Small change - what to do with?

mavvysmum

Hi,

Sorry if this is the wrong place to put this, wasnt sure which category it would come under.

I save up my 1p's & 2p's and have now got LOADS & want to get rid of them somehow.

Used to take them to the bank but since moving house we are now 30 miles from our nearest branch.

Any tips for what I can do with them? There arent any of those machines around that take small change & give you "proper" money (and charge for the privilege!)

Cheers

nsimpson123

Hi
If you bag them up into the correct bagged amounts i.e £1 in pennies, you can take them to your local post office and they will change them into 'proper' money for you.

mavvysmum

nsimpson123 wrote: »

Hi
If you bag them up into the correct bagged amounts i.e £1 in pennies, you can take them to your local post office and they will change them into 'proper' money for you.

Didn't know that - thanks!

dzug1

Unfortunately it's not an official Post Office service - they may do it if they know you, are feeling kind or have need of the pennies themselves - but it's not official policy. They CAN refuse and do on occasion.

You can SPEND them in a Post Office - or deposit them into your bank account if it's one that allows PO deposits - but you can't rely on getting them changed

mavvysmum

dzug1 wrote: »

Unfortunately it's not an official Post Office service - they may do it if they know you, are feeling kind or have need of the pennies themselves - but it's not official policy. They CAN refuse and do on occasion.

You can SPEND them in a Post Office - or deposit them into your bank account if it's one that allows PO deposits - but you can't rely on getting them changed

Ah right thanks for clarifying that. Looks like I'll just have to deposit them in my bank, bet they'll hate me!

WestonDave

Bigger HSBC branches have coin deposit machines to put the money straight into your account - if you have an account with them. They don't charge and save you bagging it all up. I think on their website they have a list of branches that have the machines in.

Buzby

Supermarkets have Coinstar machines, which for a small percentage will could ant sort coins as you tip them in. No need to even be a customer (of the supermarket)!

nsimpson123

dzug1 wrote: »

Unfortunately it's not an official Post Office service - they may do it if they know you, are feeling kind or have need of the pennies themselves - but it's not official policy. They CAN refuse and do on occasion.

You can SPEND them in a Post Office - or deposit them into your bank account if it's one that allows PO deposits - but you can't rely on getting them changed

Sorry I didnt know that either, however I have never been refused in my local Post Office and the bloke who runs it is a right old grump at times :rotfl:

alanq

Buzby wrote: »

Supermarkets have Coinstar machines, which for a small percentage will could ant sort coins as you tip them in. No need to even be a customer (of the supermarket)!

If the supermarket is large enough to have a Coinstar machine then it may also have some new self-service tills that allow you to tip coins into a small tray rather than feeding them in one-by-one. That way there is no deduction.

InsideInsurance

alanq wrote: »

If the supermarket is large enough to have a Coinstar machine then it may also have some new self-service tills that allow you to tip coins into a small tray rather than feeding them in one-by-one. That way there is no deduction.

Technically there isnt but the ones in our local store take about 10 seconds a coin to recognise them. If you were paying £10 in coppers it would take an hour and half and that time lost from your life must have a value

mjm3346

mavvysmum wrote: »

Ah right thanks for clarifying that. Looks like I'll just have to deposit them in my bank, bet they'll hate me!

If you are travelling 30 miles to get there, check if they have a bag limit (some will not accept more than 5 bags). Sainsburys self-service tills have a coin tray and it doesn't take too long to put a couple of pounds worth of coppers through at a time.

Better to spend them instead of collecting them, coins are filthy, probably the dirtiest thing you handle on a daily basis, then there is the time you spend bagging them and paying them in or if you use coinstar machines the (I think it is about) 10% they charge for the pleasure.