There’s no such thing as a "foreign currency checking account"—it’s either a foreign currency savings account or just a standard foreign currency account. Technically, there aren't any restrictions on these, despite all the nonsense you see floating around online. If you're working with Chase, you won't have to worry about running into any issues.
You can actually set up a Visa Electron setup like Douglas Garcia2 suggested by just using cards that aren't accepted everywhere online. You’re probably thinking of those prepaid options, like a Visa from Citigroup or a Mastercard from Hypo.
So, you basically just tell them:
I'd like a Visa prepaid card through Citigroup, or I want a Mastercard reloadable prepaid card from Hypo. 🙂
Down the road, there's also a third option where they might issue you a standard credit card based on your savings account balance—though they usually don't do that for small amounts unless you ask.
I wouldn't look at it that way. That’s supposed to be for personal use, and if you're ordering the exact same thing every single day, it’s going to be hard to convince anyone it isn't for resale. Back in my hometown, we’d just call that smuggling 😁
I’ve had my mail fail to show up before, but honestly, I rarely even check physical statements anymore since everything is online anyway. They usually just arrive once a month. It's a bit tricky how you're supposed to pay ahead of time when you aren't even sure what the final total is going to be 🤔 I figure you'll at least get a breakdown of the charges sent over every month.
1. About two weeks 2. I’m not sure how you’re getting 50 days out of this 🤔. With a credit card, you get a statement once a month and have to pay it off by the due date. I can't speak for Mastercard or your specific bank, but if you don't settle the bill in full, you're looking at warning notices, interest penalties, or even collections...🤷 Unless, of course, you're using a revolving line of credit.
Free advice: stop making things harder than they need to be—just try to live within your means!
ironstag15 said:😍Alright, here's the deal. I’m planning on opening a foreign currency account—specifically one with a Visa card—over at Bank of America. I have a few questions about how this all works. Who's ready to step up and help? THANKS.
I'm planning on using this account for online shopping, sports betting, poker, and all that.
Checking account or savings account? Or does a foreign currency account just exist on its own without those prefixes? 🤣 What's the monthly or annual fee for maintaining an account at Bank of America? If the bank asks why I need a foreign currency account, am I actually allowed to tell them I plan on using it for gambling? Is that even legal to say? 🤷
This is my first time ever opening a bank account, so excuse me if I ask some stupid questions. I honestly have no clue how banks actually work or what all these different account types even mean. Thanks for the help. 👍
1. You just need a foreign currency account. There's also a specific type used for receiving wire transfers from abroad. 2. It's about 3-$$1.75/month—you should probably double-check their website. 3. They aren't going to grill you or investigate you. Usually, they just ask so they can try to upsell you on other services like credit cards or online banking. Even if they do ask, you don't need to get into the weeds; just say it's for online shopping or simple savings.
Jesse Sanchez90 said:So, what exactly do you see as the issue here? Are our people just lazy? Too fearful of taking risks? Or do they just settle for less because it's easier to sit around and complain?
I’d say they’re just cautious about investing. People are scared to start a business because of the bureaucracy, corruption, and those ridiculous fines for tiny mistakes while the big corporations get a free pass.... This isn't just an issue with Agritourism; it's a reflection of the overall state of the economy.
And honestly, if someone already owns property, I doubt they'd find it that hard to fix up two or three rooms for guests if they actually wanted to get into the game.
Regarding those famous subsidies and cheap loans... first off, they actually existed. When you mention the vineyards in California, back then they were incentivizing people to plant vines and olives. Even though those specific programs ended, you can still get olive saplings at a good price, and the government offers affordable land leases. Not to mention, farmland prices have dropped significantly. So, if anyone actually wants to "get their hands dirty," there's plenty of work to be done...🙂
As for the cheap credit, that’s really just down to the macroeconomic environment, and there isn't much more to say about it.
