Does small change mount up for you?

[buster poser]

We don’t pay cash a lot to get change back anymore, but when we do I tend to hang on to US quarter dollars until I've got around $10 worth to keep in the cars for tolls/air-stations (ugh), and the rest goes in a gallon coffee tin. When that fills up, we run it through a Coinstar machine or similar if it’s in a store with decent terms. Seems like US groceries usually have them available but there's no set surcharge to do the sorting for you.

Wegman's in the DC/MD area was pretty fair as I recall circa 2018 and we got around $150-200 back. That was the last time we used one, and my tin's not half full today fwiw. I think there was an option to convert it to AmazonBucks (naturally). Raley's in north/central California was a similar tier grocer and had the first Coinstar I ever saw in the mid 90s. I may be misremembering the rate, but I think it was pretty high; 8-10% or so surcharge and an equivalent amount of money at the time back to me, ~$100 or so. Still worth it imo. I've rolled enough coins to last me an eternity and it's money just sitting there. We usually just go do something fun with it.

 

[getbent]

I get change all the time. I toss it in the center console which I clean out once a year and man... I always get a great tool or some fun thing with the cash.

 

[Tyuk]

Won this at my wife’s work party last Christmas. All my loose change and bills go into. Most conspicuous piggy bank ever but I like it!

 

[Milspec]

People use cash?!

Every chance I can...better for the future.

 

[stxrus]

We have saved and rolled our change since forever. Usually a years worth of change could get you between $550.00-$625.00. It would pay for a vacation, back them
.

 

[Knows3Chords]

I've got enough pennies to sink a small ship.

 

[Mjark]

The local branch of my bank is gone. If we need cash we can use any machine without charges. My wife buys stuff from Facebook marketplace and estate sales where cash is still used but otherwise I rarely have any.

If I find change now I give it to my four year old grandson for his piggy bank. Maybe he can be taught to save.

 

[Refugee]

I keep it in a nice sized tin. When it's full, I take it to Safeway where they have a Coinstar machine. Small change usually totals around $45.00 after the 9% fee. So, I buy beer and dinner.

 

[bowman]

I dump my change into a jar and when it’s full I take it to my bank and put it in the coin counter machine, which puts the total into my account. It’s always around $200 - 220, and I use it for fun money.

 

[Slip Kid]

I save all my loose change and bottle/can return $ in special collection cup that tallies the amount. That $ becomes my gear/fun fund or, worse case, a backup fund if I screw my checkbook up.

 

[Honga Man]

I prefer to use cash for "walking around money" - lunches, a couple things at the grocery or hardware store, the occasional craigslist purchase, and so forth.

I've saved change all my life. Dad taught me how to roll coins, and I still have a lifetime supply of coin wrappers that banks used to give away for the asking.

I dump my change in a medium-sized coffee can when I get home. Once or twice a year I take it to the branch of my bank that has a free mechanical coin counter and walk out with around $100 to $120 or so. It varies depending on what I call the quarter-to-penny ratio.

 

[TxSouthpaw]

I get a couple hundred out of an old glass Schlitz pitcher when it's close to being full. Seems like every year or so. Also, the aforementioned foreign coins that I never notice until I take it to Coinstar.

 

[Harry Styron]

My wife’s purse received a lot of attention from TSA at the airport a few years ago because of a large mass of metal. When we arrived at our destination, we visited a coin machine at a bank, where I found that she had accumulated $14 in mainly nickels and pennies, which she had been lugging around for years.

 

[ZackyDog]

I took a palm full of change and used it for groceries a few weeks ago. It took a few dollars off the bill and it felt good to get those coins back into circulation, even though the coin shortage may be over.

 

[gimmeatele]

My change pot on my desk!

 

[knavel]

I just got back from the supermarket. I made it my mission to get rid of my loose change this week and about managed it.

1) I use the self checkout at Sainsburys to expunge coins. Once you run out you can pay the balance by card.
2) Your bank should accept that old £1 coin and credit your account.

My change pot on my desk!

Euro coins have a lot of use. Tipping, car washes, etc. Worth keeping around.

 

[marc2211]

Here in Switzerland there is a 5CHF coin that is huge, and a 1/2 CHF (50 rappen) coin that is *tiny*, smaller than a 5p piece for those in the UK, these do mount up. I looked in my coin wallet the other day as I was buying a used Soul Food pedal off a guy at work for 50CHF. Turns out that I had 35CHF of it just in the ultra large and small coins!

Size of the 5CHF coin in comparison to 2 Euro piece...

And 1/2 CHF (50 Rappen) size coin comparison:

To this day, I have no idea who thought that making the 50 rappen coin the smallest in size, when it's worth more than 2 larger ones (5 and 10 Rappen, and nearly the same as the 20 Rappen).

 

[24 track]

I save up cans and bottles we use around the house , pop cans , juice etc. ( now they take milk cartons at recycling) 3 bags full is about 15.00 , I bring that home and put it in a jar if we need some cash it is right there. but if I go out I usually use plastic

 

[Shorty Medlock]

When I was trucking full time I ran on cash. Every cent of change I got while on the road went into a 3 gallon bucket when I got home.

That change was vacation money. Some years I had $1200.00 in there...never less than $800.00.

Came in handy.

Now I get paid on a debit card. My social security goes on another bank card. I barely use cash anymore...

 

[985plowboy]

I have a few coffee cans of coins that are due to be brought to the bank.