A Jar Full of Coins

Several years ago my husband borrowed a change machine from a friend so we could roll up a big collection of coins. It worked really, really well and we decided to get one. We had had cheap coin counters in the past, but they just didn't work. They either jammed constantly or were inaccurate. We wrote down the model of this one because we now knew this was a great product. I found it at Wal-Mart for $35. That seemed a little steep to spend that much money to save change so I didn't get it. One day I found it in the clearance aisle and it scanned at half off. I bought it instantly and we have used it ever since.

We almost never spend change. It comes home to accumulate for rolling. Money rolled is usually put on credit card bills, or at least in the bank to pay some bill. We don't blow it because we can't spare it, but that would certainly be one idea. At least is savings, however small.

Then this Christmas, we found a new contraption. It's a coin counting change jar. You stick your coins in the slot (It takes dollar and half dollar coins too) and a digital display shows you how much you have accumulated. It was purchased on sale too. Now every night each of us puts in our coins and watches the display. When the jar is full, the coin counting machine comes out and the money gets rolled. This jar would be a great piggy bank for kids. We have a lot of fun with it on our own! We usually roll when we top a hundred dollars. I can testify that you can get $150 in the jar if a lot of it is quarters. Menards sold smaller versions of the coin jar free after rebate and I have those as well.

It actually sounds like a lot of technology to count a few coins. Our bank doesn't do it you must present your coins rolled. The Coinstar machines take way to big a cut - 8.9¢ per dollar counted. That's 89¢ to count a roll of quarters! I'd do it by hand before I'd pay that, even the pennies. It's something to do while watching TV.

Maybe it's the kid in us that likes playing with change. We fill our high tech piggy bank with lots of coins every day. It's nice to actually see some money once in a while instead of doing everything electronically. It just makes me feel good to have a jar full of coins sitting on my desk.