Years ago, I found coins/loose change valuable. They were useful for tolls, vending machines, parking meters, etc. But now, I have an E-ZPass account, and most of these machines take bills or debit/credit cards. While I do love being able to pay in the exact amount, right down to the last cent, most of the time I'm in a rush so it's just easier to hand whole bills over and take the change. Over time, coins became more of a nuisance, just items that weigh my bag down since I tend accumulate a lot of them. But as of late, I have fallen in love with them again.
A couple of years ago, I purchased this electronic coin bank that adds up your coins as you put them in it. I, of course, put it to good use-
when I would remember. But about a month and a half ago, I decided to clean, and by doing so, I came across loose change I've left (forgotten) in wallets, bags, and drawers. I decided to put them in my coin bank, and I actually filled that little sucker up in no time. So what did I do next? A trip to the nearest Coinstar machine? No. I went to my bank.
During one of my trips to my bank, I noticed that they had installed one of those coin counting machines, which was great because I do not have the time to sit there and roll coins. The other great thing is they do not take a percentage of my money since I have an account with them- Coinstar does. I walked away from the machine $158.48 richer. :)
Moral of the story? A penny is still money. LOL.
But seriously, ever since that day, the value of these coins have increased in my eyes again. I even pick coins up when I see them on the ground! I also almost always pay in bills most of the time, just so I can get change back. The change then goes straight into my coin bank. I am saving without really trying, and I can't wait to make that trip to my bank's coin machine again. :)
The next time, you find yourself belittling those coins, just remember that they can easily turn into $158.48. So save them or give them to me! LOL.
xx,
Pamela
