Friday, August 30, 2024

The Argentine Economy’s Decline: A Shocking Price Comparison from 2013 to 2024

I’ve been holding off on doing one of these price comparison posts between Argentine pesos and USD because, quite frankly, the Argentine peso has gone from being extremely low in value to almost non-existent outside of Argentina. Now, if you have US dollars, these prices won’t make you bat an eyelash. In fact, in many cases, the cost of these supermarket items might even be cheaper than in the States. But if you’re living in Argentina with only Argentine pesos as your source of income, the price increases over the past few months have probably made your heart skip a beat.

So, without further ado, here are the prices from years past versus today, showing just how drastically the Argentine economy has deteriorated over time.

Avena Quaker
The price in 2013 in Argentine Pesos

Avena Quaker
The price in 2024 in Argentine pesos. Keep in mind that the 2024 version has 50 grams extra. The price in USD is about $4.02.

Rex Crackers
The price in 2013

Rex Crackers
The price in 2024 in USD is about $1.26.

Froot Loops
The Price in 2013 for a 230 gram box

Froot Loops
The price in 2024 for a 330 gram bag in USD is $2.63.

Kit Kat
The price for this one is from 2016

Kit Kat
The price in 2024 in USD is $1.26.

Diet Pepsi
The Price of Diet Pepsi in 2013

Pepsi
The price in 2024 for regular Pepsi in USD is $2.63.

Pringles
The price in 2013 

Pringles
The price in 2024 in USD is $4.48.

Hellmann's Mayonnaise
The price in 2013

Hellmann's Mayonnaise
The price in 2024 in USD is $1.25.

Heineken
The price in 2013


Heineken
The price in 2024 in USD is $3.50.

Lacteo Leche
The price in 2013 from the brand Lacteo

Manfrey Leche
The price in 2024 from the brand: Manfrey in USD is $1.21.
 

As you can see, the price changes have been significant since we first arrived. Despite four changes in government, the Argentine economy seems to be going from bad to worse.

The official USD value of one Argentine peso is 0.0011 as of this post. Back on December 31st, 2012, the cost of one US dollar was 4.90 Argentine pesos. As of August 2024, the cost of one US dollar is 950.25 Argentine pesos.

Whether the economy here will ever see better days remains to be seen. But for now, some Argentines and expats alike are relying on remote work to earn USD in order to keep their heads above water.

Now, I’m not saying that Argentina is nearing its end. On the contrary, if there’s one thing I’ve learned during my time in this South American country, it’s that they know how to survive even in the darkest times. But it would be nice to see a silver lining in their economy, for everyone’s sake.



Thursday, August 29, 2024

A Taste of Home: My Birthday Surprise with Lucky Charms in Argentina

I turned 47 this year, and let me tell you, it’s not easy to look like I’m in my late 30s without surgery or digital filters. A touch of skin cream and a good dye job certainly help, though! This year, my husband decided to give me a very special gift. No, it wasn’t a diamond ring or a chateau in Europe (neither of us could afford those luxuries), but what he got me was truly special to me.

Lucky Charms!

Lucky Charms

Now, hang on! I know what you’re thinking: "He got you cereal? What’s the big deal? It’s just a box full of sugar, calories, and carbs that you can buy at any store." Well, let me stop you right there. First of all, Lucky Charms has vitamins too—it says so right on the box. Second of all, Lucky Charms is one of several common cereal brands that are not sold in Argentine supermarkets. The last time I had a bowl of my favorite cereal was in 2012, just days before we took a plane and started our new life in Argentina. We haven’t been back to the States since, which means no Lucky Charms have touched these lips in over 12 years… until now.

Lucky Charms

How? You ask.

Distributors. More specifically, a distributor called Tomodachi Asian Food. As the name suggests, this company imports a variety of Asian products that are not commonly sold in Argentina. But they also offer a ton of food products from the States, too.

At first, I wasn’t sure how they managed it. Then I noticed that the Lucky Charms box was in Spanish, and the label on the back suggested it came from Chile. Maybe it’s easier to import directly from Chile than from the United States. I don’t know, and I don’t care. What matters most is that I was able to enjoy the magical taste of Lucky Charms once again.

Lucky Charms

But that’s not all.

A few weeks before my birthday, my husband and I ordered a few other items from Tomodachi Asian Food. The most notable among them was Kraft Mac and Cheese, which is also not commonly sold in Argentine supermarkets.

