*New* change jar

[MichelleTO]

We use a small glass demijon (for making ice wine) the large size one for regular wine was a bit too big for the top of the hutch we have it on. Each trip we change the label to indicate what we are saving for! My DH gets some type of Disney Clipart and puts the date of the trip on it. Its amazing how many people see it in our house and drop coins into it! Its a great way for the kids to help save, we have them put any change they find in the house into the jar and make a big deal about bills going in! Especially if they are American, as the CDN exchange is $1.24 now. I like them to be able to see the amount accumulating for the trip as they know this is all the spending money we get for souveniers.

 

[asmav]

I think these change jars are such a great idea. We've been using this 5-gallon plastic water jug for our last 2 trips to Disney. The last time we had over $600 and it wasn’t half full.

Not only do the kids fell a sense of accomplishment when we cash it in at the banks coin machine, but they learn the patience of saving and the anticipation of something good.

Even if you don’t need to save for the trip, think of what virtues you are teaching your children.

It sounds like there is a lot of good parenting going on out there.

By the way “floridagirrl2” had a good one with putting a $20 every week or so. That will make the kids eyes shine when they see that grand total.

Cheers!

 

[mrsg00fy]

How do you turn the coin into bills? I noticed thechange machines in grocery stores charge a percentage for the privilege. Does your bank accept rolled coin? Do they just put the coin through a machine? Do they charge you for it? Just curious. Thanks.

 

[karinbelle]

At our bank you can bring in unrolled change and they will send it to their main branch to count & credit to your account. This takes a few days, but there is no service charge.

Karin

 

[twinklebug]

How do you turn the coin into bills? I noticed thechange machines in grocery stores charge a percentage for the privilege. Does your bank accept rolled coin? Do they just put the coin through a machine? Do they charge you for it? Just curious. Thanks.

I believe all banks are required by the treasury to accept rolled coins at no extra charge. (I could be wrong). Many banks now days offer a coin counting machine that the employees use behind the counter and may charge 5% (better than the counters at the stores).

As a Disney-fund bank my kids are using an old pink baby-bottle that holds about $200 in coin when full. Neither the color nor style of the bank seem to matter to my 8yo who keeps the bank just inside his bedroom door, only the weight

 

[MayMom]

MayMom- did you buy the crayon bank recently? I'm wondering if DollarTree would still have them... that sounds like it would work well for us. I don't have the discipline to keep out of our change jar and I need something that won't open easily when we "need" an ice cream or something like that!

Yes they have them at the Dollar Tree in our hometown. They come in different colors and are about 2 feet tall. They hold lots of moola....

 

[asmav]

I dont know if you have heard of Commerce Bank (its a large chain). It has something called a "Penny Arcade" in the lobby which is free to everyone even if you dont have an account with them. You dump the coins in the machine, it gives you a ticket to take to a teller and they give you the cash. I counted the coins before hand just to make sure of accuracy and they were right on.

 

[siouxsieQ]

I like to keep my change semi-sorted, so we have 4 banks.

We have:

Giant Mt. Dew Bottle: pennies

Giant Coke Bottle: special coins... $1 coins, half dollars, new nickels, bicentennial quarters... those type of things

Giant Pepsi Bottle: state quarters

Giant Crayon: other silver change (and sometimes I sneak in some dollar bills)

I have only counted the change in one bank. We have the bottom of the Pepsi bottle covered with state quarters and there is a about $100 there. I will love to count that one when it is full.

The one I'm really curious about is the Crayon. It is about halfway full!

TTT:

Well, Hubby couldn't stand it any longer. He had to know how much change we have. We aren't going to do anything with it until the banks are FULL!

We have $380 in state Quarters, and $472 in other silver change. We did not count the pennies or the 'special' change.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I had just remembered the other day that I got a Disney cookie jar for a birthday present a year or two ago. I am now going to use that. LOL. I have also decided everytime I go to the store, I am going to round up my checks. Like if I spend 22.36 I'll round it up to 25. Then the extra money goes into the Disney fund!

