Are those webmasters INSIDE the USA seeing the effects of the low dollar?

[MetaMan]

Are you personally seeing that big of a difference?

as in basic products you would normally buy, are prices higher? lower? the same? or such small changes you have not noticed.

have any USA webmasters felt the effects or is it just basically "business as usual"?

[crockett]

Biz as usual IMO. Hence the reason why most Americans are totally clueless to how bad the dollar is doing. Hell I bet you 80% of Americans don't even know the dollar dropped below the Canadian dollar.

[MetaMan]

Originally Posted by crockett

Biz as usual IMO. Hence the reason why most Americans are totally clueless to how bad the dollar is doing. Hell I bet you 80% of Americans don't even know the dollar dropped below the Canadian dollar.

this is what i was thinking also, i have heard some goods go up slightly but nothing to the effect of where us international webmasters are basically losing 20%+, but then again i currently dont live the USA so i could be wrong.

i am still debating on whether to move to the USA or not this year. it has gone in and out of my head now for a couple of years, and with the dollar dropping it would be the smartest thing to do financially for me.

[d-null]

I was in Canada the other day and the prices there are still ridiculously high. They are still being charged prices that are as if their dollar is at 70 cents.

[BradM]

No difference in the slightest here.

[crockett]

Why not just do the snowbird thing? Come down to Florida for the winters and stay in Canada for the summers. You then get the best of both worlds.

[uno]

I only notice a difference when I leave the country.

[MetaMan]

Originally Posted by crockett

Why not just do the snowbird thing? Come down to Florida for the winters and stay in Canada for the summers. You then get the best of both worlds.

that may be the plan in the end, i can be on my treck to dual citizenship coming up and i swear to God i am having hundreds of signs lately to leave this place we can "C a n u c k l e".

i dont care what anyone says no matter how rich you are no single inernational webmaster is OK with the dropped dollar.

[crockett]

Yea if the dollar keeps going like it is, I'm going to start up a outsourcing company here in the US.

[Lifer]

They don't know if they always buy American

[SykkBoy]

I haven't seen much of a change in prices, except milk, but I don't think that's really affected by the change...other than that, business as usual so far...but agree with sentiment most of America isn't even aware of it

[Snake Doctor]

No, it would only affect us if there was high inflation here at home, but there isn't.

Currencies fluctuate against each other, that's just the way it's always been.

I think it's hilarious when all the EU webmasters assume that something is inherently wrong with the U.S. economy or that our government is going to go bankrupt because our dollar doesn't buy them as many euros as it used to.
Our policy makers don't (and shouldn't) care how EU businesspeople are doing when they repatriate the money they made in the U.S. , anymore than the EU central bank cares about how much money I make.

[GeXus]

Are you Americans really that dumb? Gimme a break... the low dollar has had huge impacts... the cost of just about ALL goods have gone up significantly, have you forgot about OIL? Everything that is imported is now just that much more expensive to import... that includes produce, electronics, cars, clothing... everything... Just look at the cost of a sandwich from a deli... I used to be able to get a sub for under $4.. now... $7.99 for a sub.. gimme a break... A can of soda? a CAN of soda.. used to be $60 cents, anywhere you went.. now $1.00+, you tell me thats due to inflation? PLEASE! Look at cigarettes.. they've gone up over $2 in the past five years.. due to taxes.. why? because everything else is more expensive gov't needs to make it up where it can... we're getting hit left and right..

[SteveLightspeed]

When I hear that models in Prague want $800/day --- it is putting US models back in the game fast....

[GeXus]

Originally Posted by Lenny2

Currencies fluctuate against each other, that's just the way it's always been.

Don't act as though this is normal you idiot.. the Canadian dollar has not passed US since 1957, this is not "normal fluctuation"

[GeXus]

Originally Posted by SteveLightspeed

When I hear that models in Prague want $800/day --- it is putting US models back in the game fast....

fuck that sigs hot

i havent seen any increases in my daily purchases and the price pf GAS is actually lower than it was all summer.

[V_RocKs]

I make to much money to feel the effects...

