I just got back from a quick walk to the City Deli (main Isla grocery store). I wanted to get hot dogs for dinner tonight, having skipped last week, but only had a 200 peso note. You just don’t buy 28 pesos of stuff from a small vendor with a 200 peso note! I also needed more tortillas and you most certainly do not buy 5 pesos worth of tortillas with anything bigger than a 20!
I needed paper towels and yoghurt anyway, so there was a good opportunity to break my big bill. My total was 30 pesos and I got back a 20, a 50, and a 100. I asked if I could have the 50 as two 20s and two 5s (coins). The clerk had no problem with that and asked me if I was heading next door for tortillas! Guess I’m not the first person to do this. 🙂
Now, to break my damn 500 peso note. When I was out at the Mercado on Monday, I made the mistake of buying my blouse with 100 peso notes. I figured that I could get Waldo’s to take one of my 500s, but they refused it, which meant either leaving my purchases or scraping together the money with all my small change. This would mean that I would not have the means to pay for lunch since you don’t pay a 40 peso tab with a 500 in small establishments!
I knew that Dale could spot me for lunch, so I went ahead with the purchase. Thankfully, the apron vendor had heaps of change, which meant that I was able to cover the beer tab and give Dale back the lunch money.
Whew. I guess 500 peso notes are good for the budget in that they make it very hard to spend money, but what a pain! Next withdrawal, I’m going into the bank to ask to have all my 500s broken into 100s. 200s are bad, but having 500s is pretty much like having no money at all, they are so hard to spend unless you are buying very close to 500 pesos of stuff!
And by the way, quinientos, not cincocientos. 🙂
That is always a problem in Mexico, vendors do not keep a lot of change, even later in the day. You get used to hanging onto your small bills and change. If you are traveling’ toll booths can always break the largest notes because they have to let you pass for free if they cannot provide change. I usually paid my toll with a 500. They usually ask if you have something smaller but if you don’t, they find change.
It’s impossible to hang onto small change and bills here!!!!!!!!
It’s probably because I always have so little cash on me to start with, but it’s ridiculous how hard it is to hang on to the small notes and the coins I need to buy water, veggies, meals from certain restaurants and vendors, and pay all those tips!
The “No cambio” method probably ensures bigger tips.
There’s that. I’m very sensitive to the change issue and always ask if change is available if I think it might be an issue.
When you leave the panga and walk into town, you go by a Pemix station, alot of times those guys like to trade for the 500’s, just stop by and ask them
Really. That’s surprising, you’d think they’d want more change. I’ll have to try that, thanks!