Money

Let me tell you something that might surprise you... A recent video I watched on YouTube said that the majority of Americans who are making over $100,000 a year are living paycheck to paycheck. Yes! Six figures and still broke! Can you believe that?

Now imagine this happening to a Haitian-American family--people who come from nothing, who know what it means to boil plantain with no meat, who remember walking to school barefoot in the provinces.

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Over the years, I've watch the Haiti currency plummet from it's original face value of 5 gourdes for 1 U.S. dollar to over 160 gourdes for one U.S. dollar recently. Why is that?

This shift in the currency exchange rates has significant implications for Haiti's economy, trade, and overall financial stability.

My Haitian father recalls 518 gourdes for 100 dollars US back in 1988

One of the primary reasons for the devaluation of the Haitian dollar is its peg to the US dollar.

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There's a big problem happening in Haiti right now. People have no idea how much the going rate is for a US dollar. When you send money transfers in Haiti right now people receive it at about 135 gourdes for 1 US dollar. In the streets the US dollar is worth more and it fluctuates everyday.

It seems that everyone is setting their own rates when buying and selling the US dollar in Haiti as we speak.

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Have you heard? Haiti has a new Social Class called the "NGO Class". It is group of expatriates comfortably living in Haiti making big money, big aid money, working for the more than 10,000 non-governmental organizations who are operating in the country.

A single staff member at an organization in Haiti can earn $200,000 each year in salary.

With an estimated 10,000 non-governmental organizations operating in the country, it's no surprise that Haiti is often referred to as the republic of NGOs.

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Let me ask you a question: If you had to choose between having LOTS of money and living a LONG healthy life, which would you choose???

I once told my father if I had to choose between having LOTS of money OR living as long as he has been living and in good health, I would choose long life.

I grew up in Haiti close to the country side. I have seen people who have nothing, by that I mean NO material things: no refrigerators, no air conditioning, no tv, no cable, no internet, no smartphone, none of the things that you who live in a modern city would feel so "poor" without. Yet and still, these "poor" people ate organic food everyday.

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Haitians have long feared that one day you will need 100 gourdes for one U.S. dollar. Back in April 2020, Haitian newspaper Le Nouveliste reported that the fear became a reality. As of early April 2020 you needed 100 Haitian gourdes for one U.S. dollar. It's gotten worse since.

The Haitian currency rose as high 160 gourdes for one US dollar in early 2023.

Also read: 75 Gourdes for One US Dollar, When did it Happen?

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In mid November, 2018, The US dollar skyrocketed in Haiti. As of November 16 2018, you needed 75 Haitian gourdes for one US dollar in Haiti.

What did that mean for a Haitian employee getting paid 25,000 gourdes per month?

Divide 25,000 gourdes by 75 and you get $333.33 U.S. per month.

In a country where everything is sold "au taux du jour," (at the daily rate of the U.S. dollar) what is a head of household to do with a 25,000 gourdes salary?

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The value of the Haitian currency is getting closer and closer to 100 gourdes for one US dollar. On Monday it was being exchanged at 95 gourdes for one US dollar.

This depreciation of the Haitian currency is worrying a lot of people in the country as things get more and more expensive because we are buying everything "au taut du jour".

Everything in Haiti is prorated based on the value of the US dollar. The dollar goes up so does everything the people consume

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If you lost your job today, how long would you be able to continue living every day paying all the bills while maintaining your current lifestyle? That, my friend, is how wealthy you are.

Wealth is measured in time, not dollars.

Some people think being wealthy means having a lot of money and valuable assets but that's what exactly what it means.

From what I've read over the years, I can tell you this:

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So you think saving money is impossible because the money you earn is not even enough for your daily expenses. There is one important question you have to ask yourself first though before you tell yourself this big lie.

En Francais: Comment économiser de l'argent lorsque ce que vous gagnez n'est même pas suffisant pour vos dépenses quotidiennes?

How much of what you purchase everyday is a desire but not a necessity?

As humans of the modern age, we wake up everyday and purchase so many things we can live without.

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