How much do you have in your jar so far?

[Blue, dear.]

Awhile back I read a post from someone saying he never spends change and instead puts it all in a jar which he then cashes in before going to WDW. Sounded like a good idea so DH and I started doing this about a month ago for our upcoming Jan '02 trip.

We counted last night and we have about $57. Is this good for a month's worth of change? <b>How much is in <i>your</i> jar, how long have you been saving and when is your trip??? </b>

[*Flower*]

Just think!!

That's $57 less than you would have spent if you weren't saving!!
We took an empty Laundry detergent jug that we'd cleaned up and are using it.
Of course we don't think of opening it up except to put change in, and whenever it gets to the top, we'll break down and count it.

You're doing a great job though!!

[disneygals]

Hi,

I usually save mine and exchange for dollar bills for kid's lunch money. But going to WDW in Feb so decided to save for trip. I have $170 since September. I roll it very frequently, so it's not such a big job. Was going to get Disney dollars, but afraid of losing them, so will get money order to pay credit card.

Happy saving!

Vivienne

[jrrandme]

I have always had a change jar, saved for twice a year dollhouse shows, this year (really only about 8 months worth) went to Disney. I also have a "laundry penguin", a really gaudy plaster penguin bank in the laundry...if it is found in the washer or dryer it goes to the penguin. When I cashed them both out last month the grand total was...$465.00 give or take. The Grandpap rolled all the change but the pennies, he gave up after a few dollars, and took $43.00 worth to a change machine! The only problem is now he cleans out his pockets before the pants go to the laundry :( he swears all the laundry penguin money was his and he isn't getting anything out of our Disney trip:p

Keep saving...this method has kept me really happy twice a year at the dollhouse shows:D :D :D

[Snow Brite]

I have $150 after 1 and 1/2 months of saving. :D I only pay with paper money, NEVER give exact change so I can go home with lots of coins! I also put stray one dollar bills in the jar, i try to think of them as lonely, when there is just one anywhere and put them in with their friends in the change jar!:rolleyes: I stop at TDS as my last stop whenever I am in the mall and change whatever money I have left in my wallet into DD. I keep a DD envelope in the change jar and put all the DD (and their receipts) in that envelope. Most importantly NO ONE ELSE IN THE FAMILY KNOWS ABOUT THE JAR! If they did they would secretly borrow from it constantly and I would never grow! LOL! ;)

Jennifer

[Pooh's Pal]

I work as a waitress and save all my change...Some nights good, some not. Save all my change from the grocery store etc. too!
I have a separte saving acct. for just Disney! It's a passbook account and I put Mickey stickers all over it..(The gals at the bank must think I'm nuts!) and I separate my change into 4 different jugs @ home. When they start to get heavy I sit down at the kitchen table with some newspapers and roll, and roll and roll. What a filthy job! That's my Mickey Money!
Just rolled another 125.00 in Quarters, dimes and nickels...The pennies are going to the coin machine, I just can't do that!:eek:

[ddisney333]

I have been saving change for about two months. One jar is for pennies and the other is for nickles, dimes and quarters. The penny jar has over $50 and the silver jar I havent counted yet. I wont count that jar until the beginning of April right before our first trip to WDW. I cant wait. Hoping for spring. :) :) :)

[Blue, dear.]

I'm curious. A couple of you have mentioned that you roll your coins. Why not just take the jar to the bank and let the tellers dump it in the counting machine?

And to those of you that have $150 or more that you've saved in less than two months - I SALUTE YOU! Ironically, about 15 of our 57 are dollar bills! So I guess we're not doing as good as I thought we were! :(

[Robinrs]

I save PER trip so since my next is my fourth trip this year... three to Orlando, one to Dollywood, we've emptied it out quite a bit.

I counted it Tuesday and I have about $30 in it. The last three times there was over $50. I still have 8 weeks to go and I think it'll be about the same at the last three. It is an incredibly easy way to save! :D

[DiznEeyore]

I don't take my change to the bank 'cuz they won't count it for you. Plus, I've heard one too many stories of people being shorted on change they brought to the bank.

I also won't do CoinStar, 'cuz I refuse to part with any of my hard-earned change.

Most of all, I *like* rolling my change! :D It's very satisfying! I roll it about once a month, deposit it in my checking account, and then transfer it to my ING savings account which pays 4% interest. That interest just gives me more free change every month! :D

[Raggedy]

Blue, dear.