If I made $50,000 a year I would feel some effect. If I made $32,000 I would definitely feel it. At my present income level I don't even notice.

[After Shock Media]

At the lowest end I have not seen any .99 store move to a 1.25 store or whatnot.

Hell they do not even seem to be changing the limits and still have two for 99 or three for 99.

Figured with higher gas prices, falling dollar and all that crap it would reflect there. Guess not.

Only pinch I feel is when I am dealing with non US content and service people in the biz. However they never cut me many breaks when the dollar was high.

[pr0]

the price of goat feed has sky rocketed

[dozey]

Originally Posted by crockett

Why not just do the snowbird thing? Come down to Florida for the winters and stay in Canada for the summers. You then get the best of both worlds.

The CA world is becoming less pleasing, given the increasing variance between CAD and USD (assuming USD cheques)

[rowan]

Originally Posted by V_RocKs

I make to much money to feel the effects...

If I made $50,000 a year I would feel some effect. If I made $32,000 I would definitely feel it. At my present income level I don't even notice.

It's fine if you have money to put away, but for those outside the USA a fairly minor change by a few cents may actually be a much larger change in relative income.

For example...

30 days ago the AUD was at USD 0.83. $USD10000 = $AUD12,048
Today it's at USD 0.90. $USD10000 = $AUD11,111. A $937 difference.

That effectively means I'd have to GROW my income by about 8% in a month just to have the SAME amount of cash in my hand.

This affects my income (less of it) and ultimately lifestyle (more work needed to make the same $)

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by GeXus

Are you Americans really that dumb? Gimme a break... the low dollar has had huge impacts... the cost of just about ALL goods have gone up significantly, have you forgot about OIL? Everything that is imported is now just that much more expensive to import... that includes produce, electronics, cars, clothing... everything... Just look at the cost of a sandwich from a deli... I used to be able to get a sub for under $4.. now... $7.99 for a sub.. gimme a break... A can of soda? a CAN of soda.. used to be $60 cents, anywhere you went.. now $1.00+, you tell me thats due to inflation? PLEASE! Look at cigarettes.. they've gone up over $2 in the past five years.. due to taxes.. why? because everything else is more expensive gov't needs to make it up where it can... we're getting hit left and right..

Originally Posted by GeXus

Don't act as though this is normal you idiot.. the Canadian dollar has not passed US since 1957, this is not "normal fluctuation"

Are you always a fucking asshole to people who don't agree with you on everything chapter and verse?

Cigarettes haven't gone up $2 in the past five years. I can still buy a carton at Racetrac for $26.99....I managed convenience stores back in 2000 and the price was the same then.

The price of oil has been hovering in the $60-80 range for the past several years, it was grossly underpriced for a decade before that.
If oil was consistently going up a few bucks a barrel every month that would be inflationary. It hasn't done that, it had a major upward correction and then has traded within the range I mentioned above since then, that's not inflationary.

Also, EVERYTHING that is imported isn't more expensive to import. Our biggest importer, China, has their currency tied directly to ours. If ours drops, so does theirs, so the cost of Chinese goods in dollars hasn't changed at all.

If you want to argue economics with me, you better bring your A game and come with more than "a soda used to cost 60 cents and now it costs $1"
When my grandfather was my age a soda cost 5 cents, that's not really indicative of how our economy has fared over that time period.

Also, let's leave the name calling out of it. Is it really necessary to personally insult people who disagree with you on something like this?

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by rowan

It's fine if you have money to put away, but for those outside the USA a fairly minor change by a few cents may actually be a much larger change in relative income.

For example...

30 days ago the AUD was at USD 0.83. $USD10000 = $AUD12,048
Today it's at USD 0.90. $USD10000 = $AUD11,111. A $937 difference.

That effectively means I'd have to GROW my income by about 8% in a month just to have the SAME amount of cash in my hand.

This affects my income (less of it) and ultimately lifestyle (more work needed to make the same $)

Yeah it's definitely an issue if your income is in a different currency than your expenses.
American companies doing business overseas were taking a beating for a long time because of the strong dollar, now they're making obscene profits with it being lower.

