Moneda Melodramas

[Joe]

How many of you have additional unneeded drama in your life due to the shortage of coins in Buenos Aires?

A couple of days ago I bought one banana from a fruit stand to fill me up until lunch. When I showed the vendor the two peso note, he looked at me as if I had just killed his first born.

Many of you from overseas may know about the coin shortage but there is also additional drama with large bills. The ATMs generally dispense 100 peso notes. If you try to use a 100 peso note to make a small purchase, say 13 pesos - your purchase will be accepted but with begrudging drama. I would prefer my life to be more a romantic comedy then a drama...

Yesterday I withdrew 400 pesos from the ATM, then went into the teller to get smaller bills. He grudging gave me 20 peso notes. Then I took out a 10 peso note and politely said "Moneda Por Favor". He reaches into the drawer takes out a roll of 25 centavos and slams it on the counter and without even looking at me shouts "Adios". In other words begone you arrogant person who asks for change.

What is your Moneda Melodrama?

 

[BlahBlah]

There is no black market in BA

Also there is no coin shortage, it's just a press-thing

 

[Joe]

There is no black market in BA

Also there is no coin shortage, it's just a press-thing

What Mr. Sarcastic is saying here is that coin hoarding by the bus companies qualifies as a black market in the Argentine Peso.

 

[pauper]

I just paid 10 pesos for an 8 peso bunch of flowers and received two one peso coins in change - this has made my day! The lows are low but the highs are incredibly high.

 

[Bianca]

Yesterday I withdrew 400 pesos from the ATM, then went into the teller to get smaller bills. He grudging gave me 20 peso notes. Then I took out a 10 peso note and politely said "Moneda Por Favor". He reaches into the drawer takes out a roll of 25 centavos and slams it on the counter and without even looking at me shouts "Adios". In other words begone you arrogant person who asks for change.

The trick is to take out an odd number of pesos... say $430 instead of $400. You get a nice mix of tens and twenties. Obviously, that won't solve your moneda problem, but it's nice to get bills other than $100s out of the machine!

Yes, I have a moneda melodrama as well... you see, the washers and dryers in my apartment's laundry facilities only take $1 monedas. As we all know, it is ridiculously hard to get them, even the teller sometimes won't hand 'em over. And I need about $15-$20 every week. So instead of dealing with that, I take my clothes to the lavendero. Which is nice, because I don't particularly enjoy doing laundry, but I'm not a fan of having my delicates handled by strangers.

I posted this article on another thread, but here it is again. It's all about "the world's most annoying economic crisis"... right here in BA.
http://www.slate.com/id/2205635/pagenum/all/

 

[Joe]

The trick is to take out an odd number of pesos... say $430 instead of $400. You get a nice mix of tens and twenties. Obviously, that won't solve your moneda problem, but it's nice to get bills other than $100s out of the machine!

I had assumed you can only withdraw in $100 multiples. Great tip! Next time I'll withdrawl $390. Thanks

 

[djlinse37]

I had assumed you can only withdraw in $100 multiples. Great tip! Next time I'll withdrawl $390. Thanks

"withdrawl", is that what they do in Texas?

And, if you're lucky like me and have a ATM card that doesn't charge fees of any kind, you can do what I did today, and withdraw $190, $190, $90. I have a pocketful of 10 peso bills, a few 50 peso bills, and only 2 100 peso notes that I always use at the supermercado, who give me dirty looks sometimes, but not as much. Note, some ATMs like to give 50s while others only give 10s. 50s are easier than 100s, but still "big" to some vendors.

My take on monedas is that it is *slightly* easier over the last month or so. Maybe I've just been lucky. I've had quite a number of places give me two one-peso coins in change, even without asking. Fewer verdulerias/fruterias asking me to buy one more item either.

A couple of bus lines now have cards (61/62 and 92 (I think) that I've seen). This will help.

 

[HDM]

I do pretty much the same thing 37 does. I also withdraw money from atm machines in a number that ends in 90, and more often than not, I get 9 10s along with the 100s.

Another trick I have used is the no hablo castellano ploy. When they can't figure out how to tell me that they want me to give them monedas, they end up giving me monedas in change. I now have a mug and a half of monedas on my desk.

Hope I'm not responsible for the shortage.

 

[criswkh]

I'm with 37 and HDM. I do the 90 thing 180, 290, ect..sometimes if there is no line I do the 80 or 90 withdrawal like 7 or 8 times until I get my 1000 pesos limit.

 

[JeffLiff]

I saw heaven today: a bag of what must have been more than 100 pesos worth of 50 centavo coins. I'm not going to disclose exactly where I saw this, but I will tell you that my moneda crisis is now over. No, I was not charged a fee, no this did not happen on the black market.

I am a very happy camper.