My husband always have a lot of loose change. We don't have enough to exchange at the end of the year though since we usually use these money for everyday finances. Like for instance, for public transportation, you need loose change in order to pay for your trip. Then we also buy some bread in the morning and that usually costs a few coins. We also love buying street foods and we need loose change for that as well. But my husband did collected enough coins before. He said the coins ended up being about $100 as well. He exchanged the coins through a bank which turned them into paper money.
I do. I have a big jar where I keep them all. There are so many coins of different value. I usually take some when I go out, so I'll be able to buy some small stuff. It usually works well for me, as I'm the one who rarely makes use of his credit card.
I usually spend the loose change that I receive or find around the house. When garage sales start in my area, I will collect any loose change I can find for shopping at garage sales, as often items are priced for less than one dollar. I see the benefit in saving loose change, however, I suppose that to me, it's all the same if I use loose change when shopping as buying something with larger bills and receiving the change. It all spends the same way, and will be spent sooner or later.
No I don't save them since I also tend to spend them easily, like on junk food and soda. I actually don't like having that much coins, it's quite heavy on the pocket as well.
I try to collect loose change when I can, but nowadays I use my debit card so much that I rarely touch money. Most of my loose change is found on the street during walks. You would be surprised how much money Americans throw away.
I just moved and I uncovered SO much loose change, I have a jar of it and 3 smaller tins full! My bank won't cash them in though. What do you guys find the best ways to use it up? I don't need it for laundry or parking. I've just been trying to make an effort to spend it more, but I don't think I'll ever get rid of it that way!
Loose change is very valuable to me because my income is low and it only takes 2 dollars to make a round trip to the nearest town. However, some people might throw away pennies, but to me, that seems very foolish. Anyhow, pennies are worth a lot in many nations so throwing them away is sort of a crime in my opinion. Think about how much food could be bought with those pennies in many countries.
To be frugal is a trait I had learned from my parents. They told me to save every penny I have had whenever I got an extra or left over from my parent's allowance they gave me every week. I kept them in bamboo bank made for that purpose of saving. At the end of the year particularly in the month of December I have some money to buy my Christmas presents and needs for that Yuletide season. Now keeping loose change is another thing I do similar to what I did when I was a kid. When I go home after a day's work, if I have loose change in my pocket I put them in a jar. I never touch it until December comes. And it is rewarding. My grandchildren are happy to see how much I save and I share it to them.
For me, loose change includes bills that are less than 100 pesos ($2) and they are more substantial than coins although I have a big biscuit can that I use as piggy bank. Right now it is almost full with coins but there’s a lot of money bills therein that I think would be enough to cover our expenses for our coming trip to Japan (in March). It is a good habit to save money, even loose change or intentional savings. I had posted in another thread that I save the money that I get as a discount for my being a senior citizen. In one year, that discount from food items, in grocery and restaurants, will amount to something.
