Money Matters

FYI: This blog post is going to be a bit more informative, comparative, and less photo-filled.

A few people have asked us about the cost of living here in Joburg, what the money looks like, and if we think it's more or less expensive than the States. We often find ourselves converting Rands to Dollars, and feeling like, "whoa, we are getting a great price"...and then we remember that it doesn't matter because we get paid in Rand. Therefore, how much things cost in dollars has no bearing on our daily life, but here's some comparisons for you folks back home. 

Meat, produce, and wine cost significantly less than they do in the States. Particularly lamb. Speaking of meat, here is Jonah ensuring that he gets the right cut of meat for our Boxing Day Party. Hello pulled pork fajitas. This photo was taken at MaKro, which is similar to Costco in the States. Bulk items, but not exactly 'bulk price'.

When you check out at a store, you're given your receipt, or a 'till slip'. At MaKro, like Costco, someone checks your cart to make sure that all the items in your cart match your till slip. It can be a lengthy process. Especially when your husband thinks the city is going to shut down for 2-3 weeks due to the Christmas Holiday. (And actually, most restaurants and stores do close for at least a week. S. Africans take their holidays seriously)

A few highlights from the til slip below: 

That 12 lbs of pork shoulder? A mere 30USD.

12 pack of tonic: $7.50USD (more expensive)

2.2 lbs of lemons: $2USD (cheaper)

2.2 lbs carrots: $1USD (definitely cheaper)

charcoal (a SA staple for braais): $3.75USD (slightly cheaper)

Our new kettle, Russel: $28.00USD (worth every penny) 

Sales Tax here is 14%, even on food. So US sales tax gripers, get over it.

In terms of cost of living, our rent is comparable to my rent in Syracuse. Our house here is just two rooms smaller than my Fellows Ave house, but we have a fantastic garden and patio area. Going out to eat is extremely affordable here, which is fantastic. The food is also much better quality for the price here. For example, the meal we ate at the Indian restaurant, would have cost ~55-60$ in the States. Here, it was a mere $35 (USD) for a bottle of wine, appetizer, two entrees, and dessert. Yum. Specifically, the bottle of decent red wine (pinotage) cost R115. That translates to approximately 12USD.

Pictured below are a few Rand from our wallets. New money was just printed with Mandela's face on it, and the Big Five are still featured on the other side. The colors are brighter and for someone from the US, it almost seems like play money. I personally like the new blue 100s.

We have this nifty little currency exchange calculator on our computers that tells us the exchange rate each day. Some days, we're impressed (R8,4: 1USD), and some days, we get a little nervous, like when our rate reader reports: Bad number: Bad number. Overall, though, it tends to hover around 8,5R to the dollar.