FL19 - $

With everything sorted all we can hope for is good health (!) and of course the usual rate checking to get the most number of the mighty US dollars for our weakened pound sterling.

Currently the tourist rate is shave under $1.29 and I have ordered around £250 worth. Collect Saturday.

The dollars are usually nice and new when I get them.  I immediately fold them into my foreign currency wallet and that newness is gone.

We generally use the Halifax Bank Clarity credit card when we are away as it is one of the few UK MasterCard offering from the banks that has no added charges for using it outside the UK.  These can mount up. We have used it before in the US and last year in Norway and France.

My day to day MasterCard from Tesco Bank earns points for using it and any purchase at their stores.  The points are useful as you can spend them to "buy" things, like ferry and Eurotunnel crossings. But they charge a transaction charge plus a commission (currently 2.5%)  every time it is used outside the UK.  So paying for a hotel with it, say $100, would cost around £4.50 ($5.80) for the privilege of using the card! No way.  Once caught out is enough.

Not long now.

Update 1/4/19

Picked up the money. The rate had changed. It cost us 10p more for $330.