Foffion

Me too.

durham_lad

I've just been looking at this myself as our son moved to the US when he was 4 and now in his 30's is moving back in October. Since we have a Jobs Centre Plus on the high street I even walked in and asked about it.

As the others said, you have to be a UK resident to apply for a NINO but not having one doesn't prevent you from applying for a job.

Celticprince_86

Just a bit a a blog post really.
I still can hardly believe that by years end I'll be what I have wanted to be for the past 23 years. I am slowly adjusting my mind to think in terms of pounds not dollars and to really accept that my dearest wish is coming true. I went to travelex today and got some pounds while the exchange is still over .50. I now have £320 in mostly "well worn" 20's which cost me $622. Not a bad exchange rate, but I would have liked more. Can't win 'em all.I just found out that the is no £100 note and that the £50 may soon go too. What? I'm so used to having notes from $5 to $100 here. I also have to keep reminding myself that a higher number is not the same as more purchasing power. It is difficult though. It is becoming increasingly apparent that as prepared as I thought I was, moving to the UK is going to be a big change. I really should have held off for a while before booking my flight, but in the end I wouldn't have it any other way.

BritInParis

£50 notes are uncommon - 99.9% of ATMs won't have them. You usually only get them if you are making a large cash withdrawal from your bank.

Trepidation is normal and actually quite healthy. You don't want to get too blase about such a move or the culture shock might blindside you. At the same time it's going to be an adventure and something very memorable. Good luck and let us know how you get on.

durham_lad

Last year I had cause to withdraw £8,600 in cash and it all came in £20 notes. I think the elimination of large denomination notes is because they are mostly used in criminal activities ( the proverbial briefcase full of cash) and also not readily accepted by stores who don't know what they look like.

curleytops

I don't think I've seen a £50 since I ordered Sterling in Canada before coming here on my recce trip 6 1/2 years ago. I seem to recall I had a rough time spending them in the shops; they aren't popular.

cdfergus

I am going to UK in September. Is it advisable to buy pounds before going?

Thanks,
Chris

Celticprince_86

Well I have, both because I find it helpful in getting my mind thinking of "I have this much saved, and ths is how much stuff will cost" rather than "I have this much saved" and then being caught out because of the differance. And also, because I didn't know when/if the pound would become more expensive to buy later.

At the end of the day, it's a judgement best left to you.

durham_lad

I've traveled to several foreign countries without taking cash with me, relying on my US ATM card to get cash on arrival.

When we visited my brother in Australia in 2014 I used xe.com to send a bunch of Oz $s to him and he gave me the cash on arrival. These days I would use Transferwise to do the same thing.

cdfergus

Thanks, no harm in checking with my bank I suppose!

Celticprince_86

Good luck!

HKG3

Scottish and Northern Irish banks do print and use £100 banknotes.

Current Banknotes :: Current Banknotes

As far as I know, all three Scottish banks (Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland) produce £100 banknotes.

Celticprince_86

Aye, and I'll get one if I ever go to Scotland, but I meant there's no 100 pound note that is legal tender throughout the UK.

Speaking of money, what's the best way to get notes that are in good condition? Because all the ones I got are a bit worn, and one even has a little stamp on it.

Pulaski

Scottish banknotes aren't legal tender, even in Scotland. Curiously Bank of England banknotes aren't legal tender in Scotland either!

The Scottish and Irish banks treat their own banknotes as a marketing overhead as there is no purely financial imperative for them to issue their own banknotes, and they can only issues notes backed 100% by a matching deposit with the Bank of England, otherwise Scottish and Irish banknotes would increase the money supply, but the deposit with the Bank of England takes the same amount of money out of circulation.
Why are you concerned, and why do you need more than a few anyway?

You usually get half-decent notes from a cash point because ratty notes might jam the mechanism.

I use very little cash, and if it wasn't for pocket money for my daughter I could survive on $20 for three months in the US, and most of that would go on small tips. I would bet that £20 would last me six months in the UK.

morpeth

Thanks, I just asked the same question at a local employer. My oldest son I have been discussing his moving back to the North East. He spent summers in Northumberland growing up but been away for a while now. Comparing the life he could have in Northumberland vs his life in USA, he would have a better quality of life in Northumberland with exception of the price of a decent home.