If you save up your change...

[cluvsdisney]

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!)

FYI...TD Bank recently started charging non-members a 6% fee to use their change counting machine.

 

[SaraJayne]

Our bank and credit union both have a coin counter for free and they either cash out the money or deposit it for you in your account.

I won't pay to have somone count my change.

 

[furb & dez]

We used to save up all our change and then cash it in when we were in Las Vegas.

No more... virtually none of the Vegas casinos will take your coin anymore, they'll direct you to find a supermarket and dump it in a CoinStar machine.

 

[DawnM]

Coinstar gives me a gift certificates at no charge. Since Amazon and Starbucks are options, I just do that.

Dawn

 

[tomthebarncat]

I roll it while watching tv, and then take it to the bank and deposit into savings. I am leaving Germany for China, next week and just put all my small change (1 & 2 cents) into the local rescue groups piggy bank that is at my local market.

 

[bookgirl]

My mom's bank which is local chain has a coin counter at it's main branch located in our suburb, so we take it there. No charge and they're even going to give me some cloth coin bags to bring it in. Hopeing they'll let me keep them.

My bank which has a local branch, but is a national chain, does not have a counter. I have to dump all my coins in a clear vinal bag with a deposit slip then they ship it off to the main downtown branch and it gets deposited into my account within the week.

I at least dump mine when it hits around $200, my mom hoards hers and currently has probably close to $1000. Did I mention that I'm taking hers to the bank this week LOL

It runs in the family, my grandfather kept coin buckets, my mom does, both my brother and I do, and one of my 12 year old nephews has a couple of containers in his closet as well. If you're going to be OCD at least the coin hoarding will make you some money.

 

[mdrob214]

Call your bank first! I rolled all my change the first time, then brought it into our branch (credit union)...where I had to unwrap it all. They don't take rolled coins--all have to go through the counter. It's free, though. I got my coin wrappers at the Dollar Tree: $1 for a large bag of wrappers for all coins.

 

[cam&phoebsmom]

If your bank has a fee you may want to check if any of your friends belong to a credit union. The 2 that we have belonged to have a machine in the lobby and no fee. We took a jar we have been collecting in since Jan and had $125 in there (I deposited it into a seperate savings account I don't usually do anything with so we could keep saving b/c I also had a bunch of cash I wanted to deposit in there).

As we were depositing a guy came in with a big water bottle pretty much filled (like frm a water machine). We watched as he did it and he had over $1300 in his-WOW!!!!

 

[Karenj2]

Dumb question, but how do you know that the coin counter is accurately counting your change? I'd love to use the Coinstar near me, but I've always been worried that they'll shortchange me (pun intended).

 

[jjsmom]

I am very fortunate that my primary bank (locally owned) has a branch with a coin counter. . You must be a customer and have the teller verify your account before using the machine.
I think most coinstars charge between 12-15%

 

[cluvsdisney]

Dumb question, but how do you know that the coin counter is accurately counting your change? I'd love to use the Coinstar near me, but I've always been worried that they'll shortchange me (pun intended).

You could throw in a particular amount of change and check that it is counted correctly.

 

[seasheller]

We just had a successful garage sale so I went to the bank with a large deposit of paper money and coins. I had counted it all out, clipped the money into $100 units. The bank teller took off all the clips and put the bills in a machine that buzzed through them in half a minute and came up with the exact total. She did the same with the coins. I was amazed how fast it was, and was happy that I knew the exact total before hand. No charge. Nice to know they have the capability to do it.

 

[ferrytale]

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!)

Didn't read the whole thread yet, but in case this hasn't been mentioned - TD Bank now charges you if you do not have an account. I was shocked the last time we took ours in and they asked if we had an account (we do), and then she told me they were now charging if you don't have an account. I think she said 10%. I am unhappy with TD and all their fees lately, though it seems all the banks are adding more and more fees. :-( but that's a whole 'nother topic lol.

On the other note our best change jar take ever was $399.98 - the guy working the Penny Arcade at TD was so impressed he reached in and gave us 2 pennies to make it an even $400! That was a few years ago. We have a good stash going now. Trying to see high we can get it before we cash in.

 

[PrincessShanShan]

We saved change in a 5 gallon water jug for a few years. Once it was full, I counted and rolled a little over $2500 in change. This was last summer. It took me a month to do it all. I did it in increments of $500 and made 5 trips to the bank. We have a coinstar at the grocery store, but they charge 10%, and I didn't mind the rolling and counting. We took a Mediterranean cruise for Christmas and this was our spending money. We've started saving again, so I guess in a few years I'll be couting and rolling again! It's amazing at how much you can save from change!

 

[21hearts]

I'm of no help but what I do is take it to my parents business (they own a vending business). My dad will run it through his coin machine & give me the amount in dollars. Then once his bags get full he takes it to the bank & deposits it.

Other then that I know our local Winn-Dixie has a change machine. I have no idea what the free is because I've never used it.

 

[bookmama]

have you checked your local credit union?

 

[DCLbrideSept2009]

A few months ago we got a thing in the mail from Capital One offering us I think $250 to open a new account. So we did. The bonus was that they have a coin counting machine in their branch - free for account holders! This became our vacation account. And we had been saving up change for our trip and were able to get it counted there for free and then deposited into our account!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I roll my own. We ususally sit infront of the tv and do it. I do not roll pennies. On Labor day weekend the fire fighters are at the airshow we go to and they collect change for the MDA so we give them our pennies.

 

[2girls4me]

I take it to my credit union's counting machine. There is no fee for members.

 

[GatorMama]

I took it all to the CoinStar machine and got an Amazon giftcard. I had estimated $20-30. I'd have been SO excited with anything over $25 (since that would mean I'd qualify for free shipping on whatever I picked). Guess what? $65.33 YAY! It didn't look like much because it was so many quarters... $45 of quarters! CRAZY!