You are doing a great job. I also put my change in a jug and after a couple of months i roll it up and take it to the bank. I also have a pass book account just for disney and i love watching it grow. My boyfriend and i have a budget on our excel program and it is fun watching that grow and seeing everything coming to place. I can answer the question about the change machine. I dn't know if everyone agree's with me but i enjoy rolling it all up and brining it to the bank.

[Blue, dear.]

Originally posted by Raggedy
I dn't know if everyone agree's with me but i enjoy rolling it all up and brining it to the bank. [/B]

Oh I dunno... I like the sound that machine makes when it's chugging it all in. heh

Though I've never heard of anyone being short-CHANGED (ha!) at the bank before. I'll be sure to count it all before I take it in! :(

[clm3]

We just started our "Coffee Can Savings", as our
trip is not until June 2002. We have it about half
filled right now, its the large 2lb can. I'm hoping to have several filled by the time we go. I get
all change or bills left in pants, so its been adding up.

We don't roll our coins though, we take them to the grocery store and cash them in. Our stores here in Houston have COINSTAR machines, you pour the change in and it issues a receipt to cash in at the customer svc desk. I don't think I could handle
rolling all those coins.

Good luck to all !!!!

[idontknow]

We have round metal canisters for flour, sugar, coffee, and tea. We don't drink tea, so that is our change jar. Since all of the banks started charging to count change we really haven't use it until 3 months ago when Grandma decided to pay for a family reunion in WDW next week. I counted it yestereday and took it to work to cash it in. We have $56. Unfortunately for us, but fortunately for my relatives, that will probably go towards our CP lunch next Friday. In the last week, money has become an issue and $17 for lunch is more than most can afford. This will atleast help out. ;)

[shelby2001]

In January when DH and I planned our Christmas Week trip we decided that each week whatever spending money was left over we would put directly into a savings account to help pay for the trip. We finally took the savings book out last week because we had to pay for the room in full and we could not believe that we had put $3200.00 in that account in 9 months. We both looked at each other and said look what you can save if you just give up a few things here and there.

[Imjuschln]

Wow, what a neat thread!! We have been saving since early September, putting the
money in a milk gallon jug. I went to move the jug to the other counter and could hardly
pick it up. I took it to the bank and the teller groaned when she picked it up! Why?-
because there was $260.78!! My husband and I betted the night before how much money would be in there: he said $135 and I said $168- boy were we both off! I have about 45 days left til our trip- so hopefully we will accumulate some more!

[poohraedopey]

I love taking a quiet aftrenoon to count and roll change! Though I must admit since my son started school in sept I have a lot LESS change all of it goes to lunchmoney and milkmoney and snack money.........

[clm3]

Does anyone know if I cash in my change and get Disney Dollars,
will all the resort and park restaurants accept them for meals??

I was hoping to save all this change for my Character meals.

Thanks,
Cheryl

[Raggedy]

Hi

Very good question. My mother and my boyfriends mother has asked us what we wnated for christmas and i have told them Disney Dollars. I wanted them for the same reason you want them for is for dining. I figured one less expense for me.

[nicknamy1996]

We havea plastic bank that looks like a baby bottle, but its about 3 ft high and about the circumference of a large coffee can....
My wife obviously never collected change before, because she told our 2 y/o (who loves to put change in the bank) "when we fill it up we'll take you to the store to buy something"!!!
I laughed and told her when we fill it up we could take them both to disney for a week, I'm no expert on money, but I know we have well over 50 bucks in it and it is only a couple of inches deep. I wonder how much it would hold. Now you guys are making me want to go home and count it.

Also its good to keep some change around the house if I need to keep my 2 y/o entertained for a few min. I just tell him to go put it in his bank, and he does... One coin at a time.

[Blue, dear.]

<b>clm3and Raggedy</b>, most definately you can use Disney Dollars for meals and at the resort! That's what I've asked for too. :)

[clm3]

Thank you Blue,Dear ...... I get more excited everyday. I hope
I can make it until June. :bounce:

[Poohbear123]

My trip 2 weeks ago, I cashed in 110.00. NOT including the Pennies I have in a Pretzel Barrel! Will cash those in for Feb. trip! By the way, if you belong to a Credit Union, they will throw your change in a machine for you and not charge you ANYTHING! Mine does it on Tues. and Wed. only!:D

[Feralpeg]

I've been saving since early September and I have almost $250.00. I'm a big Diet Coke drinker. When I want one at work, I always use a dollar bill. I put the change in my pocket. When I get home, any change in my pocket goes in the change bank. It really builds quickly.

[robinb]

I cashed mine in before my November trip and had over $100! Yippie I converted it all into "Mouse Money" (Disney Dollars or Traveler's Checks).

