Weighing In Your Spare Change

soba

Use your small change in shops, it costs a fortune for them to 'buy' change from the banks. If you want to bag it up and get it changed for a pound remember that £1 in 1p's or 2p's weighs 355 grams. My digital kitchen scales are acurate enough to weigh that. Whoever invented the money made 2p's twice as heavy as 1p's so if you local shop doesn't mind mixed coins you can still use your scales to weigh £1. Hope that all makes sense.

We used to have a dedicated band of customers who were hapy to unload their change on us!!

unhealthyman

I had about 50 quid in change a while ago, which I proudly took to my bank (then the Halifax) to exchange. At which point they smugly said "we don't do cash"! So I had to go and use the HSBC down the road (who charge non-account holders).

agsnu

Birkonian wrote: »

I am currently unemployed and have started weighing in my spare change at the Coinstar machines (found in Tesco's, ASDA, Morrisons etc.) You are issued with a voucher which you have to spend in-store on the same day.

Just thought I'd mention that you should be able to get the voucher swapped for cash at customer services...

savetilibleed

I have a small box provided by Epilepsy Action that I put my copper and 5p coins in. Takes a while to fill then it doesn't take much more than about £5-6. A local HSBC branch gave me a bunch of their bags which take fixed amounts of single denominations. I count it into the fixed amounts, bag it, then when I have enough I take them to the branch where they simply weight the bags and give me money to the value. I then make a donation to the charity on their website and ask for no receipt, not wanting to waste them postage.

I'm not an HSBC customer so I would not be able to use their counting machines in the larger branches that have them. But the local branch are happy to exchange.

p-pincher

i also use the machine at the HSBC that i pop my bank card in and it credits it straight into my account.

only problem is that everytime ive ever used it its managed to break!!! buts that probably got something to do with the foriegn coins or other things like ELC platic coins that have mamaged to get mixed up in the jar.

6022tivo

p-pincher wrote: »

i also use the machine at the HSBC that i pop my bank card in and it credits it straight into my account.

only problem is that everytime ive ever used it its managed to break!!! buts that probably got something to do with the foriegn coins or other things like ELC platic coins that have mamaged to get mixed up in the jar.

The bank told me that they have bags in the machine that only hold 500(I think) of each coin, when a bag fills up, the machine stops and they have to reset it at the rear after emptying the 500 coins (saves them counting them also), it is a bit of a pain and I think they need larger bags in the machines.

biscit

davetrousers wrote: »

Eh?

Shops can take (or refuse) any payment if they so desire. They could refuse a nice crisp £10 note and ask for elephant dung if they like.

The use of the term 'legal tender' is a minefield

It has a very specific meaning relating to debt.

There is a petrol station just off the M1 near Sheffiled that refuses to accept £50 notes. I think it could be argued that if you have put £40 worth of petrol in your car you are in debt to the petrol station for that amount and legal tender applies...

typeractive

staffie1 wrote: »

I was given one of those coin sorter machines as a present. You chuck all your loose change into it and it sorts / counts it into little tubes which you then just empty into a bag and take to the bank. It fascinates me watching it sort the coins!

Heheh! I think I'll have to get one of those. I've been saving most my change for the past few years. I've nearly filled a large 'bell's whiskey' bottle. Quite excited to find out how much is in it when I reach to the top. A good mixture of all coins in there really. It's pretty heavy and would take me a good few ventures to the bank to cash it in. As for any of the machines in the local supermarkets - stuff that!!

Now I need to find one of those machines. I too will find it fascinating watching the money be arranged - heh. :T :rotfl:

staffie1

typeractive wrote: »

Heheh! I think I'll have to get one of those. I've been saving most my change for the past few years. I've nearly filled a large 'bell's whiskey' bottle. Quite excited to find out how much is in it when I reach to the top. A good mixture of all coins in there really. It's pretty heavy and would take me a good few ventures to the bank to cash it in. As for any of the machines in the local supermarkets - stuff that!!

Now I need to find one of those machines. I too will find it fascinating watching the money be arranged - heh. :T :rotfl:

This is the one I've got typer - although you can get them cheaper than this if you look around
http://www.gadgetshop.com/ViewAll/Coin-Sorter/EPN309757_gs

typeractive

staffie1 wrote: »

This is the one I've got typer - although you can get them cheaper than this if you look around
http://www.gadgetshop.com/ViewAll/Coin-Sorter/EPN309757_gs

WOW! That looks fab!! :D

...maybe I'll buy one when I cash my money in...or is that a false economy? :rotfl:

Does it pile the money up from the top? If so it looks like it throws the money into the tubes -surely not? They could miss and fall out? :S