Almost exactly two years ago today, there was much excitement as the dollar/sterling exchange rate was about to hit 2/1 for the first time in the history of the world. Cheap flights were to be had, and you'd quickly recoup your flight costs on all the savings if you went and did all your Christmas shopping Stateside.
It's all a little more bleak now. Today, £1 equals £$1.60, and anyone going over to CES in January is wondering if they can survive the seven days on just three $5 all-you-can-eat buffet meals. I took a look back at the savings story I wrote back then, and it threw up some rather alarming results...
80GB iPod
US: $236
UK equivalent: £146
UK price: £159
Saving today: £10
Saving in 2006: £57
Nintendo Wii
US: $249
UK equivalent: £154
UK price: £179
Saving today: £15
Saving in 2006: £55
Sony Cybershot T77
US: $299
UK equivalent: £185
UK price: £199
Saving today: £15
Saving in 2006: £48
Samsung Blu-ray High Def player
US: $299
UK equivalent: £185
UK price: £199
Saving today: £15
Saving in 2006: £331
Overall saving today: £55
Overall saving in 2006: £991
It should be noted that the Blu-ray player will slightly skew results - Bluray players were initially much cheaper in the US, and thank god we've now seen a massive price drop here in the UK. Having said that, it still doesn't make for comfortable reading...
Nikon S1000pj: World's First Projector Camera
Nice choice of picture. German hyperinflation in the early 1930s, innit?
Well not quite the history of the world. There were around for $4 to the pound for most of the 20th century (until the 1970s really). Aah good times!!
I think your maths is broken, or I'm missing a linky-style reference
£57
£55
£48
£331
Is a total of £491 :D
You make an interesting, and correct, point. Not sure where I'd mislaid my calculator to in 2006...