Whoo Hooo It's only $40 ....BUT!!!!!

[ssatterly]

Whoo hoo i just counted my change and I have a bit over $40 i just stated saving my change and i just had to count it and low and behold I have over $40 ...Whoo hoo so it really DOES add up!

[raytownlady]

I agree with you it really does add up. I have been saving change for several months in anticipation for our upcoming cruise I figured I'd use the change for a really nice spa treatment. Well low and behold DH and I took it to the grocery store and poured it into one of those coin redemption machines and we had over $300.00 worth of coins. Not Bad Not Bad at All:D

[NewCruzer1]

I took it to the grocery store and poured it into one of those coin redemption machines and we had over $300.00 worth of coins.

 

Great way to save -- I've been doing it for years for summer spending money (I'm a schoolteacher). But you paid a 7% service fee to that commercial counting machine. Many banks -- at least local ones -- will count and redeem your change for free if you have an account with them. You may have to deposit it, but you can then just withdraw it again either with a check for cash or ATM card.

[Heidict]

My husband and are have been saving change for he past 6 months or so in anticipation of our vacation in December (9 days in Puerto Rico and a 7 day cruise following). We have around $400 now and hope to save more before we leave. We plan on using the money for our rental car.

[calliecat]

We save change as well. I bought a couple bags of coin rolls so all I have to do is roll them and take them to the bank to be deposited.

We also go a little further with the cookie jar....all our aluminun can money goes there (just got $11.20 the other day...whooohoooo :p ), and any rebate checks are cashed and put in the jar. I belong to Pinecone Research, so any $5.00 check I get for answering questions gets put in there as well as any other "welfare" check that shows up at our house. My husband is reimbursed for his cellphone use by his place of employment so that goes in there. We have USAA insurance and usually get a dividend check in December so it goes in there as well.

Anything we can do to help take the bite out of our cruising. I don't want to think about coming home and owing for my vacation.

[DollyCruise]

It DOES add up........change makes dollars, no question about that.

 

You just have to be aware......my brother says, "it's only $7".....I say, "no, it's $7.99 that's EIGHT dollars." Tax included it's OVER eight dollars......but "they" have you thinking it's seven!

 

You can "figger" your budget left, right & sideways....accounting for all your mortgage, rent, utilities, gas, electric, etc....but a substantial portion of your disposable income is "out of pocket" expenses.

 

Control THEM and you have it licked! Think about what you spend on a daily basis......I mean REALLY ......write it down....every penny you spend.....you will be amazed!

 

We were four NY'ers on a pier fishing in Gulfport or Biloxi (can't remember)...we were people watching, some chick & what seemed to be her two daughters in a decent sized boat....obviously, they were living the good life...hibachi smoking & all. Good food going on!

 

This guy came along........on the pier, collecting cans.....we started yakkin back & forth, "do you really make enough from these cans to make it worthwhile?". This Cajun pointed to the boat and said, "ask my wife".

 

Hot damn.......convinced me!

 

Here we were up in NY watching the "market" and homeboy had his own "market" going on......oh hell yeah!

 

Needless to say.......I save my cans!

 

LOL........you know that I know that you know..........Dolly! :)

[MrsPete]

I think a change jar can be a good idea IF you handle it right. If you throw your change into the jar at the end of the evening, but then you go straight to the ATM once your wallet's empty, you're not going to save anything -- in fact, you might find that your checking account's running lower than usual! On the other hand, if once your wallet's empty, you say, "that's it until payday", then you'll save.

 

I'll echo what another poster said: Don't go to the grocery store to use one of those machines. They charge something like 7-9% of your total! That's money down the drain.

 

I agree completely that little bits add up.

 

You're about to drive through the fast-food window to buy a sandwich that "only" costs $3. Go home and eat a PB&J instead. It's "only" a sandwich and it saves you $3.

Do you usually buy sodas from the machine at work because they're convenient and "only" fifty cents? Buy a 12-pack for the cost of four vending-machine sodas or buy a re-fillable water bottle.

Skip that magazine at the grocery store check-out line, rent a video instead of seeing a first-run movie at the theater, go through and assess last year's clothes before you go shopping for new fall things, cut back a bit on the number of Christmas presents you give, make a homemade card to attach to that wedding gift instead of spending three dollars on a Hallmark card . . . the list could go on.

