Am I the only one who is feeling the impact of the US$ losing its value against every other currency out there? I am going through the financials of my mid-December trip to Dakar, and I am realising that simply by the conversion rate of the US$ against the cfa, my budget has been increased by 20%. That's a lot...

It sucks!



But I feel hot about it. The cedi was redenominated at the same time that the value of the US dollar was dropping. So I FEEL (important word used cause I know it's not reality) like I've lost even more ground with my spending power in Accra. I miss carrying around a plastic bag full of money.

I love the new cedis, makes money management so much easier and the conversions are easier now.

And yes, the conversion rate sucks!!! A few weeks ago I had some Saudi money that I wanted to exchange because they are changing the bills. What used to go for $100 some time ago I only got $72

Guess I got somewhat lucky, then. The Dollar got a better exchange against the Ethiopian Birr this time around than it did 4 years ago. It was in the range of ETB 8.65 per 1 USD then and it was ETB 9.30 and better for 1 USD when I went a couple of weeks ago. On the downside, prices have risen some in Ethiopia as well. In the end, it probably came out about flat.

My retirement home in the Philppines is becoming more expensive to buy every day

Sucks as we help support out family in the Philippines!

Hold out a couple of years. The tide will turn.