As for why currency rates fluctuate, it's beyond my grasp, too, but there is a thread devoted to it, if you're bored with the stock market.
techstocks.com
As for the current US/Canada exchange rate, it's subject to change, as you must know. The Canadian papers I read reported that the shoe was on the other foot five years ago. But it wasn't the exchange rate that attracted us, as we didn't find that goods and services were less expensive, even with the exchange rate. In fact, Canada isn't really a bargain. For one thing, the 15% sales tax eats up a lot of that. And things like gasoline, for example, were far more expensive. $175 Canadian a night for a hotel room in a small town like Moncton was outrageous. Restaurant meals cost more in Canadian dollars than we ever see in the U.S. I am looking at my credit card receipts, let's see, I bought a bottle of Johnny Walker Red in Saint John, it cost $25.90 Canadian, with 15% sales tax that's 29.78 Canadian, just over $20 U.S. money. It costs about $19 here, with 4% sales tax, not quite $20 U.S. money here.
Not such a bargain when you look at it that way, is it? |
