maybe some day soon it will be get stronger.
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