 

It's amazing how fast your dollars add up when you get a handle on your pennies!

[CrazyCruiseCanuck]

Here in Canada, we have the ultimate opportunity for 'change jar' savings.....we have no $1 or $2 paper money, so a handful of 'loonies' and 'toonies' can amount to $15 or $20.!

 

DH and I have for years used this method to save for vacations. We cash in our jar money and use it to purchase US dollars when the exchange rate is favourable....we'll be cruising in Hawaii in 3 weeks with all our spare change coverted to paper.

 

In fact, this time we also used our money jar for the final payment on our cruise....all spare change plus any per diem checks from DH's field work, and any other rebate or 'windfall' money. And this was after emptying our jar for our Grandeur cruise last December!

 

And I heartily agree with taking your lunch to work, renting movies instead of paying for a theatre seat and greasy popcorn, and having the occasional beer at home instead of in the local bar.

 

Priorities, priorities......

[SevenVII]

Thats great, but I cant stand dealing with loose change. I only use debit/credit cards for my purchases. I either end up losing it, spending on something dumb, or have to deal with making it back into dollars. To each his own :D

 

And I also agree that those changing machines are rip offs.

[cruisinpaige]

Thats great, but I cant stand dealing with loose change. I only use debit/credit cards for my purchases. I either end up losing it, spending on something dumb, or have to deal with making it back into dollars. To each his own :D

 

And I also agree that those changing machines are rip offs.

I do the change thing, too and every few cruises I cash it in and it can pay for a variet of things--parking at the pier, taxi to the pier, a bunch of $1s for tipping, a foot and ankle massage, a bottle of wine at dinner...

 

I use a tin cup I got at Pusser's Rum in Tortola on a cruise and a little cashew jar from the minibar on the Legend to hold my change. I was eating the cashews in bed on a cruise with my sister and I must have been half asleep 'cause I mumbled "mmmm....bednuts" like Homer Simpson aould do, and it has been dubbed "the bednut jar" ever since.

 

Oh, the point of all this is that I think Washinton Mutual will cash change in their machines for free and I think they are open Sat and Sun--at least here is SF.

 

Inspiration 11/96

Fascination 5/98

Sensation 5/99

Sensation 8/99

Paradise 5/00

Paradise 5/01

Sensation 9/01

Imagination 4/02

Imagination 9/02

Majesty 11/02

Paradise 12/02

Majesty 1/03

Paradise 4/03

Fascination 7/03

Legend 12/03

Imagination 1/04

Paradise 4/04

ZUD 9/04

Imagination 1/05

[CRUZERWANNABE]

We also save change and ear mark it for extras,like spa treatments or excursions. I also save $1.00 bills with the letters C-for cruise; F-for FUN and this time P- for Princess!!

[FengShuiBBturtle]

OK. I have been saving my change in a coffee can for about a 3 months. i dipped into it for gas once (10 bucks). It about an inch high. I need to get it to 3 inches before i think it will pass $100.:( but it's better than nothing!

[katrain]

I got a water jug (the big ones in like in a office) it's about a 35% full if change... We will cash it in next week before we leave and make it our tip and casino money(we some of it at least)! I'll post how much we have when I cash it in next weekend (our cruise is on the 6th of Nov.) We started about 6 or 7 months ago. I just fight temptation to dip in there anytime I need change. I rather break a dollar and put the change from that dollar in there it seems to make more sense to me.

Also our credit union (Delta Airline) will cash it in for us without a service fee, I just have to depoist it. So I don't have to roll it which is GOOD!!!! :)

[cometsmom]

We've saved our change for years now (my husband always has at least a dollar or two every night!) Our boys (now 16 and 14) would roll the coin about a week before vacation and would split the money as their spending money! They participate in adding to the change jar as well! This past summer, we had about $300 in there!

 

The whole rolling activity was something they loved to do when they were little, but I still think they get excited trying to figure out what they'll end up with!

