If you save up your change...

[GatorMama]

How do you cash it out? Do you roll it yourself and take it to the bank? Do you use a machine like Coin Star? Are there other options?

I have a smallish jar of change that I've been saving to buy children's books for my someday classroom, but since we have no idea when I'll actually have a classroom, it makes more since for me to cash it out now and let it be for DS's souvenirs on our trip. DH doesn't want to budget anything for souvenirs, but it's DS's first trip and I want tobe able to get him something, even if it isn't much.

Anyway, not sure how to go about this. In the past, I'd have rolled it myself and taken it to the bank, but there is not a brick-and-mortar branch of our bank here. (USAA) How much does Coin-Star charge? I think I heard somewhere that they now do gift cards and charge less? Or that another, similar service?

 

[Zhoen]

I'm not aware of any other options, but a lot of banks have the coinstar machines that are free for their members. The other day I cashed out two jars for the snack fund at work at one of the grocery store coinstars and they charged 10%!!!! I paid it because I'd been carrying the change for a week and hadn't made it to my bank (where it would have been free) during business hours... (On the upside, the machine "rejected" a 1963 silver dime that I would never have noticed in all that regular change...)

I'd say check with some of the local branches of your bank and see what's out there. If you your bank isn't local, try asking friends in the area and maybe they could take you and then you wouldn't have to pay.

 

[Disneychix]

I roll my own quarters, dimes and nickels (most of the time) but I use CoinStar for the pennies. I figure it's worth the .08 on the dollar they charge (for cash) to deal with all those dirty pennies and it would cost me a lot anyway to buy wrappers for all the pennies.
I do not believe they give Disney gift cards option any longer. There are other GCs though so perhaps you can 'rebudget' your money and get a card for something you were planning on paying cash for and take that cash to WDW.

Getting our $$ for all our change is one of my favorite parts in trip preparations. It's like finding 'free' money. My DH is the change collector. He hardly ever uses coins and deposits them in a big jar everynight. (we' usually end up with $120!) I usually try to use up all mine to save the dollar bills!

 

[bpesch]

CoinStar is really expensive. Unfortunately, it's also one of the few convenient ways to do coins. I've never tried taking them to a bank before but it sounds like a good idea!

 

[bpesch]

it would cost me a lot anyway to buy wrappers for all the pennies.

Most banks will give you wrappers for free.

 

[angierae]

The Coinstar by me lets you cash out for Amazon gift cards, with no fee. So that's what I do.

 

[FL Ranch Girl]

Credit unions are free. 8% can get pricey for coinstar.

 

[elgerber]

Both of my banks have machines that count them for free, then they give you cash, or deposit the money in your account. They are not Coinstar machines.

 

[nala1128]

not sure if there is a branch near you, but we go to TD Bank (formerly Commerce Bank). They have the machines and after you put the change in it give you a print out and you take it to the teller and they give you the cash.. no fee. Also there is an option for the kids to guess how much before they put it in, If they are close, they win a prize (I think it is like a little plastic bank!)

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

BB&T has free coin counters, and you don't need to have an account. I'm not sure if BB&T goes up into Virginia or not.

 

[GatorMama]

Thanks, everyone! I will just take it to Coin Star and get an amazon GC or something and exchange that with cash from our Christmas gift budget since we get so many Christmas gifts off of amazon! I wish they had restaurant GCs from coinstar... that's what we really need for our trip...

Slightly unrelated question: After redeeming Swag Bucks points for a restaurant GC (Chili's), I know it takes up to 15 days for the code to show up in my account. What will I do with that? Will I be sent an actual card at some point or will I just print something off from home that we will use as payment in a restaurant?

 

[momto2inKC]

We roll our own change (bank provides rolls for free). None of our local banks have change machines, so that's out. The grocery store has a Coin Star but we'd rather roll them then pay the machine to count them up.

 

[Disneychix]

it would cost me a lot anyway to buy wrappers for all the pennies.

Most banks will give you wrappers for free.

I even work at my bank and my bank does not give out wrappers for free. So wish they did!

But that probably still wouldn't presuade me enough to roll 500 pennies.

 

[akcire]

Normally, I take our change jar to the bank a couple times a year. My bank has a counting machine and just deposits the funds into our account.

However, there have been a few times when the change jar has been too full, and I have been too busy to take the jar to the bank. So.....I will dump a portion of the change jar into a plastic bag and take it with me when grocery shopping. If I do this I always make certain I am self checking and it is an off peak time. I have been know to load the self check out machine with $10-15 of change........

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

The Coinstar at my Kroger will give you a Kroger gift card (a plastic one pops right out of the coinstar machine) with no fee. Did this on Sunday and used it to pay for my groceries that same trip.

 

[gracie1]

All of our banks used to have coin counters but they did away with them
So now we have to roll them. If you don't want to roll them, the bank will send them away to their corporate office but I don't like to do that. I am afraid they would loose them.

 

[GatorMama]

The Coinstar at my Kroger will give you a Kroger gift card (a plastic one pops right out of the coinstar machine) with no fee. Did this on Sunday and used it to pay for my groceries that same trip.

Wish I could do that with Publix or Target... I think those are the best grocery shopping options while we'll be on vacay...

 

[torinsmom]

Thanks, everyone! I will just take it to Coin Star and get an amazon GC or something and exchange that with cash from our Christmas gift budget since we get so many Christmas gifts off of amazon! I wish they had restaurant GCs from coinstar... that's what we really need for our trip...

Slightly unrelated question: After redeeming Swag Bucks points for a restaurant GC (Chili's), I know it takes up to 15 days for the code to show up in my account. What will I do with that? Will I be sent an actual card at some point or will I just print something off from home that we will use as payment in a restaurant?

You might find some good deals at restaurant.com
http://www.restaurant.com

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

The Coinstar at my Kroger will give you a Kroger gift card (a plastic one pops right out of the coinstar machine) with no fee. Did this on Sunday and used it to pay for my groceries that same trip.

I didn't know this, I am so glad you mentioned it! I am going grocery shopping today, looks like I need to make a stop at Kroger!

 

[Debi]

As others have mentioned, my bank has a free coin counting machine. A week or so before my WDW trip, I take my change jar to the bank and put it through the machine. A piece of paper prints showing my change total, and I take it to the teller who gives me the cash. It's easy, free, and convenient. Love TD Bank!