See, I always tried to use my American money to buy the american gifts and the canadian money to buy canadian gifts. I tried to exchange money as rarely as possible.

On an unrelated note, I should warn you that 1st circle earthdawn characters are woefully under-ready to take on most low-circle challenges. Pretty much only non-magical animals and non-adept name-givers are the only things they can deal with successfully. The last expedition which dealt with a bear and a snake left the one-shot party bedridden for over a week. The badger was worse.