Only a few months ago, Americans were fretting about a weak dollar, adoring the euro and looking for ways to insulate themselves from the greenback's slide.
They were buying foreign mutual funds to take advantage of stronger currencies. They were adding oil and other commodities to their portfolios because natural resources tend to perform well when the dollar is weak.
Womens short bootsThen along came the European debt crisis, and all is turned upside down. Now the euro is plunging.
Womens short bootsThe topsy-turvy ride of the dollar and euro shows how quickly conditions can change -- upsetting common assumptions. But with that in mind, here are some effects of the weakening euro:
For the consumer: A trip to the gas station will probably become a bit easier to stomach, because oil -- priced in dollars -- becomes less expensive in the United States when the dollar strengthens. In addition, with the European economy slowing, demand for oil is likely to fall, another factor in possibly lowering prices.
Food is expected to be cheaper as demand worldwide eases and the dollar strengthens, said Brian Dolan, chief currency strategist of forex.com.
As fear has grown over the euro, there has been a flood of money into the United States and Treasury notes. That means interest rates are staying low, and should keep mortgage rates low, Dolan said.
For U.S. Companies: "The strong dollar is a negative for corporate profits," said investment Womens short boots strategist Ed Yardeni.
When American companies doing business abroad translate profits, the stronger dollar will reduce earnings from Europe.
And with European products cheaper than U.S. products, consumers in the United States and other parts of the world might buy from Europe rather than America.
"By restraining U.S. export growth, a Christian louboutin pumps stronger dollar will dent GDP growth," said economist Paul Dales of Capital Economics.
But the threat may be modest, he said, because the United States sends just 17 percent of its exports to the eurozone.
Still, with the low-priced competition from Europe, Dales estimates that real U.S. export growth will slow.
For the economy: Slower GDP growth means another hitch for Christian louboutin pumps the economy as it emerges from recession. But it's not all negative.
With oil prices down sharply in recent weeks, Dales estimates Christian louboutin pumps that could take 0.3 percent off inflation this year. Cheaper fuel costs can help companies such as airlines, manufacturers and trucking firms.
But the United States is not the only country that could find resistance to higher-priced products with the dollar stronger. China could face more competition for its products, Dolan said.
For investors: The flood of money into U.S. investments means that risk-averse savers looking for alternatives to low-interest CDs and U.S. Treasurys are not likely to see near-term relief, although some analysts predict that 10-year Treasurys now yielding 3.35 percent could be at 4.5 percent by the end of the year.
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