I'm sure at some point the pendulum will swing back the other way

[minusonebit]

Originally Posted by MetaMan

have any USA webmasters felt the effects or is it just basically "business as usual"?

Its always business as usual here. America is a society built, expanded and operated on lies and bullshit. It will always be business as usual right up to the end. When the economy takes a shit, they just print more money (exactly how much, we no longer know since they told us a few years ago that wasn't really important and we need not concern ourselves with trivial details like that), then they tell us everything is fine and most of us believe them.

What a nice little bubble we live in. I hope I am dead, dried up, turned to dust and blown around the globe three times before it bursts.

[GreyWolf]

Originally Posted by SteveLightspeed

When I hear that models in Prague want $800/day --- it is putting US models back in the game fast....

You'd be lucky to get any decent model via normal channels in the EU for less than $800 US - that's only 400 GBP or 560 Euros. An agency girl in eg. the UK is usually in the 800 GBP range ($1600) - tho they are usually working because of who they are and not a country issue.

The mass shoot season is over now, but know one girl who spent 2 weeks dangling her wrist over the side of a boat in the Caribbean for $2000/day (promoting crappy Swatch watches).

Then... there are models and models...

[4Pics]

Not sure if this is related, but Milk is like $2 more to buy 2 gallons. It used to be like $4.69 for 2 gallons, now its $6 something.

Soda is also more expensive, used to be like $1.99 for a 12pack of pepsi, now its always 2 for $7...

[pocketkangaroo]

I haven't really noticed much difference with the exception of gas (which fluctuates like a mother fucker here). Supposedly we are supposed to see a small increase in the price of groceries, but I haven't noticed much difference in my grocery bills. Inflation numbers were well below what they expected, so I'm sure that's good. The only negative I see is that it costs a bit more for outsourcing.

[pr0]

Originally Posted by pocketkangaroo

I haven't really noticed much difference with the exception of gas (which fluctuates like a mother fucker here). Supposedly we are supposed to see a small increase in the price of groceries, but I haven't noticed much difference in my grocery bills. Inflation numbers were well below what they expected, so I'm sure that's good. The only negative I see is that it costs a bit more for outsourcing.

good im sick of settling credit card disputes with people in India

god i hate those fucking accents sooooo much

[spunkmaster]

Originally Posted by GeXus

Are you Americans really that dumb? Gimme a break... the low dollar has had huge impacts... the cost of just about ALL goods have gone up significantly, have you forgot about OIL? Everything that is imported is now just that much more expensive to import... that includes produce, electronics, cars, clothing... everything... Just look at the cost of a sandwich from a deli... I used to be able to get a sub for under $4.. now... $7.99 for a sub.. gimme a break... A can of soda? a CAN of soda.. used to be $60 cents, anywhere you went.. now $1.00+, you tell me thats due to inflation? PLEASE! Look at cigarettes.. they've gone up over $2 in the past five years.. due to taxes.. why? because everything else is more expensive gov't needs to make it up where it can... we're getting hit left and right..

Inflation last week was 1.3% or something so you're wrong and inflation
remains very low and that's why the FED will lower interest rates again soon.

- Can of soda is now $.25 at many vending machines
- 12" Subs are $4.99 at subway or a 6" meal is $5.99
- The made in china shit is keeping prices low for most Americans
- A Dominos pizza is still $5.00 for take out the same it was 20 years ago
- A six pack of Beer was $6.95 10 years ago and now it's $3.95 - $4.95


US exports to the world almost doubled so far this year which is a huge
plus to keep jobs in the USA. American goods are finally cheaper then locally made goods all over the world for the first time since the 1920's.

The Wallstreet Journal had some good articles last week on the value of a low dollar and there are many more on the plus side then on the negative side. In fact, they were saying the Dollar has been inflated and is now going down to where it should be which helps the US more then the world and trading partners.

The only main downside besides pissing off foreign adult webmasters is that China and Japan hold 1.5 Trillion Dollars and if they sold off too big a chunk it would cause havock but they won't do this because China needs to feed 1.3 Billion people and to do that they need the US to keep consuming their shit and the same for Japan but on a smaller scale.

