The money in Australia is quite beautiful and brightly colored (purple, blue, red, yellow, and green); the bills are made from a type of polymer that makes them waterproof! They are also relatively sturdy, I have not come across a bill that was crinkled or bent. However, the Australian currency definitely took some getting used to; the bills come in increments of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. There are no $1 bills, like in the US. Instead, there are $1 and $2 coins. It is interesting though that the $2 coins are smaller than the $1 coins.
There are also coins in 5, 10, 20, and 50 cent increments. Goodbye penny and quarter! It is a lot easier to pay for items without being short a couple of cents and having to scrounge for the pennies in the bottom of your bag or pockets. However, because of the lack of 1 cent pieces, stores and vendors will often round up or down. For instance, if your total is $5.78, they will charge you $5.80. Conversely, if your total is $5.71, they will charge you $5.70. Also, the bills are not all the same length; the bills get increasingly longer depending on the amount. For example, the $5 bills are slightly smaller than the $10 bills, which are in turn smaller than the $20 bill and so on. Overall, I think each Australian bill is like a work of art and I enjoy seeing more than just the drab color green in my wallet!
Hello, my name is Ashley and I am an undergraduate student at the University of California, Irvine. I am studying abroad in Sydney, Australia at the University of Sydney for a semester. My mission is to show how an individual can have fun and venture through a brand new culture while being frugal.
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