$41.98
No, I didn’t hit the jackpot on the penny slots. This is the spare change I acquired over 3 1/2 months. Every day, after going to the store or to a coffee shop, I would throw the coins in my pocket in a bucket, knowing that overtime it’d grow.
After separating and counting it, I had $41.98 in change(and that’s not including about $10 in quarters I used for laundry from time to time). Now, on the one hand, that’s not enough to retire with. But that’s $41.98 that I never expected to have, and didn’t even know that I had until I counted it out.
Change, both the literal and metaphorical kind, is good. We all need change from time to time. Starting this blog 2 1/2 months ago felt like a huge change, and I want to keep continuing to change things for the better. If you stand still for too long, your feet will get stuck in the mud.
Your mission(Should you accept it): Make at least one change in 2011, starting with collecting your change for the entire year. Grab a bucket and each day toss your coins in it. Here are some ideas what to do with that money at the end of the year:
- Use it for a date night
- Put the money towards buying Christmas gifts
- Donate it to your favorite charity
- Buy a Starbucks gift card for yourself
- Pre-order the new season of Doctor Who on iTunes because you know it’s going to be terrific(Just me? OK, nevermind)
- Use it for gas money on a road trip
- Buy that _____ you’ve had your eye on all year
- Whatever else you can think of
Who’s ready for some change in 2011?
That sounds like a good idea! All that change sure added up! 🙂
I did this when I was in junior high and successfully saved almost $600 over a few years! I ended up being able to pay for half of a trip to Europe in coins.
New reader, never commented, but I have to agree with you on Doctor Who — it’s not just you!
Thank God. I had to rewatch the entire series over the Summer just to tide myself over until the new season 🙂
I got seasons 1-5 for Christmas. I have a feeling I’ll have rewatched them all by February.
Sounds like a great idea! I’m going to try this.
Love this post, Evan. Great idea. 🙂
This is a really great idea. Except, I have a 9 year old who has change radar and finds any and every way to get her grubby hands on all of our change. 🙂
Perhaps a road trip to Philadelphia? We can attempt to find gluten free cheese steaks…
What a great idea!!
ha. ironic. one of my goals for the year is to accept change as it comes and not turn into a giant stressball as per usual 😉
We do the same thing! We usually use it before a big concert trip. Last time we had like $60!
This is such a good post 🙂
I think we tend to get busy and forget how the small things really add up. Your suggestions for what to do with the “extra” money was nice too because it almost becomes a reward for being diligent about saving. I also enjoyed the part where you mentioned “If you stand still for too long, your feet will get stuck in the mud.” Yes, change can be scary, but it encourages us to grow leaps and bounds and even helps us achieve things we never thought we could.
I love this! I’ve been putting coins in a jar since I was a kid, and every time I cash them in, I convince someone else what an awesome idea it is.
when I was in college, I had a carboy (one of those water machine bottles – although I would have LOVED a chauffeur!!), and I would add only silver change to it, no pennies (separate jar for them). I kept this jar until it was full (a year after college?), and took it to my credit union to deposit. There was $1700 in there! 😀
I have soooo much change that I need to count! My parents collect their change every year and once ended up with over 200 dollars!
We do this! It’s such a good idea. A bit of a mind-f***, because of course it’s change from money spent, but it still ends up being money you didn’t know you had.
great idea! bank of america does the same thing where if you pay for something, rather than putting the right amount, they round to the nearest dollar and the remainder gets put into an account.
i prefer to do this at home instead of giving the bank any control of that money. :p
super cute post, evan!
i think you should defi save it for date nite..have fun! 🙂
scott throws his change into bags like that too and every few months there’s close to $100 and it’s a nice “bonus” groc store trip for me that I dont have to “pay for”.
My camera.. love it! 1st day was yesterday and i posted about it and my settings, figured out that i need to be shooting on small, not large, images. slow load city otherwise 🙂
Great idea! We always collect our change & give it to our little one. You have a fun blog here 🙂 Happy New Year.
I love all your ideas for using up your spare change. I never have much as I usually end up using it – I love paying for things with exact change. I think it stems from several summers spent working as a cashier in a bookstore. It made things so much easier and now I try to do the same.
Happy New Year Evan!
Date night? Let’s be serious here.
I was giving a suggestion for my readers. Do as I say, not as I do.
My husband and I have a change jar too, but upped the ante to also include $1s, $5s and the left-over money from our monthly grocery budget. In 2 years we have a little over $2200 and will use it as spending money on our 14-day European honeymoon!
I have a big change bucket too. We’ve been talking about using it towards our anniversary in May. I hope it adds up quickly!
i do this all the time! it ends up being coffee money (when i run out) and it helps out so much in a pinch. but i am hoping to save up more to put towards travel!!! hollaaaaaa
We have a jar that we call the *Family Fund* We each contribute our change and then vote on how to spend it.