Check your money and spend or exchange pound notes soon to go out of date notes

Problem
Every time a bank reprints money you are at risk of losing out. But if you change all your money at the airport you will lose on their commission each time you change, so it's tempting to keep your leftover notes for your next trip. Then you can't find it!

Answers
Keep all foreign money in one (hidden!) place.
Check money reprints and spend of exchange money in the country of origin.
Leftover notes? Not going back?
Donate to friends, family or colleagues who are taking a holiday or going on business to a country which is planning to reprint money.

Story
I used to have a regular thing changing money with a friend who flew frequently from Hong Kong to Singapore. I often met friends, family and acquaintances at parties, natives who flew from the UK to the USA.

Whenever they were travelling in they were happy to exchange money from their home into local money. When they were flying out they were happy to exchange money the other way. If you are flying off tomorrow and having a dinner or farewell party with a group of friends, if you mention that you need money of the destination, chances are that they will have money they are only too glad to exchange.

You'd be surprised how often a foreign banknote is needed. For example, In Cambodia the shopkeepers and sellers are glad to have US dollars. (Even airport shops.) But they give small change of less than a dollar in local money.

So it's handy to change back your oddments of local Cambodian money or give it to a friend going in that direction. It can be used to by coffee or water or left as a tip.

To increase your chances of changing money with friends at your leaving party, email them in advance to look for money they want to change. Print out the day's exchange rate.

Tips
If you happen to be in the city, London, England, you can change your old money there. If you've got time to spare. An experience.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/news/article-4445174/Just-nine-days-left-spend-old-paper-5-notes.html

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author, English tutor and public speaker.
Please share my posts.