Jesse Sanchez90 said:Sure they can serve food, but that misses the point. We really want to encourage local food production for the specific region or municipality. Look, not every "room only" stay is bad—not at all! But here, we’re specifically trying to discuss how to add value to a standard room-only booking.
True, but there’s no demand when there isn't any substance—meaning, there aren't enough people looking for actual things to do or see... It looks like we’ve all fallen into the trap of Columbus's egg...🙄
It's not a Columbus egg at all. I know a guy in California who rents out a house with a pool in a tiny town where there isn't even a grocery store or a cafe nearby (you need a car just to survive), and he's doing so well he's already building another one further out. Personally, I wouldn't go there even if they paid me—not just because of that, there are other issues—but hey, the demand is clearly there. In fact, for someone offering food along with the lodging, that lack of options might actually be a huge advantage.
Jesse Sanchez90 said:I'm right there with you. When we head out to the countryside, our main goal is just to unwind and indulge in some local treats. Honestly, whether those ingredients came straight from the host's garden or were picked up from a neighbor doesn't really matter to us—as long as they aren't frozen Ledo Sweets! In essence, why bother overcomplicating things with zoning and land parceling? Wouldn't it be much better if a single small town functioned as a little ecosystem where every house specialized in something different? Imagine one place being the baker, another the butcher, a third running the local tavern, and a fourth providing fresh milk. You could even have an internet cafe or a little bookstore. It’s all about leveling up the local offerings.
Are we really trying to rediscover a way of life that worked perfectly fine for centuries before us? 🙄
The thing is, a farm stay is only required to offer garden produce. If you’re renting a room or an apartment in the countryside, they can legally serve Coca-Cola sweets, or they don't have to offer food at all, like in that link. You correctly noted it was Zimmer Frei. That's my whole point. I'm not saying Zimmer Frei has to be bad; I just want to clarify what things are so you know what to expect—and what you can legitimately complain about if it's not what you expected. As for why there aren't any bakers or butchers... it's probably just market forces. There simply isn't the demand.
But just because something is agritourism doesn't mean it's automatically a farm stay.
I think we might be talking past each other regarding the terminology. Agritourism can technically cover just about anything 🙏 (and sometimes it’s more of an information-based concept than a physical one), but there is a very specific legal definition for what constitutes a farm stay under the Hospitality Law, and you obviously can't have one without an actual farmer on site. 🙂
amberskipper3 said:Yeah, I gotta say, I’d be pretty shocked if it wasn't Microsoft Excel—but honestly, probably a bunch of other PC programs too. There's really no need to overcomplicate things. Look, on most of these Agritourism spots, the owners go all out and raise their own livestock right there on the property, but honestly? It’s not like you actually need them to run the show. If you're looking to get your hands on fresh, local goods from nearby producers, it's seriously no big deal. You can find everything you need without any hassle. The owners have everything out there—vegetable gardens, some farm animals, orchards, beehives... you name it. The idea that an agritourism farm is just some glorified farming operation? That’s completely wrong. Seriously, it's a total misconception.
It’s not a "wrong perception"—that’s actually how the Hospitality Law lays it out. And like I mentioned before, you don't *have* to have all that stuff on-site, but then you're basically just operating Zimmer Frei. To be honest, there's nothing wrong with that approach; I know people who make a great living doing it. It just doesn't fit the specific menu or the whole "traditional farmstead" vibe you were talking about earlier.
Obviously, running an agritourism farm means owning property, but if I’m not mistaken, someone here is planning to do this just out of a weekend cottage 🤔
You don't need to know how to milk a cow? Then what does? Is knowing Microsoft Excel actually the key? By its very definition, an agritourism setup is all about serving food produced mostly on-site. Fine, you won't have cows—they're too much work—just some chickens, and whoever's going to deal with the backache from gardening... in the end, you can just whip up some Coca-Cola sweets for your guests. You don't even have to thaw them; they go straight into the pot 😉
When I say this isn't a job for a young, educated guy, what I really mean is it's not a one-person show—you need the whole family backing you up.
