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Pennies

(56 Posts)
mollie Mon 28-Mar-16 17:21:09

I'm savagely decluttering this Easter and going through boxes I didn't even know we had but would it surprise you to know that I've found four - yes, four - separate boxes of pennies and 5ps? One mine, one his, one in my late son's things and one in my late fil's stuff. My old dad used to do the same and called his 'shrapnel', I laughingly called mine the wedding dress fund but it's the odd stuff that bulks up the purse and pockets. Now, of course, I'm wondering what the heck to do with all this collected coinage?

Is it just us or do you have a hoard somewhere too?

ellenemery Thu 31-Mar-16 20:41:09

I do not know if it in all Morrison stores but the Morrisons store in Bedford has a collection box for all unwanted foreign and old British money and notes. The collection is in aid of the East Anglian Air Ambulance. I believe I saw one in the local Lloyds bank a while back but not sure if that is still there.

Imperfect27 Wed 30-Mar-16 07:31:46

P.S. I have an image in my head created by the phrase 'savagely decluttering'. I know my bedroom needs a savage declutter and /I am procrastinating (again) grin

Imperfect27 Wed 30-Mar-16 06:58:19

We have a pennies pot and save smaller coins. When it is full we get about £20 back from a coin machine and always use it for a treat - a breakfast out, or similar. Someone advised me to start a 20p pot for my GS, explaining that in 2 years they had saved enough for a brand new toddler bike. I haven't done that, but keep thinking I should, but then wonder where do you take it if more grandchildren arrive? And /I like our breakfasts out ... grin.

Falconbird Wed 30-Mar-16 06:29:54

I use some of my small change in the self service at the supermarket. But I have a Smash Instant Potato tin full of brown money.

The gc use it to play shops when they come to visit and I try to keep the amount down by taking out a few coins now and then.

The bank gave me lots of small bags to sort the money into but I couldn't be bothered.

I also sometimes put small change into a machine at the supermarket which enables you to donate to charity.

jennyvg Tue 29-Mar-16 20:43:54

Our local branch of Nat West bank has a machine you just put all of the coins in, it then produces a receipt which you take to the counter and the money is paid into your account, maybe other banks have this facility it is very quick and convenient

Lilyflower Tue 29-Mar-16 18:05:14

I stick mine in the machine at Sainsbury's, combine it with Nectar points and buy a bottle of their cheapest Champers. Last time I had a bottle for £6.

mollie Tue 29-Mar-16 15:13:21

I've got a Metro Bank so that's a thought...and I WILL be looking for a 1933 penny, of course!!! I never thought of the charity shops but of course they take everything else - except videos I discovered today. Lots of options...

numberplease Tue 29-Mar-16 15:09:15

I just save 20p`s, but not all, just what`s left in my purse at the end of the day. When they reach £10, I take them to the bank and pay into my holiday account. Someone I know saves all her £2 coins, would that I could afford to!

Newquay Tue 29-Mar-16 15:07:55

Funnily enough last week DD2 was clearing out ready for a house move and gave me a pot and a plastic bag full of coins-just to be rid of them. I bagged up coins 1p, 2p and some silver. I have a friend who lives hand to mouth (one of my strays!) so I said take it into yr bank and if they'll accept it you keep the cash-she got £8 no problem, v happy.
That does leave me with a smaller bag of foreign coins, will ask in charity shops next time I'm in town. I will be surprised if they don't accept them.
DH and I save any £2 coins we get. We use them for holiday in the summer and then again at Christmas.

granfromafar Tue 29-Mar-16 14:29:05

We have saved 1, 2 & 5p coins for as long as I can remember, but I have a count-up every so often and bag it up. I take it to our local post -office who won't exchange for cash, but will give you stamps instead, so I usually take it just before Christmas and voila! - it buys all the Christmas stamps. When 4 year old grandson visits, we play shops with some of the coins and it helps him learn about money smile

Nicksmrs46 Tue 29-Mar-16 14:02:51

My grandsons collect coins [ 1p,2p, and 5p ] and I help them to count it up and bag into bank coinage bags which we then take into the bank -but only at a quiet time- my bank are happy to exchange for larger coins or notes if they have collected enough to warrant "paper" money..

