“Hey man, can I borrow a buck?” You’ve probably said this and heard it hundreds of times. This is hundreds of dollars that potentially would have changed hands. Whether or not you are saying this or hearing it, it is a solid opportunity to make some cash and look worldly.
Pay in Yen. I’m serious. If you borrow a dollar, and the lender expects money back, when that time comes just say “Oh, I don’t have a dollar. All I have is Yen. Here you go, here is 30 Yen. Your getting 10% interest, you know….” They are not following the currency conversions as closely as you are, so they don’t know you are only paying them back about 30 cents. There are all types of currencies out there, so you can keep your friends guessing. Madagascan Ariary, Serbian Dinars . Aside from being somewhat decent names for bands, they also provide a great escape when making transactions.
Aside from making a few bucks on the side, this little trick also makes you look worldly. “Your paying in the East Caribbean Dollar? You must have had a lot of fun there!” Now, this should be perfectly legal if you are careful. The trading of currency is a funny business; you can trade it with whomever you like for whatever price you both agree on. As soon as your friend, acquaintance, or fiance’s mother agrees with a hesitant “Okay…”, your in! Deal made! You walk out richer and looking good.
If someone, by chance, is actually a day trader and calls you out on it, you can always retort “You didn’t see that the Rai stone has been on the rise since ten this morning? It’s gone through the roof! Plus, ten people died while transporting my Rai stone, that’s got to be worth something.” Then, either leave in a huff, or push the issue further. You might get your way, depending on how much this person really wants you to leave them alone.
I would probably not chance trying this trick in any national chain. They might not laugh it off as much later when they find out what the currency is worth. Come to think of it, your friends and family might have a hard time laughing it off when they find out later, as well. As soon as you start receiving threatening phone calls, you have several choices:
1. You can pretend they have the wrong number.
2. You can tell them it was a gag gift, they’ll get the real cash in a little while.
3. Or you can tell them that what you gave them is going to diversify their investments.
The last choice, I would say, is your best bet. Now, you shouldn’t go around trying to find pictures on the internet of money and printing it off. There are very legit ways to get foreign currency; your favorite banking institution would be your best bet, followed by reputable online companies like this one. I’m totally kidding, that last one is a complete scam-a-roo. I repeat, what I have a link to is bogus, a scam, not worthy, FAIL. Hopefully I don’t get any of those threatening calls I was talking about earlier, now.
So, instead of taking chances with online companies, perhaps your next best bet is to ask anyone who looks foreign if you can trade them money. They may be offended at first, but this is the quickest way to get foreign currencies in your hand.
Just be sure they didn’t read this post first, or you may really be in a pickle.