The best way to spend in the states?

[Scho]

Hi all,

I'm off to NY in the new year. what's the best way for me to get my £'s into $?

I know the pound is on it's arse against the dollar at the mo btw!

-buy a st load of $ before i go...from where?

-draw out from ATM with cash card?

-spend on credit card? (2.5% on base)

thanks :-)

[jeff m]

Credit card for restaurants, cash tip is appreciated.
Same for hotel.
Beer, snacks, etc, cash...... 20s and 10s are best.

You are going to pay commission on changing whether it's on your CC or cash to cash.

[GlenMH]

Get a Nationwide CC - they have no foreign exchange commission when you use the card abroad.

You will still have to pay for cash withdrawals though.

Glen

[The Moose]

GlenMH said:

Get a Nationwide CC - they have no foreign exchange commission when you use the card abroad.

HAHA - there is always a foreign exchange commission!!

It may not be written down as a % or flat fee, but it will be in the rate they offer.

The biggest, most sucessful, legal con ever - commission-free exchange rates!!!

Cheers

The Moose

[phumy]

The Moose said:

GlenMH said:

Get a Nationwide CC - they have no foreign exchange commission when you use the card abroad.

HAHA - there is always a foreign exchange commission!!

It may not be written down as a % or flat fee, but it will be in the rate they offer.

The biggest, most sucessful, legal con ever - commission-free exchange rates!!!

Cheers

The Moose

Totally agree the amount of people who fall for that old chestnut, nothing is free in this world, only the air we breathe.

[GreigM]

If you have a maestro card you can use it to withdraw from the ATMs no problem and will generally offer the best cash rate - but use credit card for most things, it will generally offer the best rate overall, particularly if you have something like an American Express. Contrary to above, I never found the need to tip in cash - its not like the UK, the employees WILL end up with the tip.

[tinman0]

Scho said:

I'm off to NY in the new year. what's the best way for me to get my £'s into $?

Walmart.

[Fishtigua]

Went on a fly-drive with the girlfriend, other than food/drink/hotel managed not to spend one cent on kack. Even spending 4 hours in Sawgrass Mills shopping Mall, which is huge, there was utterly nothing worth pulling my wallet out for. Its all cheap tatt. My girlfriend managed to find herself one pair of shoes in 2 weeks shopping, they were Italian and cheaper over here anyway.

Low cost in the States, I've traded there for over 20 years, really does mean low quality. You get what you pay for, as long as it does not have a poncey name on it.

Adendum.
I did buy a pair of shorts but not pay State Sales Tax on them, as they were for the under-12s kids market.I am now 42 and still waiting to grow into them.

Edited by Fishtigua on Thursday 18th December 05:12

[elster]

GreigM said:

If you have a maestro card you can use it to withdraw from the ATMs no problem and will generally offer the best cash rate - but use credit card for most things, it will generally offer the best rate overall, particularly if you have something like an American Express. Contrary to above, I never found the need to tip in cash - its not like the UK, the employees WILL end up with the tip.

You generally will be charged 3% for cash withdrawls

[GlenMH]

Fair shout to every one who has posted above about TANSTAAFL but why does the NW CC keep being recommended by all the money pages as the one to have if you are going to use it abroad?

Having used mine abroad on the same day as an RBS one a number of times (and therefore getting the same days exchange rate), the NW worked out significantly cheaper in all cases.

Glen

[jamoor]

The Moose said:

GlenMH said:

Get a Nationwide CC - they have no foreign exchange commission when you use the card abroad.

HAHA - there is always a foreign exchange commission!!

It may not be written down as a % or flat fee, but it will be in the rate they offer.

The biggest, most sucessful, legal con ever - commission-free exchange rates!!!

Cheers

The Moose

No it isn't please know what your talking about before posting.

They use these rates
http://www.corporate.visa.com/pd/consumer_services...

Also, get a nationwide bank account and CC

Cash withdrawls from bank acc
CC for paying for stuff.

No comission or other bullst.

Edited by jamoor on Thursday 18th December 08:49

[RedImps]

jamoor said:

The Moose said:

GlenMH said:

Get a Nationwide CC - they have no foreign exchange commission when you use the card abroad.

HAHA - there is always a foreign exchange commission!!

It may not be written down as a % or flat fee, but it will be in the rate they offer.

The biggest, most sucessful, legal con ever - commission-free exchange rates!!!

Cheers

The Moose

No it isn't please know what your talking about before posting.

They use these rates
http://www.corporate.visa.com/pd/consumer_services...

Also, get a nationwide bank account and CC

Cash withdrawls from bank acc
CC for paying for stuff.

No comission or other bullst.

Edited by jamoor on Thursday 18th December 08:49

Absolutely correct - have to use Amex when travelling for work, and whatever I use Nationwide beats any other method - even better if you get a Nationwide current account load some cash into it before you go and withdraw as required from ATMs beats all home and abroad publicly available Foreign Exchange bureau, bank cards - the Nationwide Credit Card for purchases combined with a Current Account saves me a heap in commission and poor exchange rates etc.

The Money Saving Grabbers at http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-trav... have all the latest info.

[SLacKer]

jamoor said:

The Moose said:

GlenMH said:

Get a Nationwide CC - they have no foreign exchange commission when you use the card abroad.

HAHA - there is always a foreign exchange commission!!

It may not be written down as a % or flat fee, but it will be in the rate they offer.

The biggest, most sucessful, legal con ever - commission-free exchange rates!!!

Cheers

The Moose

No it isn't please know what your talking about before posting.

They use these rates
http://www.corporate.visa.com/pd/consumer_services...

Also, get a nationwide bank account and CC

Cash withdrawls from bank acc
CC for paying for stuff.

No comission or other bullst.

Edited by jamoor on Thursday 18th December 08:49

Have a Nationwide CC for this very purpose. Comes out of the safe for foreign trips and I get the exact rate of the day. In July I was getting $2.01 exchange rate. So please carry on believing but there is no hidden rate charge like you get with pretty much every other card.

Cheap Travel Cards

Read it and weep suckers

[moles]

Aye another Nationwide user here.

[CzechItOut]

I got $1.71 to £1 from M&S currency exchange when I went to US in the summer, but as low as $1.5 to £1 when I used my credit card to buy things or debit card to draw out cash.