Thingmajig Tue 29-Mar-16 13:03:26

Some banks have machines for throwing your coins into but it all goes into your account, nothing to charity if that's important to you?
We throw our coins into a big jar and take it along every so often (before it's too heavy to carry!) and it's amazing how it all mounts up. smile

GrannyJane Tue 29-Mar-16 12:39:41

At my local library they have a charity collection box which is a machine you put your coins in and watch them zigzag down to the bottom. I always take my younger grandchildren when I've got enough (coins, not grandchildren). One good thing is that it gives the 4 year old practice at sharing things equally with a 1 year old.

Phoebes Tue 29-Mar-16 11:59:17

I put all my small coppers into a small money box, and when it is full I bag it up and take it to the bank and then give the money to charity. I suppose i could just put the coins directly in a charity box.

jaspersgran Tue 29-Mar-16 11:23:23

I found a load when sorting my late father's belongings. I took them to my bank and paid them in. I did sort into their money bags first. They even changed crowns from Charles' and Di's wedding and Queen's jubilee. ??

kazzer Tue 29-Mar-16 11:22:53

Air ambulance or riding for disabled

HazelGreen Tue 29-Mar-16 11:11:11

Where l live they are phasing out small coins (1 and 2 cents) and rounding up and down the total bill. It seems to work.

Meanwhile I used to make kids do a count of pennies in the summer hols... then had trouble getting the local sweet shop to take them! He got too many but the nearby butcher was happy with them. Apparantly the banks charge shopkeepers a % for coins both to give out and take in.

I have dumped assorted odd foreign coins and notes (no great value I am sure) into collection bottles alongside security Q's in our airport.

I will still keep a stash of larger coins ... handy for parking meters or popping out for milk.

Nonnie Tue 29-Mar-16 10:56:14

I imagine any charity shop would take them off your hands.

Tizliz Tue 29-Mar-16 10:46:07

The joys of living in a small village. Took mine to the PO last week and changed into notes no trouble. I wouldn't do it if there was a queue but you have to try very hard to find a queue there!

lizzypopbottle Tue 29-Mar-16 10:41:01

So many people do this, apparently, that there's a national shortage of these coins in general circulation! I've heard that some (must be well off) people actually throw them away!

Lupatria Tue 29-Mar-16 10:18:49

the machines take something like 9p in the £ and you get your voucher. in our local asda you can take the voucher to customer services and get cash or spend the voucher in store. i've used the machine in tesco but don't know whether you can exchange the voucher for cash [the machine and customer services are at opposite ends of the store!].

i save 1p, 2p, 5p and 10p in a couple of money boxes on my kitchen windowsill and clear all these from my purse when i've been shopping. i call it my rainy day money and, when strapped for cash before my pension comes, i'll convert the cash in one of those machines. it's handy for those little items you need day to day.

clareken Tue 29-Mar-16 09:47:02

The machines charge 10%. If you are a Halifax customer they will take as many bags as you have but they must be bagged up properly. Some branches of either Natwest or HSBC have machines that pay full amount into your account.

Pamaga Tue 29-Mar-16 09:43:17

There is a cash counting machine in a branch of our bank (HSBC). You put in your card, pour the coins in a hopper and it adds the total to your account.

PRINTMISS Tue 29-Mar-16 09:04:48

Our Nat West bank has a machine which counts your money(like Sainsbury's and Tesco's) and puts it straight into your account. I would presume this is free of charge, and you have to have your bank card to make sure it goes into the right account.

NanaandGrampy Tue 29-Mar-16 07:34:14

If you have a Metro Bank near you they have coin machines. They are free to use even if you're not a customer. You can a receipt from the machine which you exchange at the counter for cash. If you have an account they can pay it in directly. There is a limit of £100 a time if you are not a customer and no limits if you are.

It doesn't even have to be all bagged up --- just tip it in :-)