I've been doing this for a while, though currently I don't have much to show for it. Each check is round up to the nearest dollar, while each deposit is rounded down the the nearest whole dollar. It's amazing how quickly those cents add up. I keep the rounded balance on the register in ink and pencil the true balance in the margin in pencil so I can easily balance the checkbook with the statement/online balance. You could also write each in the two spaces allowed for each entry.

I have a plastic container, that once had pretzels in it, with Vacation Fund and clipart on the front. It's got a little bit of change on the bottom and I hope to start cramming it full of coins soon. We had it about 1/2 full one time, almost $70, but finances got week and we had to break it open.

I like the idea of separating the coins in separate "banks". I hate digging through the pennies to get to dimes, nickels and quarters.

 

[my3kids]

I love my savings bucket. I steal DH's change every night to put into the bucket. He steals all the dollar bills out of the bucket. Its an unbalanced, but fun, system of savings.

 

[kerry34]

I love my savings bucket. I steal DH's change every night to put into the bucket. He steals all the dollar bills out of the bucket. Its an unbalanced, but fun, system of savings.

We do the same thing in my house. I swipe his change to put into the can, then he turns around and takes the bills out when I am not looking. I guess I am not the only one who goes through this. I am starting to thinking about hiding the can so he can't get to it!!

 

[HayGan]

I dont know if you have heard of Commerce Bank (its a large chain). It has something called a "Penny Arcade" in the lobby which is free to everyone even if you dont have an account with them. You dump the coins in the machine, it gives you a ticket to take to a teller and they give you the cash. I counted the coins before hand just to make sure of accuracy and they were right on.

Our PNC Bank has a similar machine in the lobby that is free for customers and charges a % for non-customers (5% I think). No more counting change for me

 

[BostonTink85]

Just an idea about the change jars, they have some at the Christmas Tree Shop for $1. They are ceramic and shaped like a bottle and have a cork on the top, plus a hole in the side to put change into. There are I think 4 different ones, the one I got says "Vacation Fund" on it and is decorated with cool art work. Definately worth the one dollar

 

[HappyLawyer]

i use a mop bucket

 

[CrazedDisFan]

We have one of those huge Absophure water bottles which dh brought home from work. We saved $123 in less than a month in change last year. The kids were able to split it (2 dds) and we bought Disney $ with it. They were thrilled.

The only problem with such a big jug is it never gets 'full'. So it is sort of too big of a goal. We are going to use a smaller bank this time and start much sooner.

I need to hunt down some sort of clear container, so the kids can see the progress. They each want $100 to spend next trip. According to dd who is 8 if she had a $100 at Disney she'd be RICH!!!!!!

 

[my3kids]

We rolled our coins because the kids love doing this. I got all our rolls out this morning and DH said his company PAYS the bank for rolled coins and I should just take them there to be cashed in. I'll get my dollars and the office will get the rolled coins without having to pay for them. Can you believe banks CHARGE for rolled coins? And they weren't cheap either!

 

[punkin]

I did the change jar last year and got $70 in three months, which I spent oon a splurge dinner out (what a waste). This year I am keeping a change jar, but it is going to charity. I don't miss the money and my kids learn to put their change in there and know they're helping underprivileged kids.

 

[Chris]

How do you turn the coin into bills? I noticed thechange machines in grocery stores charge a percentage for the privilege. Does your bank accept rolled coin? Do they just put the coin through a machine? Do they charge you for it? Just curious. Thanks.

My bank has a coin counting machine that is free for customers!

 

[PaulaSue]

We haven't been to Disney so I use a big plastic containter My Mom gave me and the girls decorated it with disney stickers (free from some mailing). We did it the begining of summer and it is starting to get filled already.


BTW, I didn't read everyones post but at Commerence bank they count it for free so we don't have to do.

 

[pumpkinfish]

I love our coin jar. If anyone remembers it is from Hallmark from last year or the year before. Is is a ceramic-jar that has Mickey and Minnie on the front. I prefer all my coins and "paper" to be all together in a jar that is not see-thru. I like not knowing how much is in there, because if I really knew, I would be dipping into it This past April DH and i had $125 to take on our trip (that was being saved since December).