Since this is a time when everyone is talking about change, I would also like to add my two cents.

Argentina has a massive coin shortage which makes using coin hungry modes of transport very tricky. This has been a very difficult obstacle to deal with and the more so because I am not used to coins being in short supply. I’ve left a world where coins seem to circulate and regenerate as quickly as flu germs.

To add to this already challenging dilemma, the washing machine and dryer in my building will of course…only take coins. And not just any coins. 1 Peso or 25 centavos only. So if I want clean clothes I need to hoard very specific coins for a week just to get one load done. And that’s just the washing, not the drying. All other coins must be retained so I can catch the bus to work in the morning. If I don’t have enough to spare, I have to dip into my laundry fund and get creative with my wardrobe for a few more days. If the entire predicament weren’t one big vicious circle it might all be a bit easier to manage, but because coins are in short supply, no-one wants to let go of them. And don’t assume you can waltz into a bank and leave with bags of shrapnel. They have a maximum of around 10 pesos I think, and if there aren’t queues, then they’re closed.

The best, but not always most effective solution is to frequent all nearby corner cafes (kiosko’s) as much as possible. In theory this practice seems easy enough, but kioskos come with their own barrel of surprises. Most explicitly state on a sign board when you enter ‘No hay monedas’, which effectively means ‘We don’t have coins’. When eventually you do find a plausible option you’ll go to pay for what you thought was a carefully calculated handful of goods, only to find they are sharper than you and 9 times out of 10 everything equals an even number. Then all you get is a wad of notes and a fat smile. Sometimes I have tried to stir things up at the last minute with a pack of chewing gum but this doesn’t always help. And if they suspect foul play you can guarantee some Spanish grumbles from behind the counter. On occasion I have been in a situation where the shopkeeper would rather not have my business than part with his coinage. I’ve even been given a handful of loose sweets instead. All this can be very frustrating when all you want to do is get on the bus, you are 15 pesos poorer, carrying packets of things you didn’t want in the first place and you still can’t get home.

Now seems as good a time as any to coin the phrase. ‘Spending money to get money.’