Eight Uses for Monopoly Money

Monopoly money may not be exchangeable for goods and services like real money is, but you can still make Monopoly money go a long way when it comes to fun. All it takes it a little bit of imagination, and you can find plenty of uses for Monopoly money. The best thing about playing with Monopoly money is that if you can make it fun just by using it in a new way, you've created real, genuine value out of something that is, by definition, worth nothing! With a little bit of creative thinking, you're sure to come up with plenty of ways to use Monopoly money. Here are eight ideas to get you started.

Eight Ways To Turn Monopoly Money Into Fun

1. Use Monopoly money as wrapping around giftcards, gift certificates, or checks for creative gift presentation. The colorful "currency" will hint playfully at what's inside, and help make the gift feel personal and warm.

2. Prank a co-worker by packing lots and lots of rainbow faux-cash into his or her wallet. And pockets. And desk drawers. And cubicle. And office. And any items they're keeping in the office refrigerator. This lighthearted prank makes a great "farewell" joke for a co-worker who is about to head to another job, especially if you finish it off with a card that says the Monopoly money is "severance pay."

3. Wallpaper your apartment! If your domicile is covered in Monopoly money, guests will always have something to talk about.

4. Play Monopoly, of course!

5. Teach a kid how to make change. Monopoly money can serve as an easy to use math education tool; since all of the denominations are so brightly colored, it's easy to keep track of what you're counting.

6. Use Monopoly money to try out origami, the Japanese art of paper-folding. A quick internet search will reveal a wide variety of plans and patterns for folding dollar bills into shapes that range from flowers to stars and beyond; you can do almost all of these projects with Monopoly money as well as with real cash. Plus, when you're done, you won't be tempted to unfold your masterpiece in order to spend it.

7. Use Monopoly money to tip sub-standard waitstaff at restaurants. This is an extreme measure, and one that you should only take if your server is unbelievably rude. If you do run across a waiter or waitress who needs to be taught a lesson, leaving a tip in Monopoly money is a gesture they're sure to remember for a long time to come! Even if you would never actually leave a Monopoly tip after a meal, it can still make you giggle to imagine doing it.

8. Write on the backs of monopoly money instead of index cards or scratch paper. You can even staple a bunch of "cash" together at one side to make a handy portable notebook for scribbling down ideas on the go. When you leave yourself or someone else a note written on colorful Monopoly money, you're sure to add a smile to the day.