Kraft Mac & Cheese

Dr Pepper Cream Soda
Mike and Ike Megamix
Rice Krispies Treats Rainbow
Jelly Belly Holiday Favorites
M&M Fudge Brownie
Jolly Ranchers Gummies
Rocky Mountain Marshmallows
Tomodachi Asian Food

Distributors like Tomodachi and Kiosko 21 in Buenos Aires make it much easier to buy American food items like Pop-Tarts and Halloween-themed Oreo cookies. The prices, as you’ll see on their sites, might make you do a double take. After all, who wants to spend close to 80,000 Argentine pesos on cookies? But if you’re really craving a taste of home, you might just be willing to fork over the extra pesos. Besides, it won’t cost you nearly as much if you happen to have USD. So, check out what they have when you get a chance. I’ve hyperlinked the names of these places so you can just click and buy.

Happy shopping!

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Haunted by Ghostly Store: Our Halloween Decor Delivery Drama

Halloween is just a couple of weeks away, and there's nothing I love more than decorating our home with our Halloween tree, Jack O’Lanterns, and an assortment of items that turn our space into something ghoulishly spooktacular.

Finding Halloween decor wasn’t always easy in Cordoba City. When we arrived in 2012, Halloween was virtually non-existent here. But over the years, party stores have started adding more and more items.

This year, we were lucky to discover an online store in Buenos Aires called Ghostly Store. They offer a range of ceramic Halloween decorations, including a few pumpkin plushies and gothic-looking mirrors.

Eager to add something new to our Halloween collection, we decided to order an assortment of items for about 135,000 Argentine pesos (approximately $142 USD). After waiting several weeks, our ceramic decorations finally arrived, and we couldn’t wait to see what was inside the box.

Let me share with you what we ordered.

Cereal Killer Bowl from Ghostly Store
Cereal Killer Bowl from Ghostly Store

Pumpkin Cup from Ghostly Store
Pumpkin Cup from Ghostly Store

Coffin Plate from Ghostly Store
Coffin Plate from Ghostly Store

Scream Cup from Ghostly Store
Scream Cup from Ghostly Store

Jack O'Lantern from Ghostly Store
Jack O'Lantern from Ghostly Store

However, not everything was as we expected. Two pieces in particular were truly horrifying—but not in a fun Halloween way. We had ordered a large black cauldron and a Jack O’Lantern designed to hold candy. Instead, we received broken pieces that matched our broken hearts.

Damaged Cauldron from Ghostly Store
Damaged Jack O'Lantern from Ghostly Store

While the Jack O’Lantern seemed easy enough to repair, the cauldron was shattered into a lot of pieces. Considering the condition of the box, I was surprised that so many other items arrived intact. Clearly, we didn't pay that much money to fix damaged parts.

I guess I'm not really surprised. Disappointed definitely, but not surprised.

Correo Argentino is nothing like the United States Postal Service in the sense that the Argentine postal service sucks. I’m not saying USPS is perfect, but they do know how to handle packages (most of the time). In addition, most companies in the U.S., use sturdy boxes for shipping, but the one Ghostly Store used was flimsy. We also noticed they hadn’t labeled the box as “fragile.”

I emailed Ghostly Store to explain the situation. They apologized and promised to send replacements. It was very nice of them, but a month passed with no updates. I reached out again, and they apologized for the delay, explaining they were making more cauldrons and Jack O’Lantern candy holders. They promised to ship them once available. I expected this to mean a few more weeks, but I was wrong.

My original order was in May. The replacements were supposed to ship in June. By August, I still hadn’t received anything or heard from Ghostly Store. I contacted them again, and they once more apologized and shipped the replacement items. Within a week, my package arrived—but I wasn’t thrilled with what I found.

While the Jack O’Lantern candy holder was intact, the large cauldron was once again in a hundred pieces. That wasn't really shocking given that the flimsy box didn't have a fragile label this time either. Clearly, I wasn’t going to ask for yet another replacement, but I doubt I will order from Ghostly Store again.

Caramelero from Ghostly Store

Damaged Cauldron from Ghostly Store

Fortunately, a friend who had visited Buenos Aires a few months earlier bought a smaller cauldron mug from Ghostly Store at a horror convention and gifted it to us. I'll show you what it looks like in a future post.

Despite the order processing and shipping issues, Ghostly Store’s customer service reps were very kind. Though their kindness won’t bring my large cauldron back from the ceramic afterlife, we do have a really nice collection of Halloween-themed ceramic items to enjoy this year.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to start planning for this year’s first Friday the 13th.

Unpleasant dreams!