Brother, can you spare a dime?

[quiet bear]

This may seem like an odd thing to poll, but I think it could possibly include darn near everyone.

I have a gallon jug that's almost full of change, and as I dropped pocket change in there, it struck me that everyone I know saves change. For whatever reason, people just do.

I was just curious...what are your methods, and if you want, you can tell why you like that way best.

As I said, I have a gallon jug, and when it's full, I just take it to the bank and dump it in one of those change things.

[Dingfod]

I have a peanut can in my locker. When it's full of pennies, nickels and dimes, I cash 'em in at the credit union. It's usually around $30 worth and has financed beer:30 a number of times.

[SharonDee]

My change goes where it belongs: in my change purse.

[Johnny Pneumatic]

Mine goes just whereever. Car, tabletop, drawers, bowls etc. I usually don't save pennies. I just get rid of them somewhere.

[ChuckF]

My change rides in my cupholder and accompanies me into any store where I may make a cash transaction. At any given time, I usually have <$1 in change.

[godfry n. glad]

I have a Glenfiddich bottle that has a neck large enough to allow pennies and dimes, but too small for nickels and quarters. Thus the nickles and quarters go back into my pocket as spending money.

Lately, my gf unearthed a 12 oz garbage can, galvanized sheet steel, which I've just taken to dumping full pockets of unsorted change. It has become my poker stash.

[freemonkey]

I chose other because I used to collect it all together, like you, then take it all to the bank to be counted and cashed in for something. One time we were able to buy a new sofa with it! Our bank does not provide that service any more, and the change counters charge almost 9%, so dimes and quarters are saved separately, then rolled and saved to be cashed in later. Nickels and pennies go in another jar and get counted by the machines because its more trouble than its worth for me to roll those. I can some groceries with that change.

[viscousmemories]

I'm currently using a bowl on my dresser, but sometimes it's a jar. When it gets full (or I need money) I take it to the Coinstar machine at the grocery.

[Leesifer]

I chose other but really my change is everywhere.

Every so often I get it all together and put it my "proper" change collecting vessel which is a 3 litre Smirnoff vodka bottle, sans vodka of course.

[Beth]

I give my daughter all of my pennies that she usually saves up for a few weeks and then cashes it in at the coin star. She usually gets an extra six or seven bucks a month for spending money. I give my quarters and dimes to my son for his lunch...about two bucks a day.

[Smilin]

Quarters I save for my kids school lunches. They each get about two bucks a day.

Pennies, nickels, and dimes go into a mason jar and we trade them in at the coin star when funds are running low between paydays.

I'd love to be able to save our change and not touch it, but it's not practical.

[happykat]

I put my pennies in a piggy bank. Go figure.

My quarters, dimes, and nickles are quickly sniffed out and pocketed by the life-sucking midget people.

[Plant Woman]

My change doesn't pile up as I use it for change to tip the baristas that make my latte. I usually give 50 cents to a l dollar and then 5 pennies. That keeps the pennies from piling up. That probably sounds weird but I dislike pennies for some reason and always try to get rid of them.

[Smilin]

I find the stamp machine at Walmart is the best way to get rid of pennies. :)

[JoeP]

What is this "coin star" of which you speak?

I have a few random piles, and a jar. But trying to get them banked is tedious - and the banks charge you for counting money. Vending and parking machines don't usually take 1c, 2c or 5c coins, and even with the 10c, 20c and 50c coins you need quite a lot to do anything. I usually keep the R1 and R2 coins in the car to tip carpark security and petrol station attendants; R5 coins are worth enough to actually buy things with.

[viscousmemories]

Coinstar (http://www.coinstar.com/us/html/a-home) is a company that puts machines in local groceries, etc. where you can convert your change into a receipt that you can trade for bills at the cash register - for a mere 10% or so of your haul.

[JoeP]

10% huh?

[pescifish]

I don't 'save' change, at least not as described in the OP and posts here. I rarely use cash at all these days, for one thing. The best way to describe my treatment of change is "indifferent".