[teomaxxx]

Originally Posted by MetaMan

Are you personally seeing that big of a difference?

as in basic products you would normally buy, are prices higher? lower? the same? or such small changes you have not noticed.

have any USA webmasters felt the effects or is it just basically "business as usual"?

Its still short term to find out results of decrease USD, but in longer term there will be inflation for sure. Even Greenspan, who caused whole mess, by his policy of low interest rates admited, that lowering interest rates, will cause inflation and reccession in longer run.

[st0ned]

I don't see a difference. I wouldn't have even known about it if it wasn't for GFY

[teomaxxx]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21047604/site/newsweek/

There's No Inflation (If You Ignore Facts)

By Daniel Gross
Newsweek
Oct. 8, 2007 issue - Imagine that a cardiologist told you that aside from the irregular heartbeat, the stratospheric cholesterol count and a little blockage in your aorta, your core heart functions are just fine.

That's precisely what the government's cardiologist?Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve?has just done. The central bank is supposed to make sure the economy grows fast enough to create jobs and make everybody richer, but not so fast that it produces inflation, which makes everybody poorer. "Readings on core inflation have improved modestly this year," the Federal Open Market Committee said in justifying its 50-basis-point interest-rate cut last month, while conceding that "some inflation risks remain."

Catch that bit about "core inflation"? That's Fedspeak for: inflation is under control, unless you look at the costs of things that are going up. The core rate excludes the prices of food and energy, which can be volatile from month to month. Factor them in, and inflation is about as moderate as Newt Gingrich. In the first eight months of 2007, the consumer price index?the main gauge of inflation?rose at a 3.7 percent annual rate. That's more than 50 percent higher than the mild 2.3 percent core rate. The prices of energy and food are soaring, at 12.7 percent and 5.6 percent annual rates, respectively, and have been doing so for years. As a result, the CPI?including food and energy?has risen 12.6 percent since July 2003, for a compound rate of about 3 percent.

Indeed. China's CPI leapt forward 6.5 percent between August 2006 and August 2007, the highest rate in 11 years. One of the main culprits? An 18.2 percent year-over-year increase in the price of food. In still-poor China, food expenditures account for 37 percent of the CPI, compared with 14 percent in the United States. In a recent paper, Albert Keidel of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace warns of China's "gathering inflation storm," powered in part by "explosive price increases in key consumer categories" like noodles and pork.

China is bound to export its inflation?it exports everything else, after all?either in the form of higher prices for toys, or in the form of higher global prices for the commodities it consumes in increasingly huge gulps. The Wall Street Journal noted that iron-ore producers are about to ask for a 50 percent price increase for 2008, thanks to rising demand from Chinese steelmakers. Chinese car sales are up 25 percent through August, which helps support oil prices.

In the United States, companies are passing along higher commodity and fuel costs by boosting prices, slashing portions and tacking fuel surcharges onto things ranging from deliveries to lawn service. And because food and energy prices are so visible?the prices are posted in public, and consumers buy these goods frequently?price increases have a disproportionate impact on perceptions of inflation. Each month the Conference Board asks consumers what they expect the rate of inflation will be for the next 12 months. The figure has been above 5 percent since April.

China's government is trying to deal with its inflation in predictably Orwellian fashion. "Beijing has instructed local provincial and urban statistical bureaus in a subtle form of denial?they are not to use the word 'inflation' to describe what is happening," notes Keidel. It's easy to mock Beijing's clumsy bureaucrats. But by focusing on core inflation, the Federal Reserve?along with the legions of investors who reacted ecstatically to the interest-rate cut?is practicing its own subtle form of denial.



Signs of inflation are evident throughout the economy. When investors fear a rising inflationary tide, they latch onto the driftwood of gold. The day Bernanke cut rates, the price of the precious metal soared to heights not seen since 1980, when inflation ran at nearly 12 percent! I read about this in The Wall Street Journal (whose newsstand price rose 50 percent in July), which I picked up in the lobby of a New York hotel (where the average nightly rate soared 12.5 percent in the first seven months of 2007 from 2006, according to PKF Consulting) while sipping on a Starbucks Frappuccino (whose price has risen twice since last October).

