Canadians What Is Your Purchasing Strategy

With the CAD USD exchange rate at 1.38 today and projected to continue to fall, what is your purchasing strategy? For every $100 listed price we are spending $138. I was going to make a larger purchase but am reconsidering. Should I put it on a payment plan, hoping the exchange rate will improve over the course of the plan or hold off and just buy the items that I think I really need? I am wondering what your strategy is.

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Comments

Tom Reynolds

With the US Fed just raising interest rates and the Canadian economy in the basement economists are expecting the Canadian $ to continue to fall. I remember when it was 68c US and I wasn't buying Logos books then. I don't think many Canadian are dropping a lot of money on Logos these days but if you have something in mind you're probably better off to buy it for cash now.

My strategy at the moment - buy lots of free books because $0*1.38 is still $0. :-D Also the Zondervan 50% sale is still a deal.

Bruce Dunning

As a Canadian myself this is a major issue issue but the strong US dollar is also negatively impacting many other countries around the world so this discussion will probably end up having users from other countries join in.

My primary strategy continues to be what I have most often been doing - that is almost exclusively purchasing the really good sales that are offered and leaving the others for another time. In reality, if a product is reduced by 30% it really is not discounted at all.

I can imagine that many people simply are not buying much these days.

Matthew

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/789962#Comment_789962

One thing to keep in mind if you are looking at base packages is that this is the last time Logos 6 will be offered at 15% off. After the sale discounts will be capped at 10%.

https://community.logos.com/forums/p/120719/789964.aspx

JC54

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/789973#Comment_789973

One thing to keep in mind if you are looking at base packages is that this is the last time Logos 6 will be offered at 15% off. After the sale discounts will be capped at 10%.

Well, 5 percent is not a huge difference and it is not unlikely that Logos 7 sees light before 2017, so within a year will have a new line and new 15 percent discounts.

I am from the Netherlands, with a similar problem. My strategy is similar to Bruce. A 95 percent discount (0.99 book of the month) is way to good, no matter exchange rate.

Finally, I am no expert in the market and have no clue when of if things will be cheaper, so I regret ánd ignore the whole issue :P

William Gabriel

Ask to start getting paid in British Pounds? j/k

There are so many global, macro events moving currencies that it's hard to tell if currencies like CAD will revert or if this is going to be the new normal.

Dan Francis

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/789981#Comment_789981

For me smaller works are still a go ahead but likely anything over $50 US may end up getting canceled.. Because it is not only new purchases but my payment plan that goes up because of the dollar. I almost ended up cancelling the Baker Books Spiritual Formation Collection (6 vols.) but decided this was one set I would very much like and it is in my prepub pricing only $49.99.

-Dan

scooter

You can use Book Cache: https://www.logos.com/book-cache

FL will charge the supplied credit card once a month. The drop box allows you to choose USD 15, 30, 60, 80...on up to 1000 on the subscription.

This is DCA: Dollar Cost Averaging, closely resembling the way you buys mutual funds. A fixed CAD amount spent buys a different number of units of the fund each month.

With Book Cache, a fixed USD subscription will spend a different CAD amount monthly but always buy, say USD 30.

Thus, you roll with the exchange rate like a boat tied at the dock.

You can put away so much per month in your local bank or credit union but you will worry when you spend it at FL - that ''what if'' of a better exchange rate next week.

DCA automates the 1st 1/2 of buying a FL product: you have a USD sum ready to bowl a strike!

Another example: you DCA when you put gas in your car every week.

SineNomine

My strategy remains the same as before: buy what's worth it to me at the best price I can get within the timeframe that I want it. With the higher USD, less stuff is worth it to me, even at a good discount.

SteveF

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/790090#Comment_790090

With the higher USD, less stuff is worth it to me, even at a good discount.

And don't forget the necessity for at least paying the first 25% up front.

Unless it is one of those .99 cent specials [$1.40 CAD] I will have to stay on the sidelines.

But I will enjoy buying some Christmas gifts for my grand-children at "Canadian Tire"! [:)]

abondservant

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/790090#Comment_790090

I can say as an American with Canadian roots, and as a southern baptist its encouraging that my missions money can go a little further. The IMB can use it right now. There has been talk of lay offs, and hiring freezes.

Though I do sympathize with the squeezing other missions boards in other countries may be feeling as the dollar strengthens.

Mike Tourangeau

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/790140#Comment_790140

Aside from .99 deals and other exceptional deals I am taking a break from buying due to the dollar. It's probably for the better, I have focused more on utilizing my library better...

Geo Philips

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/790088#Comment_790088

I have asked Logos in the past about having more payment options other than credit card.

I am in the same boat as others: only great deals and a few prepubs get a look in now. I have cancelled many pre-pubs recently due to the dollar.

One thing I might put thought into is to get a US denominated credit card, backed by a US savings account at my bank (RBC.) That seems a better strategy to me than book cache.

David J. Wilson

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/790279#Comment_790279

Little choice but to cancel pre-orders which offer less than 30% discount
as those with lower discounts will cost less when the Canadian $ swings back towards par.

[:)]