Swap those greenbacks for pesos when you''re traveling in Mexico!

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico (2/18/06) If you feel safer using your greenbacks to pay for your purchases in Mexico, youre paying a hefty premium for your imagined security.

While many stores, restaurants and bars in all but the smallest towns generally accept U.S. currency in payment, you can be sure that little shopkeeper is smiling as you walk out his door!

You just gave him a bonus as much as ten percent just because you paid in U.S. dollars.

The International Monetary Fund currency exchange rate between the U.S. dollar (USD) and the Mexican Peso (MXN) is about 10.50 pesos to the dollar as of this writing, but thats not what you get from that nice little shopkeeper, sexy waitress or frazzled barkeep.

Most establishments set their exchange rates one point lower than the banks rate to accommodate natural fluctuations in currency values. So, while the bank rate might be 10.50 pesos to the dollar, its not uncommon for local businesses to give only 9.50 pesos to the dollar.

The result: you end up paying 10 percent more for your purchases. If that doesnt sound like much, consider this. If the average traveler to Mexico spends $2,000 USD during a one-week visit, that visitor could be paying an extra $200 USD if everything is paid in dollars.

For reference purposes, the average Mexican worker is lucky to make $100 a week, so the extra $200 you paid would cover the wages of a Mexican worker for two weeks!

The moral of this story? When in Mexico, ALWAYS pay in pesos, and youll get the cheapest price and save money.

To find out how to get the very best currency exchange rate, and even how to get your travel cash in a foreign currency before you leave home, youll want to check out the e-book, 50 Things You Must Know Before You Travel to Mexico. The book is packed with vital information for anyone planning to travel to, live in or retire in Mexico. For more information, go to:

http://truestarpublishing.com/ART101/

James Truett, a former Associated Press reporter, is a writer and Internet marketing consultant living in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. His company, TrueStar Marketing, publishes and maintains web sites on such topics as Mexico travel, drug rehabs, insurance and yachts for sale.

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