I counted my jar of coins last night......

[carrie1626]

I also do not spend my change and save it in a jar...as well as set my weekly budget in cash (aside from bills). It is amazing how quickly it adds up! I also went back to saving my $1 bills.

After our July trip last year, I started our jar again...within a few months I had over $100. I cashed it in and restarted it...and it is still accumulating. I plan to cash it in a few days before our trip this year (after removing some quarters and shiny pennies for pressed pennies for the kids).

I save $1 bills too. I had to because once I started working from home, I wasn't vising the cafeteria everyday and getting change back. It's always a thrill to spill all that change into my can knowing its for vacation

 

[npmommie]

Where do you guys turn in your coins?

 

[eyor44]

I save change also and have all my kids doing it. I have a bank for each type of coin. I cash out before each trip. I was saving any dollar bills I have in my wallet on pay day but haven't done it for this trip.

 

[la79al]

I apparently don't use cash often enough to have a change jar. I think I get less than $50 a year . I would have to say though that most of my change goes to my kids (3 and 1). They don't even comprehend the money thing, they just like putting it into the slot on the Tinkerbell bank. I'm hoping they get enough to have some spending money for the beach this summer and then are able to start over and get enough for DW in January.

 

[npmommie]

I use an old glass milk container. When it is filled it usually is about $100

 

[KarlaG4Kids]

I got a neat jar with a counting lid at Target after Christmas. It was one of their special Christmas gift items and it was on sale for 50% off so I think I paid about $5. It is great. It counts each coin that goes in and it retains the amount on the counter. We have nearly $100 for our May trip. Also, the lid screws off and you can put dollar bills in but it won't count those. Love that little jar!

 

[npmommie]

I got a neat jar with a counting lid at Target after Christmas. It was one of their special Christmas gift items and it was on sale for 50% off so I think I paid about $5. It is great. It counts each coin that goes in and it retains the amount on the counter. We have nearly $100 for our May trip. Also, the lid screws off and you can put dollar bills in but it won't count those. Love that little jar!

Oh how cool! Then you know exactly what you should have when you turn it in. I always wonder if those coin counting machines like coinstar are accurate.

 

[cajunbaby1]

You can find those Coinstar counting machines at walmart & most grocery stores. But they charge like 8.4cents per dollar that you cash in. Some banks have them & are free if a member. My moms credit union has it and I just make her go with me and cash my vacation stash out (and I can do it for free) Hey don't judge...every little nickle for grey goose slushies in world showcase!

 

[Sugar Jones]

Where do you guys turn in your coins?

I roll mine and take it to the bank and deposit it in our Disney Fund.



We only use cash for everything. We just started this about 6 months ago and you'd be surprised how much money you can save, by not whipping out your debit card! I think twice about everything I purchase now.

 

[torinsmom]

I have the counting jar too. It only counts the coins, but bills are easy to count separately. I put all the change in there, but mostly use my check card to pay for things like groceries, so we average maybe $80/year. Maybe I will swtich to the cash method for groceries and fast food type purchases though to up the count. Usually, ours is souvenir money.

 

[disneydeal]

Where do you guys turn in your coins?

we go to our bank and turn in for bills (under my daughters account) that way they give you 100% back.. no 1 or 2 % bank fee for cashing in that way..

 

[disneydeal]

I got a neat jar with a counting lid at Target after Christmas. It was one of their special Christmas gift items and it was on sale for 50% off so I think I paid about $5. It is great. It counts each coin that goes in and it retains the amount on the counter. We have nearly $100 for our May trip. Also, the lid screws off and you can put dollar bills in but it won't count those. Love that little jar!

you must have got lucky and got the ONE jar that counts correctly. i've bought one at target and one at kohls.. neither worked correctly...

 

[torinsmom]

you must have got lucky and got the ONE jar that counts correctly. i've bought one at target and one at kohls.. neither worked correctly...[/QUOTE

I have 2 and mine both count correctly.

 

[goofyredraider]

Where do you guys turn in your coins?

We primarily bank with USAA (no local location), but last year we opened an account at Capital One when they had one of those $200 bonus with direct deposit offers. We changed my husband's national guard pay (not primary income) to it so we'd have a local account.

Well, suprise, suprise!!! They have a coin counting machine inside the branch! We can trade it in for cash or deposit it in our account.

 

[skysmom99]

Another change keeper. I'm the only one in my house doing it, so it doesn't add up quite as much. However, it was enough last time to pay for the doggy hotel (aka the kennel at my vet's office). I figure that is as much a vacation expense as anyhing else.

 

[Piglet4Ever]

Dh and I use a WDW popcorn bucket for holding our change. We usually take it to the bank every 3 months and average about $200 each time. Luckily for us our local Navy Fed credit union has a change counting machine and the total gets deposited directly into our account.

 

[bumbershoot]

We keep change to get our money for tips. Not food tips, but bell services, etc. Oh, and for tolls when we're heading to Orlando.

I personally cash in at Chase. When our Chase branches were WaMu, they wanted to charge me a percentage, but now they don't mind, as long as I'm not bringing in a ton of rolls of coins. Sometimes I put it into my account, sometimes I just take it in ones and fives, just depends on my mood.


I had been keeping it in a canning jar, but now I keep it in my Norway and Germany plastic beer steins. Though, I'm thinking that I like that popcorn bucket idea...

WE're never surprised by the total, because I have to count it as we go. I put each type of coin into a zip top baggie. Years ago we had a real problem of coin-jar pilfering by a certain adult in my household, and counting (writing it on paper that goes in the baggie), then rolling it as I get enough for a roll, prevents that from happening. That way no one is angry at the other, and the other has just enough of a roadblock in his, er...the person's, way that the person isn't unhappy about it.

Anyway, I'm liking the popcorn bucket, since those souvenir beer things are kinda skinny.



FWIW, Coinstar also has the option of getting gift certificates with NO fee! So if you need to buy things from amazon or disney ONLINE, or starbucks, you can turn in your change for a gift certificate like that, and put the money you would have used into your bank account (or tip envelope).

 

[ChristyJE117]

Keeping a change jar is a great way to save a little extra money. For Christmas this year, my dad gave each of my daughters a cloth bag FILLED with change... both girls ended up with close to $100 in their bags.

 

[LMN]

We use our Disney popcorn bucket for our Disney fund savings too! All of the change we get goes into this bucket. I also set aside a certain amount each week for groceries and whatever I have left at the end of the week (not spent) goes in the Disney fund bucket too. Really cuts down on the impulse buying at the grocery store! I need to start using cash to pay for more items so that our savings will grow quicker. Fortunately our credit union does not charge us a fee to count our change. If I roll it and bring it in, however, they will unroll it and put it thru the machine, so there's no point in me taking the time to roll it.

 

[Disney Addicted]

Another Disney popcorn bucket coin saver here as well!

I was cashing it out monthly, but changed to quarterly instead. I roll up the coins and exchange at the bank for no fees. I don't mind the rolling. Maybe I'm strange, but it adds to my excitement a bit. I guess I'm used to rolling coins. I help other moms count & roll up the pizza money monthly, which comes in mostly coins.

Also, I have people at various places (ie, store, bank) who save american coins for me. I get to swap them for Canadian coins and add them to my popcorn bucket. Those coins get rolled up and brought across the border. I then exchange the american coins for american bills. No exchange rate or fees!