Legwork saved 30% in groceries

[Stafford]

So today we did our shopping for the week and realized how some legwork went a long way. In the past I have done both scenario 1 and 2 below. I'd never really calculated the difference between the two...

Scenario 1:

Put 800 pesos worth of groceries into cart at Coto.
Pay with US CitiBank card
Get charged 3% international transaction fee
Get the official rate of 4.27

800 pesos in the cart = $192.75 USD

Scenario 2:

Convert dollars to pesos at Chinese Supermarket for 4.70
Deposit pesos into Banco Nacion Account
Use Banco Nacion debit card on Monday to pay at coto (20% discount)

800 pesos in the cart = $136.17 USD

Savings for some legwork and local bank account = Roughly 30%

As I mentioned in another post, two of my favorite people in Argentina are the brothers who own the little mercado on our corner. But when you're buying a lot of staples, sometimes you have no choice but to succumb to coto every once in a while

 

[bebero]

how do you get your dollars from the us citibank account?

 

[Stafford]

how do you get your dollars from the us citibank account?

Ah... I don't actually. The dollars come from another source.

 

[steveinbsas]

Ah... I don't actually. The dollars come from another source.

Oh, no! Please don't let us assume that you have "SHORT TERM" rental apartments and only accept dollars!

Anyone who does is also saving an additional 30% by not paying taxes on the rental income.

What a great system.

No small wonder this country is in the dumpster.

 

[Stafford]

Oh, no! Please don't let us assume that you have 'SHORT TERM" rental apartments and only accept dollars!

No Ass-U-Me-ing Steve! I definitely am not in the apartment letting business. Thank God. My partner and I are both freelancers. As an American, my clients transfer cash into my US bank account. He's Argentine, so he gets Western Union transfers every once in a while in USD. And yes, it worked today for him to get paid directly greenbacks at WU.... So he bought groceries this week And he also cooked dinner tonight. It was pretty good.

 

[steveinbsas]

No Ass-U-Me-ing Steve!

Not my style or intention. You left yourself open. Thanks for clarifying (and I'm not talking about buttah).

 

[Stafford]

Not my style or intention. You left yourself open. Thanks for clarifying (and I'm not talking about buttah).

I better wear a chastity belt next time I log in! ;0

 

[steveinbsas]

I better wear a chastity belt next time I log in! ;0

Just be grateful that (thanks to your system) you don't have to wear one when you go to the grocery store.

 

[Davidglen77]

I find the difference in prices amazing sometimes. In most countries, the prices go up and down according to the neighborhood. Here they vary greatly in stores on the same block. For example 1lt of Brahma beer costs 12 pesos at the small grocery store on my block. Around the corner at a small supermercado chino it costs 6.50 pesos. The other day I bought an ice cream pop at a kiosco on Rivadavia & Sarandí for 5 pesos, today I was on Rivadavia & Callao and I saw the same ice cream pop for 10 pesos!

 

[El Duderino]

It would be interesting to see how much you can save by shopping around for the best prices, like buying all of your fruits and veggies at the verduleria, meat at the carniceria, etc. But, again, I think prices are pretty arbitrary. I'm lazy and just try to go to Disco with the 15% off coupon for everything.