If your parents are retired, or if the kids are too small—or if you don't have any kids at all—running an agritourism farm is going to be an uphill battle. Honestly, my grandma could run a place like Zimmer Frei.
In this line of work, there’s a logical progression: you start as a farmer first, then move into tourism. You can't just call yourself a "manager" when you don't even know how to milk a cow. Or better yet, if you don't even own a cow, it isn't a real farm in any meaningful sense.
I think there’s a bit of confusion here regarding terms. I’m assuming we’re talking about an actual agritourism farmstead rather than just renting out rooms and running a rural restaurant—there's a massive difference between the two.
Running an agritourism setup isn't really a career path for a young guy with a degree. It’s definitely not a "one-man show"; at its core, it’s a family business.
To truly launch an agritourism operation, you first need to be a farmer living on the land, actually producing the food you intend to sell... Sure, you could try to skip those steps, but then you're basically just running a Zimmer Frei.🙂
Jamie Davis17 said:Actually, I have—and I used to work in the tourism industry myself. The hotel I’m talking about... it wasn't packed or anything; it wasn't even full. But seriously, have you really never eaten at a hotel without actually being a guest there?
And my colleague amberskipper3 replied, saying of course I ate and that it’s possible if that's the concept from the start—which clearly isn't the case here.
Jamie Davis17 said:Alright, let me try to wrap this up: So, you're telling me someone running a hospitality business can't serve customers because of some cash register issue? Doesn't that sound just... unbelievable? Plus, we're talking about a little roadside motel here; people pull over when they're hungry or thirsty, plain and simple. I'm no legal expert on what's strictly allowed under the law, but the whole idea that they won't provide meal options feels really strange to me. They have a full restaurant and a terrace too (unless, I suppose, there's some rule about registering outdoor seating separately).
Actually, it doesn't sound that crazy. Go to any hotel that offers packages, and the main dining room is strictly for guests—there isn't even a way to ring up outside customers. I've honestly never seen anyone from outside the hotel eating in those dining areas anywhere in the world. Besides, they probably wouldn't be able to handle ala carte orders anyway since everything is pre-planned on set menus. Some larger hotels have separate ala carte restaurants nearby where outsiders might be able to eat, though usually only with a reservation.
Legally, they could probably register it as a separate entity, but maybe they just don't have the space and can't risk hotel guests waiting for a table. 🤷
I'm not taking sides here, I'm just guessing what the situation might be.
Jamie Davis17 said:I’m not entirely sure if this belongs under Agritourism—though we are talking about a rural location and a hotel that offers horseback riding and things like that—so if it doesn't fit, please feel free to move it elsewhere. A situation caught me completely off guard a few days ago. We were driving back from the coast using the old road, and near the area around the NP, we decided we really wanted some lamb for dinner. We pulled up to this one hotel, only to be turned away because they apparently only serve their own guests. 🤷That is literally what the guy at the front desk told us. I mean, there is zero food available for anyone just stopping by. Honestly, how is anyone supposed to succeed in business with an attitude like that? How am I meant to conclude that they are good hosts or even consider booking a weekend stay there if that’s my first interaction with them? I was just so disappointed. I keep seeing all these reports in the news about how the government isn't investing enough, but when owners take this kind of stance, 👎they are really just doing more harm to themselves (kind of like the example brisknomad6 mentioned this past winter).
Maybe they have all-inclusive packages where meals are baked into the price, and they just don't have the setup (or the register system) to handle walk-ins. Nothing too unusual, really.🤷
By the way, even a small farmstead looking to start something like what Harold Jackson32 is planning wouldn't be able to offer food service to non-guests unless they actually opened a restaurant.
He owns land, but it’s zoned for agriculture, so it’s basically worthless. If it were actually zoned for residential use, nobody would even need to work—we could all just retire on a federal pension 🙂 (and probably live pretty well too)