Today, I’ve finally hit my payout target on Google Ads.  I’ve been using it a while now (is that non-specific enough to pass the Terms and Conditions?), so it was actually quite a surprise.  Interestingly though, I’ve done far better than I might have if I’d had a few more clicks a few months ago – since Google pays out in US Dollars, I’m nearly 50% better off thanks to the crappy value of the Pound these days…

The first hit on my search for the value was of course the ever useful XE.com, which has long been my first port of call for exchange rates – well, until Google started giving you the result directly from the search though.  My second hit though, was someone with a far more useful perspective.  This chap has very sensibly worked out how USD and GBP compare when it comes to buying power at home – the details that really matter.

In this case, it really depends on what you’re buying.  For technology, you never could have got the fabulous 2:1 ratio – even at the best (or worst) of the exchange rates, a $299 iPod Touch was still £199; for food, $5 and £5 are basically the same – when it comes to McDonalds meals.

In fact, this is an officially accepted standard for measuring currency – the so-called Big Mac Index.

So, instead of panicking about deflation, hyper-inflation or recession, just check out your local McDonalds – until the price of a burger starts changing, I’m not going to worry!