There are sound macro-economic reasons to believe higher inflation may be a fact of economic life, according to former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, who discusses the topic in his new memoir, "The Age of Turbulence." (Apparently, the editors killed the original title: "The Dotcom Bubble Wasn't My Fault. Nor Was the Housing Bubble.") Greenspan notes that vast anti-inflationary forces in the 1990s?especially China's emergence as a low-cost producer of goods?helped tamp down prices. But China's rampant growth and rising living standards could encourage inflation. "China's wage-rate growth should mount, as should its rate of inflation," he writes.

[GreyWolf]

Originally Posted by teomaxxx

...inflation is under control, unless you look at the costs of things that are going up.

Gawd.. when will the hype and fantasy ever stop?

Everything is sweet and cool and the flowers are blooming in the Rose Garden and everything is cheap from China because we pay in weak dollars and OPEC never increases oil prices and we don't really borrow around $12bill/day from other nations and there is so much liquidity flowing everyone is really rich.

Shall I peel you a grape teomaxxx?

[Yngwie]

Originally Posted by GeXus

Don't act as though this is normal you idiot.. the Canadian dollar has not passed US since 1957, this is not "normal fluctuation"

1957?? the last time was in the 70's... November 1976 actually.

[DamageX]

Originally Posted by Lenny2

I think it's hilarious when all the EU webmasters assume that something is inherently wrong with the U.S.

I think it's hilarious when the US webmasters don't realize that.

[Lykos]

I don't think they are yet...but how time goes they probably will,couse USA is one of biggest importers...and how importing prices are geting bigger for them...prices of products in USA would probably rise..

[Ross]

Originally Posted by V_RocKs

I make to much money to feel the effects...

If I made $50,000 a year I would feel some effect. If I made $32,000 I would definitely feel it. At my present income level I don't even notice.

What a lot of bullshit this is. If you make more, you are gonna feel it more. IF you really do make so much money you don't care then you are an idiot. It won't be long before you lose it all with an atitude like that.

[Ross]

The dollar to UK pound is now over 2 to 1 and is pissing me off. 4 years ago I think it was around the 1.5 dollars to 1 pound mark.

[MetaMan]

Originally Posted by 4Pics

Not sure if this is related, but Milk is like $2 more to buy 2 gallons. It used to be like $4.69 for 2 gallons, now its $6 something.

Soda is also more expensive, used to be like $1.99 for a 12pack of pepsi, now its always 2 for $7...

this is the exact type of thing i mean, products with "small" changes. like a couple dollars more could still be a huge increase.

this is the exact type of thing i am talking about, have products in general across the board been affected?

im wondering cause you would think with the amount that the usa imports accompanied with the low dollar prices would be majorly affected.

but it seems with the massive volume that the usa does import i dont think it has that big of an effect (yet anyway).

as in Canada with our "strong dollar" (ya right) i have seen little to no decrease in prices anywhere.

[MetaMan]

Originally Posted by Ross

The dollar to UK pound is now over 2 to 1 and is pissing me off. 4 years ago I think it was around the 1.5 dollars to 1 pound mark.

i am trying to talk about actual differences INSIDE the usa in this thread, and not the obvious loss us international webmasters are taking. <-- /tear for low dollar

i just personally think in the day to day lives of people (inside the usa) they have not seen a huge impact.

now i am not saying this is going to change but short term i dont see it happening just yet.

i personally would like to play this all out (easier said then done to just pack up and leave) but go live out the slump for the next couple of years until the dollar starts on the up and up, i truly believe this will happen also, the american economy imho is the most resilient economy on earth.

[peterk]

I also heard that people from USA doesn't feel any change yet.

[sumphatpimp]

I am seeing a lot of posts where some idiot cries about losing money because he is not smart enough to promote a program where the payout is favorable to him.
promote a program that pays in your own currency dopey.
when the conversion rate favored you did you complain then?
posts like this only make you look like a very poor business person.

