$1.48 to the £ today....this is getting ridiculous
Jan 14th 2012, 8:50 pm
#76
Banned
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
Re: $1.48 to the £ today....this is getting ridiculous
Of course it is utter nonsense, most on here can understand the reality thankfully. 
Utter nonsense. The UK has a significant amount of R&D in high tech areas like pharmaceuticals. The Chinese make cheap products sold globally by holding the value of the remnimbi artificially low. That's how they'll fail - there is no domestic demand. Suggesting the UK has to start manufacturing cheap mass produced price competition consumer goods to grow a manufacturing sector is just garbage.
Manufacturing bases of undifferentiated products fall inevitably to the lowest wage denominated country. The Chinese will revolt unless they get richer and someone will overtake them in cost advantage.
Manufacturing bases of undifferentiated products fall inevitably to the lowest wage denominated country. The Chinese will revolt unless they get richer and someone will overtake them in cost advantage.
Jan 14th 2012, 9:00 pm
#78
Banned
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
Re: $1.48 to the £ today....this is getting ridiculous
Exactly right, the UK does and will continue to compete successfully with Germany for example. This assertion that only certain countries can make a particular product is naive at best and incredibly ignorant at worst, I assume there is a bit of fishing going on 
Run away, the sky is falling.
Run away, the sky is falling.
Jan 14th 2012, 10:00 pm
#79
Frequent Flyer Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 10,994
Re: $1.48 to the £ today....this is getting ridiculous
My point exactly. It's fine in a goldfish bowl. I mentioned elsewhere, the problem comes when you buy anything made overseas or go on a foreign holiday.
People living on the island of Nauru earn an average $120/week. It doesn't matter as local goods and services are comparatively cheaper. They cannot afford to escape the island, as the air fare is prohibitively expensive.
People living on the island of Nauru earn an average $120/week. It doesn't matter as local goods and services are comparatively cheaper. They cannot afford to escape the island, as the air fare is prohibitively expensive.
Singapore Airlines low season LHR - MEL rtn £810 ( $A1200)
Singapore Airlines low season MEL - LHR rtn A$2055
That's 41% cheaper in your the exchange rate is all that matters world.
Emirates low season LHR - SYD rtn £822 ( $A1220)
Emirates low season SYD - LHR rtn A$2038
That's 40% cheaper in your the exchange rate is all that matters world.
Try it out for other airlines if you like.
The UK family of 4 spends over A$3k less just getting there which will probably make up for the cost of big macs and pints of lager on arrival.
Jan 14th 2012, 10:10 pm
#80
Possum. Amiculum. Latrina
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: Footloose
Posts: 3,427
Re: $1.48 to the £ today....this is getting ridiculous
I managed to power mine off in 12 months. My MBA cost my dad 6k in 1994.
Jan 14th 2012, 10:50 pm
#81
Daffyd Duck
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Paradise
Posts: 5,636
Re: $1.48 to the £ today....this is getting ridiculous
Exactly right, the UK does and will continue to compete successfully with Germany for example. This assertion that only certain countries can make a particular product is naive at best and incredibly ignorant at worst, I assume there is a bit of fishing going on
Run away, the sky is falling.
Run away, the sky is falling.
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...ing-uk-economy
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2...ritain-economy
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...-it-german-way
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...ctures-success
also, if you're relying mostly on the GBP exchange rate to improve export performance, that's not a good thing. that's what the Chinese do with their Yuan.
Jan 14th 2012, 10:57 pm
#82
Banned
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
Re: $1.48 to the £ today....this is getting ridiculous
Even using a realistic exchange rate those are bloody cheap prices, why is there such disparity between air fares each way ? There always has been but you used to be able to buy a flight from the other end but they have stopped that now.
Fear not, just like the Big Macs it's much cheaper to escape the UK.
Singapore Airlines low season LHR - MEL rtn £810 ( $A1200)
Singapore Airlines low season MEL - LHR rtn A$2055
That's 41% cheaper in your the exchange rate is all that matters world.
Emirates low season LHR - SYD rtn £822 ( $A1220)
Emirates low season SYD - LHR rtn A$2038
That's 40% cheaper in your the exchange rate is all that matters world.
Try it out for other airlines if you like.
The UK family of 4 spends over A$3k less just getting there which will probably make up for the cost of big macs and pints of lager on arrival.
Singapore Airlines low season LHR - MEL rtn £810 ( $A1200)
Singapore Airlines low season MEL - LHR rtn A$2055
That's 41% cheaper in your the exchange rate is all that matters world.
Emirates low season LHR - SYD rtn £822 ( $A1220)
Emirates low season SYD - LHR rtn A$2038
That's 40% cheaper in your the exchange rate is all that matters world.
Try it out for other airlines if you like.
The UK family of 4 spends over A$3k less just getting there which will probably make up for the cost of big macs and pints of lager on arrival.
Jan 14th 2012, 11:14 pm
#83
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,040
Re: $1.48 to the £ today....this is getting ridiculous
There's no competitve reason for them to change it. Aussies keep boarding the flights, why change the price.
Jan 14th 2012, 11:22 pm
#84
Daffyd Duck
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Paradise
Posts: 5,636
Re: $1.48 to the £ today....this is getting ridiculous
GDP per capita at PPP dollars (already adjusted for purchasing power)
Aus - $41K
UK - $36K
the difference is more pronounced in USD terms:
Aus - $67K
UK - $41K
Last edited by commonwealth; Jan 14th 2012 at 11:26 pm.
Jan 14th 2012, 11:29 pm
#86
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 457
Re: $1.48 to the £ today....this is getting ridiculous
With house prices in Sydney increasing and house prices in the UK falling and now the exchange rate today touching $1.48...how can anyone apart from those going with nothing at all,afford to move across at the moment....I've luckily sold my house after planning on retiring to NSW for years....but can't bring myself to exchange at nearly 50% less dollars than when I first began thinking of living in Oz...I thought the recent drop in Oz interest rates with talk of more drops to come....coupled with the financial press saying that the UK was in a stonger position to weather the Euiropean storm that those in the Euro would see the pound strengthen against the AU$....but apprantly not ! I managed to get some money over at $2.65 to the pound a while back...not enough to live out there by any means.....I'm seriously thinking now of bringing that back for a profit and giving up on the dream.....anyone else in the same position ?
your favour, but if it doesn't if you are living where you want to be does it really matter.
ps. No regrets about retiring here
Jan 14th 2012, 11:33 pm
#87
Frequent Flyer Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 10,994
Re: $1.48 to the £ today....this is getting ridiculous
I don't it's ever been possible to buy a flight at the other market's price.
Jan 14th 2012, 11:36 pm
#88
Banned
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
Re: $1.48 to the £ today....this is getting ridiculous
I was thinking the other day about Germany and the things it produces, I like 'German' power tools and have quite a few AEG saws, drills etc. All of the without fail are Chinese made, the same is true of Bosch and others. BMW have a factory in Thailand very close to Triumphs factory making parts for their bikes that are no longer viable to be made at home. They also build engines and bikes in China, it's the way of the world BUT like the UK it is still profitable to make certain things.
Jan 14th 2012, 11:39 pm
#89
Not allowed opinions.
Joined: Dec 2009
Location: Sydney
Posts: 4,565
Re: $1.48 to the £ today....this is getting ridiculous
