For The Love of Money

or... Playin' Monopoly* in Real Life!

*Monopoly is a registered trademark of the Hasbro company, we have no affiliation to Hasbro nor Monopoly so please don't sue us for using the name :)

Tajikistan is basically an all-cash country.  I'm sure that someplace takes credit/debit, but none of the places that we frequent :(

It's kind of a weird experience to have to walk around with cash at all times.  Not because we have never done this before, but more because the cost of everything is quite high (relatively speaking) and I never know how much anything is going to cost.

In many respects, it is a lot like Monopoly* money for us because for every 1 dollar, we (currently) get 4.88 Somoni.  The money is different colors and sizes and when I go to the store to buy a Snickers and bottle of water, it will cost me 4.50 Somoni. 

The dollar amounts that are being paid out of our pocket is ridiculous at times so it makes it all kind of not real in a way.

For example, I went to the store yesterday and purchased the following items:
     1 tin of Danish butter cookies
     5 mandarins
     1 candy bar
My total for these items was: 98.80 Somoni!

I plan on shopping later today for some steaks and some potatoes to have for dinner tomorrow night with a couple of friends.  In order to go shopping, I will be taking (just in case) 700.00 Somoni because I have no idea what any of it will actually cost me.

Any given day, I could have anywhere from 100 to 3,000 Somoni in my pocket.  Of course, it makes me feel like I'm rolling in dough.  However, it's also a little irritating when I can't fit it all in my pocket and have to use my backpack to carry my cash...can't decide if this is a first-world problem or not :)

If you're counting, this is roughly 3,500 Somoni - which might get us through a couple of weeks of groceries.
Very colorful, kind of like in a board game...

50 Somoni bills. Largest we've gotten is a 500 Somoni bill :)

Each bill gets a little longer & a little taller. Helps cut down on counterfeiting (can't take a $1 & turn it into a $100 - read Jack Reacher Killing Floor)