[MetaMan]

Originally Posted by sumphatpimp

I am seeing a lot of posts where some idiot cries about losing money because he is not smart enough to promote a program where the payout is favorable to him.
promote a program that pays in your own currency dopey.
when the conversion rate favored you did you complain then?
posts like this only make you look like a very poor business person.

you are a fucking idiot and cannot obviously read a thread.

<--me laughing at you for a lame attempt at trying to sound smart, are you AlienQs fake nic? you display that same sort of stupidity.

[lopez]

Originally Posted by pr0

good im sick of settling credit card disputes with people in India

god i hate those fucking accents sooooo much

soon americans will answer the phone for indians with credit card disputes.

[gornyhuy]

NO noticeable effect whatsoever...

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by teomaxxx

The core rate excludes the prices of food and energy, which can be volatile from month to month. Factor them in, and inflation is about as moderate as Newt Gingrich. In the first eight months of 2007, the consumer price index?the main gauge of inflation?rose at a 3.7 percent annual rate. That's more than 50 percent higher than the mild 2.3 percent core rate. The prices of energy and food are soaring, at 12.7 percent and 5.6 percent annual rates, respectively, and have been doing so for years. As a result, the CPI?including food and energy?has risen 12.6 percent since July 2003, for a compound rate of about 3 percent.

I don't know why you bother quoting ANY government numbers whatsoever, since you think the government is lying about all economic statistics. (except for the ones you think prove your point of course...THEN they're telling the truth)

The government publishes 2 inflation numbers.
Core Inflation (the number the fed looks at most closely) does not include food and energy prices. The reason is that these two sectors are very volatile and are affected by many factors outside of the fed's control. (a drought could affect food prices, and OPEC could raise oil prices, and nothing the fed does with interest rates would change that)

Also, higher food prices and energy prices tend to be counter-inflationary. I know that statement doesn't make sense on the surface but please read on.

Energy (electricity, gasoline etc) and Food are absolutely necessary for people to survive. No matter what the price is, people will still buy them.
Therefore, when the price of oil goes up, people have to spend more money on energy, and have less to spend anywhere else.
So the higher oil prices work like a tax, draining customers pocketbooks, and all of the other sectors of the economy have to fight with each other over the few dollars the average consumer has left.
They can't raise prices because consumers have very little discretionary income left. Oil prices go up, but the overall basket of goods that the average consumer purchases costs the same.

The other inflation number the government reports is headline inflation. This number DOES include EVERYTHING. It's not the number the fed focuses on when deciding monetary policy, BUT THE GOVERNMENT DOES REPORT IT.

According to your article I quoted above, since July 2003 that number has been 3% per year. That's hardly runaway inflation by anyone's standards.

While it's true that the prices of SOME THINGS have risen rapidly, there are prices of several other things that have gone down (flat screen tv's, cell phone minutes, automakers slashing prices etc)
You have to look at the overall basket of goods to determine if there's inflation. Quoting prices on a handful of items that have gone up is hardly proof that inflation is rampant in our economy.

[Niklas]

Originally Posted by sumphatpimp

I am seeing a lot of posts where some idiot cries about losing money because he is not smart enough to promote a program where the payout is favorable to him.
promote a program that pays in your own currency dopey.
when the conversion rate favored you did you complain then?
posts like this only make you look like a very poor business person.

Wow, you're an idiot.

[rowan]

Originally Posted by sumphatpimp

I am seeing a lot of posts where some idiot cries about losing money because he is not smart enough to promote a program where the payout is favorable to him.
promote a program that pays in your own currency dopey.
when the conversion rate favored you did you complain then?
posts like this only make you look like a very poor business person.

Care to throw a few examples at us? A program can pay out in any currency they want but your point is irrelevant if they bill in a different currency and thus have to convert it. Show me programs where both the billing and payouts are in the same (non USD) currency. I bet there's a fair few for EUR, maybe some for UKP, but what about the rest of the world?

[Forest]

Originally Posted by crockett

Why not just do the snowbird thing? Come down to Florida for the winters and stay in Canada for the summers. You then get the best of both worlds.

we have enough canadians down here in the winter as it is