WHen it does show up, I have a tendency to ditch it wherever and whenever it reaches my consciousness. If it's during a controlled purchase transaction (i.e., I'm actually using cash and I've got all my purse and wallet and other paraphenalia under control) then it is in the little coin section of my wallet and I use it. I leave pennies in any little penny pot I find at cash registers and I try to get rid of nickels and dimes as quickly as possible. I consider quarters the lowest respectable denomination of :cash:

I usually have about 10-20 bucks worth of quarters and one to ten dollar denomination bills in the ashtrays of each of my vehicles. And I have similar stashes of JIC :money: in my desk drawer and in a little candy box on top my desk at work.

[Smilin]

It's actually 8.9% to be precise...

In the U.S., the fee for our coin counting service is 8.9 cents per dollar counted (9.8 cents Canada).

[Dingfod]

I have a peanut can in my locker. When it's full of pennies, nickels and dimes, I cash 'em in at the credit union. It's usually around $30 worth and has financed beer:30 a number of times.The quarters, I put into 35mm film containers; they fit perfectly and come in handy for the pop machine.

[freemonkey]

It's actually 8.9% to be precise...

In the U.S., the fee for our coin counting service is 8.9 cents per dollar counted (9.8 cents Canada).


Don't know if its CoinStar or another one, but they have promotions where you can cash in for credit on Amazon and other places, and they'll waive the fee.

[Dingfod]

My bank doesn't charge anything to cash my coinage in.

[Goldie]

All of the change eventually makes it to two large plastic containers...one is for pennies and one is for silver. We DO use from it as needed...but, usually by the time I feel like rolling it all up, I end up with about $200.00. :)

[quiet bear]

You know what's weird? I cash mine in the coin thing at Commerce Bank, and they don't
charge anything. In fact, they have a thing where, if you guess the correct amount
in advance (you type it in), you can win a luxurious prize! (a fridge magnet, a bank
shaped like the bank's logo, etc)

Here's the really great part...I don't even have an account there. My cousin told me
about it, and I just went in one day and dumped over 300.00 worth in change down the chute, got my receipt and walked up to the counter
and got the dough. No one
asked me if I had an account or anything.

[lady cop]

i clicked 'other'. i keep a zipped bag in my car with about $30. in quarters. the toll booths through south florida to the keys are numerous, and 75 cents each. it's like one booth every 2 miles on the turnpike! so you throw in the quarters and keep moving. zooooooom!

[Beth]

Ug, LC. I forgot to mention having to keep a stash on hand for both Crosstown the Expressway tolls. There are so many tool booths that are unmanned and you must have the correct change for them. I'm kinda wicked, though, that is how I sometimes unload my pennies.

[Legs]

We have a small leatherbound/brass chest that we both throw our 'shrapnel' into and maybe twice a year sort it. Usually there is over $1000.00 in coin, all those twoonies & loonies add up.

[Beth]

That your foot in the Avatar, Legs?

[viscousmemories]

My bank doesn't charge anything to cash my coinage in.
The Coinstar fee is worth it to me because it's closer than the bank, there's never a line and I like not having to deal with a human (converting change embarrasses me - makes me feel like I look as poor as I am).

[Legs]

That your foot in the Avatar, Legs?

:nope: mine have blisters from walking all over London for all week.

[Beth]

Well, I was going to compliment you on those funky shoes...

[Dingfod]

My bank doesn't charge anything to cash my coinage in.
The Coinstar fee is worth it to me because it's closer than the bank, there's never a line and I like not having to deal with a human (converting change embarrasses me - makes me feel like I look as poor as I am).I guess I'm not concerned about that, my peanut can with the change in it is rusty too.

[freemonkey]

I like not having to deal with a human (converting change embarrasses me - makes me feel like I look as poor as I am).
As opposed to all those people watching you at the CoinStar machine at the sipermarket? :wink:

[viscousmemories]

Believe it or not I rationalize it that people who see me using Coinstar will conclude that I'm not poor, since I obviously have no problem giving 8.9% of the value of my spare change just to convert it to bills. Yeah a shrink could write a book on me. I get that.

[Moxy]

I keep change in the cupholder of my car, and in a big glass mug in my kitchen. There is actually another container somewhere full of counted and rolled coins, and a big roll of cash. I should probably go look for that one I suppose. It's got about $400 if i recall correctly.

For some reason I've been really hesitant to cash it in...Partly because I like having a backup cash stash just in case; Rainy day money if you will. The other part would be that I always figure no one would actually take rolls of coins because, well, how can they trust your counting? There must be mistakes. I don't want to get yelled at for having only 49 pennies rolled.