Monedas Rule Everything Around Me (M.R.E.A.M)

26Jun09

It’s perhaps the most apparent, and ridiculous, indication of a troubled economy here in Argentina, and I think it’s obligatory that every expat with a blog write about it in their first few weeks. For those of you who have been to Argentina, you’ll know, of course, that I’m speaking of the moneda (coin) shortage. Rather than speculating about what’s caused the shortage, though, or why the government doesn’t just mint more coins (you can read all about that anywhere else on the internet, like here or here) here’s a little description of how it affects daily life in Buenos Aires:

• It’s damn hard to buy a piece of candy. Seriously. If a piece of candy costs 25 or 50 centavos, unless you have exact change you’re not going to get it. It’s not worth it for a store owner to make change for something so cheap, and in fact they will usually give you candy as change for your purchases in place of coins.
• The sum is less than the whole of it’s parts. In other words, 2 peso coins are more valuable than a 2 peso bill, and if ever there are 2 peso coins sitting on a table (say, for example, after sharing a meal), any self-respecting Argentine would pick up the 2 coins in exchange for a 2 peso bill. Score!
• The rare occasions in which change is given freely become cause for celebration. Woohoo!! I got AR$3.50 in coins from a pizzeria the other day!
• Buying groceries has become a game. Every time you check out at a store, regardless of where, when or how much you’re buying, the cashier will ask you for exact change. Not only will they ask, though, but they’ll roll their eyes if you say no. They’ll sometimes even suggest that they heard change in your pocket, and insist that you give it to them. And, as a buyer, it’s your duty to insist that you’ve got no change (even if you do), and encourage them to give you monedas. It’s a fun game, I suppose, but it makes it hard to befriend your local grocer.
• You’ll probably never find a moneda in the couch cushions, but if you do, it’ll be your lucky day.
• I’d rather lend a friend 2 pesos than 25 centavos.
• I bought a AR$2.50 porcion (slice) of pizza today, and gave the cashier 4 pesos (2×2 peso bills). She refused to accept it, since it would’ve forced her to give me a 1 peso coin and a 50 centavo coin. She requested a AR$5 bill instead, and since I didn’t have one she insisted on the AR$10 bill she saw in my wallet. This way she could give me a 5 peso bill, a 2 peso bill, and a 50 centavo coin. Insane.
• I went to the bank to change a 10 peso bill my first week here, which was a great idea. They’ll only give out 10 pesos worth of change at a time, though, and the line took 45 minutes…

It’s an absolutely absurd dilemna, coming from the stable place that I’ve always known, but it’s a pretty small problem to have in the end. It’s become second nature, really, and it’s kind of a fun game, until you realize you’re 5 cents short for the bus…

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