[seagull]

Here in NJ we have a coin machine in the lobby of our bank called the Penny Arcade. You put your change in, the machine counts it, and then you get a receipt which you take to the teller window. Best of all, it is free.

I love saving change. It does add up and you don't really miss it. We use it towards our spending money at WDW and had around $260 the last time we cashed in.

[ctgirlluvsmickey]

I read a post about saving change. So for my Oct 2001 trip i started saving change in March. I ended up saving 300.00 in change!! When I came back from WDW, I started a new jar for my Oct 2002 trip!

[Geebs]

My dad and I saved change in a water cooler jug. We knew that we had a lot of money in when it took the two of us to carry it! (it left a huge dent in the carpet). We would have never guessed that it would have given us almost $2400.00 WOW....We own DVC, but that paid for everything else we needed for the last trip in August...plus some special things like Cirque de Soleil, golfing at the Palm and plenty of drinks at the resorts. We are now doing the same thing for my wedding in August...it will help pay for the reception!!

[Krissalee]

Geebs - that is how we put down the initial deposit on our wedding reception several years ago! We rolled up all our change, and had over $800! Good luck!

In addition to saving my change, I recently started writing checks out to myself, cashing them, ad putting them in the jar. Last week I saved over $30 at the grocery store using coupons, so I wrote a check to myself for the amount I saved! I also started seling all my used books on Amazon.com - when I receive my payments, that all goes to the vacation fund too!

There are so many different ways to save - each little bit sure adds up!

Krissy

[catwho]

Well, to make those of you with less than $100 feel better, I just counted my coffee cup that has silver in it. I had a grand total of $20.95 plus 1 Liberty dollar, 1 Susan B, 1 Sakajawea, 2 Canadian quarters, 1 Netherland's dime and one German nickel. Think I can use those in World Showcase? LOL! I haven't counted my penny mug, but it is a pint size and when full (it's 3/4) it holds about $16.

I haven't been as diligent as I should though, so I'm going to try better over the next 58 days. No more exact change, no more change in the newspaper machine and no more change for allowance. Wonder if my kids will take a check?

:earsgirl:
59 more days!

[4nana]

I can't remember exactally when I started my Dis cookie jar ~
6 - 8 mos ago. and have about $300 :D Our family of 17 are
doing the Magic cruise Dec 2002. Each family made a decorated
Dis jar and save every xtra penny we get ~ from clipping coupons,
to the pizza we didn't get Fri night, to all our change. We also give
the grands Dis $'s for the holidays.....BD's, Easter, Christmas, etc.
They seem to enjoy saving up for their big trip and every so often
counting 'their stash'. It is surprising how fast it adds up!
:crazy:

[DisneyObsessed]

I wasn't going to count my bottle til it was full. But this thread made me soooo curious. We've been saving for a little less than 2 months and have $130 already. Everyone in my family though there was about $50 in it. It adds up so fast!

[Blue, dear.]

It's so nice to read everyone's comments about how much they've managed to save and how they're doing it. This jar idea really made me and husband realize how easy and fun it can be to save! We've got <b>a little over $100 in there now</b> (thanks to DH buying $30 worth of disney dollars and sticking it in there!) and we've still got 54 more days to go, so I'm hoping we'll have at least $200 which would take care of our road-trip expenses and a meal at the world. Awesome!

We're also asking our folks for Disney dollars for Christmas. Wish us luck! :)

[catwho]

Blue, Dear, I just realized that we are going to be there around the same time! We have 56 days to go, so you are getting there on Friday and we are getting there on Sunday! It will be interesting to see how our money jars grow over the next few weeks! (WEEKS! I can really start thining about it in terms of WEEKS!!)

Oh, I just thought of another way that we have decided to save for our trip. For every meal that we start out thinking we are going to go out and we end up making something at home instead we are going to put the money we would have spent (on pizza, burgers, etc.) in the jar! We've been saying, "Let's not eat out so we don't spend as much before our trip." But we still end up spending that money elsewhere. So now it is going into the kitty. I figure witha family of 5 we can save at least $50 a weekend!! (x 7 weekends.......)

:earsgirl:
56 days til next trip ASMu!

[jimmiej]

We've saved over $43 in 2 months. We found the neatest "piggy" bank at Walgreen's. Most of the change is mine-my wife likes to keep her change for everyday needs. We're going in June. I hope to have at least $100. 193 days to go...

[Chess]

We saved about $30 in one month but when I was going through some gifts we brought back from our October trip I found $25 dollars :cool: so I put this in the money box. Now we have $55 and we have two more months to save.