[cruzisme]

great ideas re change jar

recycling cans helps too

take your lunch to work; make coffee at home, put into insulated mug--less expensive than Starbucks every day!

read library books; or buy at used store, not at Costco or Barnes & Noble etc.

wear washable clothing rather than'dry clean ' only types if possible

use consignment stores for things like plates mugs etc.

sell things via ebay, your newspaper ads, etc. for extra $$$

reuse foil, but not if used for raw poultry

use plastic storage containers for lunch, instead of buying a lunch or sandwich bags, etc.

watch for sales so you know prices before you buy

buy in bulk but only if you use the stuff or can share with another family

pay your bills in full each month so no interest rates get ya!

have dinner parties at home instead of going out to restaurants

make things like pizza at home, instead of buying frozen ones or going out

 

other ideas out there to save $$$$ :cool:

[TWA4Ever]

Been saving change ever since the state quarter program began. Only save (or is that hoard?) state quarters in coffee cans. So far, have about $500 worth - someday will cash them all in to pay for a cruise in its entirety!!!

 

(I hope.)

[Blndiebby25]

I have been keeping my change and rolling it for the past week and couldn't help but count it today. So far I have $60 in rolled change and a whole bunch of pennies I still need to roll but need some rollers. At this rate I will have lots of spending money for my cruise.

 

I am also saving my bottles and will be saving the money from that too.

 

Can wait!

[TahoeBob]

sell things via ebay, for extra $$$

Ebay is great I sell lots of stuff we are going on on the Vision on 12-19, the whole vacation was paid for by all the things I have sold. This year alone I have made over $4000.00 Last year we spent a week at Disneyland thanks to Ebay, The year before I bought a new Fender Telecaster guitar thanks to Ebay, The way I look at it if I can sell on Ebay anyone can do it.

 

any one want to buy any of my stuff:D

 

Bob P.

[bdcbbq]

I agree with you it really does add up. I have been saving change for several months in anticipation for our upcoming cruise I figured I'd use the change for a really nice spa treatment. Well low and behold DH and I took it to the grocery store and poured it into one of those coin redemption machines and we had over $300.00 worth of coins. Not Bad Not Bad at All:D

 

 

Take it to the bank and save yourself the coin redemption charges.

[bdcbbq]

Another great savings tip is to use your Flexible Spending Account money if your employer offers this benefit. I usually save $2500 each year for medical bills. The tax savings are about 25-30%. That right there is a nice chunk. Add the rest and.....

[bakcd]

We do not spend change. If we receive change from a purchase, then it is placed in the coin jar. Since we are both retired, we do not make purchases on a daily basis as we once did. A quart jar holds about $130 in quarters or $15 in pennies. A quart jar full of pennies is a big deal to a young grandchild. I used to save any money left in my wallet from the previous payday. When we have an overload of dollar bills we save and band them in groups of $50. We grab a pack for tips on our cruise. Every little bit helps. Right now, travel is a priority and we always look for ways to make it happen.

[bostonlass]

I just started change jars in each of my daughters' rooms and they love it!! They put some in each chance they get and my youngest loves to dump it all out in the middle of her room and count it over and over and over again.

 

Another $$ saving tip for me is not to buy printer cartridges when they run out. My kids love to print out various pictures that they find on the web and I used to go through about 5 or 6 cartridges per year. At $35 per cartridge that can add up so instead I purchase the refill kit for $12.99 which has enough to refill one cartridge about 5 or 6 times. It's not that hard to do...hardest part is getting the darn lid off the cartridge, but it saves $$$$ and that's more trips to the spa for mommy!!!:D

[beaming90]

We started saving our change this fall for the trip, there are only the 2 of us, but as of last night we had about $141 saved just in change. I will be taking it to the bank (I have been rolling as we go) Friday and taking it to Orlando Saturday. I figure that will pay for one of our excursions! Yippeeee! We also saved all the extras we got (mileage check at work, when either of us did something at a wedding {I sing, my mom does church security at our weddings at church}, A couple rebates etc.) It has added up fast! :D

[01Sweetpea]

My first husband started saving change when he was 20. His thought was whatever he saved would be the amount he spent on his wife's engagment ring. He was 32 when we got engaged and I have a beautiful $4000 ring! Yep, he saved $4000 in change!!!

[jnc411]

Hi , we always save our change for Vegas or Laughlin, and cruises, but now out here in Southern California the banks are charging to take our coins, even if they are rolled. And yes we have accounts at the banks. I think that stinks. Some of the new rules and charges at our banks out here they nickel and dimes us, and we have had accounts at these banks for years. Makes me want to change banks , but they are probably all doing the same thing :(

Cori