Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Free Fallin'

OK maybe not "free" falling but falling nonetheless. A little poetic license there :) What am I talking about? The Euro! Yes I know it is bad news for a lot of folks but for us it is a bonus. We spent big bucks having work done last year when the Euro was at around CAD $1.6 and so we are cashing in now that it is low. Today I managed to get CAD $1.28. Whoohoo!

When we were purchasing the house - the rate was around $1.35 - $1.43 and we used one of those services where you lock in a rate because obviously over the price of a house, a few cents here and there, made a big difference. And it has been on a roller-coaster ever since. Sorry everyone, but we ARE trying to keep the grin of our faces while rubbing our hands together in glee.

The golden Euro is looking a little tarnished these days and we do know it doesn't bode well for the Eurozone in particular and the world in general - all this uncertainty, credit crunch and Euro bailouts. But it is nice to be on the plus side for a change and we are making the most of it as we squirrel away funds to pay for this summer's scheduled work. I am sure it will come full circle - these things always do.

5 comments:

Diane said...

The exchange rate is really scary at times when you have planned retirement and then all goes wrong. My pension comes from South Africa and that is a disaster!! Diane

softinthehead said...

Diane I am sure it is very scary when you are retired and on a finite income - and those days are creeping up on us too! We are just taking advantage while it is possible to do so, I do hope things settle down soon and we can all relax a bit - less uncertainty would be nice :)

the fly in the web said...

Know of any good U.S. and or Canadian websites for people looking to take advantage of the rate of exchange by buying their house in France?

Serious question!

softinthehead said...

Hi FITW - I can't say I have come across any - sorry. But I will keep my eyes peeled for you.

the fly in the web said...

That would be super...not just me, but a good friend is coming to a 'change' point and we're both fed up with local estate agents trying to knock us down in order to get their commissions.