We forgot to tell our credit union we were leaving the country.
So, guess what?
Our debit cards didn’t work while we were in Canada. Hence, we couldn’t make cash withdrawals.
Currency Exchange
If you’re new to the idea of exchanging currency, it’s simply trading your home funds for that of another country.
In this case, American dollars for Canadian dollars.
This blog post is about cash, rather than electronic payment methods like credit cards or digital wallets.
I’m of a generation that likes to have money in my hand for small purchases and tipping.
An Ineffective But Fun Way to Exchange Currency
While at a Vancouver Seven-11, a block from our hotel, we discovered our rookie mistake of not reporting our travel plans to our bank.
After a moment of chastising ourselves, we asked the cashier if we could pay with a credit card instead.
Her gaze was one of pity for the simpleminded Americans. “Of course,” she said.
“Even for the lottery tickets?”
“Yes,” said the friendly Canadian cashier.
“That’s great!” I said, then offer the aside, “In Texas, it’s illegal to buy scratch-off tickets with a credit card.”
After a moment of further cultural exchange on how the Texas legislature is protecting us from ourselves, my husband and I took our bag of snacks and “scratch & win” tickets back to our hotel.
Our Big Payout
The following morning, after having “scratched & won”, we stopped back by the Seven-11 on our way to the SkyTrain station.
What you see here (two Loonies and a Toonie) is our big payout – minus another Loonie which we reinvested in the Canadian lottery system.
A Tip on Exchanging Currency Digitally
When using a United States based credit or debit card outside the states and its territories, you may be asked if you would rather transact in US dollars or the foreign currency where you are shopping or dining.
Experts recommend using the local currency to get a better bank exchange rate.
Happy Trails!
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Arnie the Armadillo also sports Journal Covers
Texans Touring is proud to present the ruggedly handsome spokesmodel, Arnie the Armadillo, on the cover of NINE dotted-line journals. Take that other spokesmodels.
Unable to decide just what journal version of this hard-shelled ruffian to use, the choice now falls to you. The three designs shown above – Arnie in the spotlight, Texas Two-Step Arnie and Line Dancing Arnie – are each available in red, white and blue.
To order, please click on the photo or this link. Gracias!
