Don’t Forget Coins Are Money Too

Saving a few bucks here and there is easier than you think.  There are so many money saving tips out there, many are common sense ways to stretch a dollar.  Following a few of the tips long enough so they make an impact could result in quite a few extra dollars saved rather than spent.

Using cash for purchases is a good way to realistically see what you are purchasing and how quickly your cash disappears. Credit and debit cards disguise the impact of spending the use of cash has another benefit, it usually produces change; pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters.  We forget that the silver stuff is money too.  The change that you get back from routine purchases probably goes unused more times than not.  Change ends up in the furniture, in our coat pockets, the cup holder in the car or in a mug on your dresser.  Usually once it’s given back to us it never gets thought of again.  The good thing about change is that when we actually use it for our purchases it can save us money.

Think about how many times you have had to break a dollar bill for an item that costs $2.10?  In reality, that item just cost you $3.00, unless you actually use the change you got back in coins.   Once that $1.00 or $5.00 bill is broken it’s as good as gone.  The 90 cents in silver gets lost in the shuffle and we are on to spending the next dollar bill.  Making a habit of carrying change, and using it, can save you quite a few dollars a week.

Making an effort to use coins can be a very easy way to save a few bucks a week. We have all been behind those people who are digging into their purses for the exact change to pay for their item at the checkout.  Yes, being behind the change makers can be both frustrating and time consuming, but they just may be the smart ones.  We can all stand to learn a thing or two from the change makers.

If you’re really opposed to being the person who carries the coin purse you can still benefit from saving your change and putting it in one location.  Once you get a collection of coins you can cash it in for dollar bills. Believe it or not banks still do have change rollers and many credit unions have coin exchanges.  Your change can be money that’s once again back in your pocket.