HELP!! I keep stealing money...

[mrsmiller]

....from my piggy bank!!!

I started to save change in a piggy bank for our next trip(this will be my kids spending money) in about 7weeks I already had 178.12 but now is down to 78.12 and a bunch of IOU notes inside. Anytime that we need change for the laundry, buses, ect I go and "steal" change. How do you keep yourself from dipping into the piggy bank? What strategies do you follow? Mind you, this is my first time saving money like this. I am thinking of opening an ING and deposit every week for the children only, but is anybody allowed to open an account or do you need a referral? TIA
Linnette

 

[KimberAnn]

Duct Tape.

 

[HM]

You need to get a piggy bank that you can only open if you break it. That way there is no way to dip.

-HM

 

[CajunDixie]

Don't bother with the referral. Earn yourself and each of the kids $50 for opening your own ING accounts with the code from TaxCut. Someone else posted their code and it matches the code I received so you should be able to use it mulitple times. Offer ID 58978755
Then tape that bank shut!! Every 3 months deposit your change into your checking account and have it transfered to your ING accounts.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I was really bad about this too. A couple things I've done is:

1. Move it into a less noticable spot, in my case from the kitchen to my bedroom. Out of sight, out of mind.

2. Keep some change and small bills in my purse just for things like that instead of putting EVERYTHING into the jar.

These helped me alot.

 

[ceroarty]

The dollar tree used to have( and may still have) these plastic pigs that you have cut open in order to get the money out. This is what I had to do. It worked great. I had over 200.00 in change. I also went the Disney Store and bought Disney dollars every time I was in there. Even if it was only $1. This amounted to over $500. This was all in about 6 months. For me that is pretty good. I've since started a new pig for my next trip. Hoping for more money this time.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I keep a piggy bank for my dd's spending money too. Like a previous poster, I keep it out of sight. It's behind the TV in my bedroom. Also, on top of all the coins is a wad of bills. A Disney Dollar is wrapped around the bills. That reminds me not to use the money! I saved up for all of last year and I think I only borrowed $3 the entire year.

 

[got2lovedisney]

Convert it all to Disney Dollars ASAP. Or direct deposit into ING. If you don't have it handy, you can't borrow from it. If you do borrow...pay back ASAP! If my DD needs lunch money...I might take $15 in singles but put in a $20 from my wallet.

 

[CheapMom]

Convert it all to Disney Dollars ASAP.
I second that motion.

 

[my3kids]

You could buy traveller's checks once you have enough for a note, like every $50 or $100.

 

[MrsPete]

I'm going to give a completely different answer:

I believe you need to re-visit your budget. You say you're habitually scrounging around for change for this and that --that's a sign that you have not allotted enough for your day-to-day necessities. To work long-term, a budget must be realistic. Make sure you have enough to cover your laundry, busses, whatever you NEED, then once you've spent that amount, STOP.

 

[Maddle]

MrsPete is correct. Re-visit your budget, and your habits. You need to be more realistic about your spending requirements.

If the problem is actually that you need CHANGE (not more money, just coins,) you need to get rolls of quarters from the bank that you will use for this purpose - NOT the money you have put aside at the end of the day. OR - in a real pinch, you need to BUY the change from your bank. (Put in a paper dollar, take out four quarters.)

You can do it - you can!

Maddle

 

[Luv2Roam]

When I borrow money from myself I make myself pay back with HIGH interest. Sometimes 50%. Even if it is for a day or two. And the pay back all goes back from where I borrowed.
When we vacationed here we use to buy Disney Dollars every month, or even weekly if I was in the store. It was our way of making a special savings account just for WDW.

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

I save change for our Disney cruise but I only save the Quarters or larger coins. The pennies, dimes and nickles are each in seperate cups and we use them if we need a little change (like filling the water bottles). The larger coins add up faster and I dip into it alot less.

Luckey

 

[LorieR]

I am using a large plastic juice bottle (like from Mott's apple juice). My husband cut a slot in the cap for me and glued the cap onto the bottle so we am not tempted to dip into it. Lots of dollar bills in there along with change this time so it is working for us! I keep it in my bedroom closet (out of sight) but it is convenient for when we empty our pockets. etc.

Lorie

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

If you're taking change because you need coins and not because you're broke, then you need to stop using IOUs. Replace the coins you take with folding money.

If you're raiding the piggy bank because you're coming up short every week, then I agree with MrsPete. You need to revisit your budget and make a few changes to it.

 

[TeresaMc]

I buy a $50 VISA gift card from the local mall every payday (bi-weekly). They will be for souvineers.

 

[daystar]

Hi,
I have the same problem with saving change....This is what i did...I bought a huge container that hold pretzels when my kids were all done eating them i made it into a bank only because the jar was huge to hold alot of change....I cut a small slit in the top of the lid and then duck taped it around the lid so that i could not open it...
Someone on here told me to buy rolls of dimes, i think it was because usually people look at spending the quarter than the smaller change, for me it worked well......Then i also buy disney dollars to put into the jar.....This method has worked well for my family...

 

[ksoehrlein]

I am thinking of opening an ING and deposit every week for the children only, but is anybody allowed to open an account or do you need a referral? TIA
Linnette

Anyone is allowed to open an account, but the only way to get the initial $25 opening bonus is to have a referral -- easily obtained by e-mailing or PMing any DISer in the sticky ING thread with your full name and e-mail addy -- and the only way to get the $50 opening bonus as mentioned by CajunDixie is through TaxCut.

Regardless of your opening method, you will earn $10 for each person you refer, even those in your immediate family. (And they will then get the $25 opening bonus as well). The TaxCut code seems like it will let you get that $50 opening bonus for each family member, however, so that would be even better.

Good luck saving!

 

[sanctus]

I buy a $50 VISA gift card from the local mall every payday (bi-weekly). They will be for souvineers.

This is a good idea, but I have a question. Can you use more than one gift card on a purchase? Like, if I'm buying something for $20 and I've got a card with only $10 left on it, can I use it, then use a second card for the other $10? Anyone done this?