When my husband, who's American, and I, a Canadian, decided to move to the US three years ago, I didn't bat an eye about our financial situation. After all, we know how to stick to a budget and talk to each other openly about our life and financial goals.
When we finally moved and I started digging into spending in the US, I was surprised at how significant some of these differences were.Soon after moving to the States, I noticed I had far fewer coins in my pockets. I still use cash in the US for small purchases, but it's mostly bills. It's safe to say I only use coins at the laundromat or when purchasing items at yard sales or flea markets. Even when buying drinks or snacks at vending machines, I typically use dollar bills.
If I paid for a $1.50 item with a $5 bill, for example, I might get three $1 bills and some change back in the US. In Canada, though, I'd get three loonies and some smaller change — a lot more metal.I know it sounds obvious, but all that change can get heavy — fast. In fact, I used to use a change purse because I had so much change. That meant I would look for more opportunities to use cash — at the local coffee shop, when I grabbed lunch, or buying one-off items at chain stores.
Of course, that's not the case stateside — and the change in mindset still throws me off when I go back to Canada and have to go back to rounding.Growing up, it was common for friends and people I knew in school to head to the US to buy stuff. There was better stuff to be had, for one thing, and many of the clothing brands we coveted and stores we wanted to shop at weren't available in Canada at the time.
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