Comparing currencies: how buying abroad could save you money

The Internet has opened the doors to a world of money-making possibilities, through online auctioning and bingo sites. However, not all of the possibilities are quite so obvious. Some of the biggest monetary gains can be made by simply thinking outside the box; or, more appropriately, outside of the country.

It is no secret that the pound has taken a bit of a battering lately. The news is full of stories of falling figures, telling us how well the rest of the world seems to be doing in comparison to us. Instead of feeling defeated, though, British citizens should be taking advantage of this opportunity to source their clothing and technical goods abroad; thereby making their money stretch further.

If products are maintaining their cheaper prices in other countries, then this is the perfect time for us to look farther afield before making our final purchase; there is scope to save hundreds.

Save money by shopping online

The technological world has been buzzing recently, following the release of Apple’s most recent endeavour, the iPad2. New fans of the iPad may find that they have difficulty locating one in this country; it seems to be sold out everywhere. However, a quick visit to an American website could have you awaiting your brand new iPad in a matter of minutes.

Skyscanner reports that an iPad in Britain is, on average, £439; however, our friends across the pond are paying much less at $499 (which converts to £313; a saving of £127).

Further to this, by looking online for your favourite products you may find yourself able to buy things that aren’t even for sale in Britain yet. PC Pro explains that Apple delayed the British release of the iPad by a month further, due to popular demand in America, which infuriated their British customer base. Sourcing a product online can often eliminate some of the waiting time as well as some of the cost.

Fashion lovers will know how in-demand the UGG boot is, and has been for many years now. These casual Australian boots have been the footwear of ‘papped’ celebrities in glossy magazines for almost half a decade, and it doesn’t look like they are showing any signs of losing popularity. Though they are expensive in this country at £170, you can buy them from Australia for nearly half the price; there $125 shoes convert to just £78 for us Brits, and you can be sure that your brand new UGG boots are genuinely Australian.

Shopping tourism can be worthy

However, it isn’t always as simple as logging in to a commercial website for the latest consumer electronics. Many websites, such as Amazon and BestBuy.com, offer lower prices but will tell you they can’t deliver to you the moment you enter your British address.

Other than having a big win when playing bingo online and using the money to travel abroad simply to buy one item, sometimes the Internet simply does not hold all of the answers.

Often, people find that travelling to the country of their choice to purchase their desired item ends up being better value than simply buying in Britain. With the average return plane ticket to America costing around £400, buying enough items which are cheaper in America (games consoles, electronic tablets…) could see that the value of your ticket soon adds up in the savings you make; plus, you get to enjoy a nice holiday abroad!

Things are rarely as expensive as they seem, and while the pound falls there is no reason that you can’t look for better ways to spend it. Be savvy; if something doesn’t sound like it’s as good a deal as you’ve been lead to believe, it probably isn’t.

You might also like