Few people get through life without experiencing cash flow problems. The state of the economy dictates that every penny should be accounted for. Many consider that small savings are not worthwhile but often the smallest of savings can help during times of financial hardship. Cash is king and whilst the majority of people possess a credit card of some kind it is preferable to pay with hard cash.
Save the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves, a very wise saying indeed. For the most part few of us pass a day without opening our purse or wallet to pay for goods. The change we receive is often only pence but over a period of days those pence begin to mount into pounds. Saving pennies on a regular basis can mean that one accrues a fair amount of small coinage which needs to be collected. A large tin or bottle are perfect for housing the coins. Over a period of time the coin collection grows and the effort of saving them is seen as worthwhile.
When a special occasion comes along or an unexpected bill turns up on the doorstep it may be time to cash in that collection of pennies. The high street banks will change them without charging any form of commission. The bank in question may stipulate that you hold an account with them in order to change the coinage. Ask the teller for some plastic cash bags so that the coins can be bagged in advance. Count the coinage carefully making sure that each bag contains the right amount. After counting and bagging the coins the total value of them may come as a surprise.
Some of the major supermarkets have installed Coinstar machines. The Coinstar machines will `swallow` the coinage, count it at the same time and present a voucher for the value of the cash that then needs to be exchanged at the customer service desk. The Coinstar machines are quick and efficient but a small amount of commission is charged for the privilege of changing the coinage. At the start of the transaction a message comes up on the screen of the Coinstar machine which asks if the cash is going to be donated to charity or exchanged for a personal cash voucher.
Every little helps and it may be foolish not to save those pennies. Even ten pounds worth of small coinage will contribute toward paying another bill or providing a family gift.