Spare change?

[Jess from VA]

I have been throwing my pocket change in an old wooden cigar box for many years.  I used to grab a handful of coins before going out, so I didn't end up with yet more change, but with credit cards I stopped that years ago.

So yesterday, I decided to try to turn my change into actual money.  I discovered it was Armed Forces Day, so I hung my flag then grabbed my cigar box and headed over to my local Navy Federal Credit Union. 

Waiting in line, a giant Army NCO behind me asked if the box was change and I said affirmative, and he offered to buy it.  I explained I was hoping to dump it in one of those sorting machines and didn't feel like spending the time to sort or count it all out.  Sorry sergeant. 

So I get to the window and am told we don't really want change, but we'll take it, but you have to put it in rolls for us.  And we don't have a coin sorting machine, but you can run it over to the grocery store who has one, and they'll do it for a fee, but you don't get cash, you get a gift card.   I also wanted a big pile of 20's (which I pick up from time to time to pay for service work which is often discounted for cash).

I decided to take my change over to the grocery sorting machine, but out in the parking lot, the big NCO is waiting for me and still wants my change, and I want to be accommodating, so we walk over to my big Promaster van, open the sliding side door, sit on the floor and start counting out piles of quarters, nickels and dimes.  Pushing the pennies in one big pile. 

I ask him about his service and he explains he has actually retired a few days earlier, but the personnel weenies are still trying to get him his final retirement orders, and so he has to wait around until that is done.  I tell him the same thing happened to me some (separated, not retired) 31 years ago.  I ask if he plans to file for any VA disability (my expertise), and he says he does becasue he got nicked up some from an IED in Iraq.  I tell him the smart thing to do is to try and get his own copies of his service medical and personnel records while he is still here at Ft Belvoir, before the Army or NPRC or the VA lose them for him.

He says he enjoys collecting the 50 State and many National Park quarters and likes looking through piles of change for rare coins (I don't).  It comes to about $60 which he pays me, and I throw in the huge pile of pennies. 

We shake hands, and I thank him for his service, and he thanks me for mine.  He's heading back home to Montgomery AL, and that's where I started my service at Maxwell AFB. 

I still have about $20-30 in a change purse in my bike, in case I need it for vending machines or tolls.

I suppose change will eventually go the way of the Dodo bird. 

[Oss]

When I was a kid I saved the pre 1965 quarters

But being a kid, with no allowance or job before I was 12, I raided the collection for pizza money

oy vey

Before 1982 ( and of course not 1943) pennies were 95% copper so all those dozens of rolls of old pennies may be utilized if armageddon happens.  Otherwise they are just shoeboxed in the basement

[Valkorado]

I've got a substantial pile of coins I've built up for decades, and I need to do something about them.  I really don't like coins, but they sure spend.  I am such a miser that I don't like the idea of giving refuse to give a percentage of my cash to a machine for counting it.  I may have to start counting some into tubes during the long cold winter months.

I'm no fan of digital currency, scares the crap out of me thinking the gubmint could cut people off from their funds because they don't like the way they think.  One step away from the mark of the beast.

Still, you'd think a nation that's racked up a 31 trillion debt could come up with a more efficient production method for It's currency.  It's typical government inefficiency.

https://www.thepricer.org/how-much-does-it-cost-to-make-a-penny/

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

So I get to the window and am told we don't really want change, but we'll take it, but you have to put it in rolls for us.  And we don't have a coin sorting machine, but you can run it over to the grocery store who has one, and they'll do it for a fee, but you don't get cash, you get a gift card.  

I suppose change will eventually go the way of the Dodo bird. 

What happened to the great change shortage we all kept hearing about??  I guess they really do want to go 100% digital/virtual so they can keep tabs on what you purchase or sell. Buying a pink dress for your 8 year old son? Good to go. Buying a new pistol from your local firearms dealer? That's not going to fly anymore cowboy!! Now go buy some Bud Light and watch Ru Paul's Drag Race on TV like a good little sheep.

[..]

I've got a substantial pile of coins I've built up for decades, and I need to do something about them.  I really don't like coins, but they sure spend.  I am such a miser that I don't like the idea of giving refuse to give a percentage of my cash to a machine for counting it.  I may have to start counting some into tubes during the long cold winter months.

I'm no fan of digital currency, scares the crap out of me thinking the gubmint could cut people off from their funds because they don't like the way they think.  One step away from the mark of the beast.

Still, you'd think a nation that's racked up a 31 trillion debt could come up with a more efficient production method for It's currency.  It's typical government inefficiency.

https://www.thepricer.org/how-much-does-it-cost-to-make-a-penny/

Some banks have fee free machines in their lobby. Coins in, receipt out, exchange for pics of presidents.

Al your coins are doing is taking up space and losing value at whatever the inflation rate has been year on year.

[Valker]

Amazon sells small, cheap coin sorters and tubes. Took me about two hours to sort and roll $140 in loose change. And I spent those two hours on the phone talking with my sister.

[Jess from VA]

I am such a miser that I don't like the idea of giving refuse to give a percentage of my cash to a machine for counting it.  I may have to start counting some into tubes during the long cold winter months.

I'm prudent with my money too, but also with my time, and counting it out into paper tubes all afternoon sounds boring as hell to me.  [EDIT: Eric's post slipped in while I was typing this.]

Paying a few dollars to have a giant pile of coins counted out for you by machine in a minute or two is pretty reasonable.

Then the grocery store I shop at anyway gives me a credit to spend on my next grocery trip also sounds like a good deal.  

This time I got cash, but next time it's off to the grocery store.

[Big Rick]

I have one of those old glass water bottles that I throw my change into, Ive let it get about a quarter full and its so heavy that I take it to my bank that has a coin machine I can use for free, Ive done it three different times and each time I had over $700.
 I can't imagine how heavy it would be if it got full, as it is at quarter full I have to use a dolly to wheel it into the bank.

[cookiedough]

my dad had since the 70's a HUGE 4 ft tall plastic piggy bank container, literally, looked like a green pig.  It was near full of all pennies.  Had a lot of wheat pennies in there am sure but like most, decided not to spend a full day or more going thru the years to see if valuable or not.   I had to take out and separate it since unable to lift the piggy bank more than a few feet at a time, it was that heavy.  Took to local bank downtown free coin counter dump in takes few minutes is all and spits out a receipt.  Was a lot of pennies, over 100 bucks worth.

The federal reserve system has recently in May lifted the banks limits of ordering nickels and dimes, but there still is a coin limit per bank on quarters.  Pennies never had a coin limit with banks. 

[old2soon]

     When I had my paper route More YEARS ago than I care to recollect I had gotten quite adept ar rolling coins. Mostly collected on Saturday and that was the rest of my afternoon after paper delivery. But even with all the work as a kid I had money on me and in the bank. Also quite an intro to basic book keeping. ANY money shortages came out of my end!  Even wore a change maker on my belt!  RIDE SAFE.

[cookiedough]

    When I had my paper route More YEARS ago than I care to recollect I had gotten quite adept ar rolling coins. Mostly collected on Saturday and that was the rest of my afternoon after paper delivery. But even with all the work as a kid I had money on me and in the bank. Also quite an intro to basic book keeping. ANY money shortages came out of my end!   Even wore a change maker on my belt!   RIDE SAFE.

I had a newspaper route in small town nearby growing up as well the entire town both sides of the river about 60 customers.  Try delivering to all 60 houses on a bicycle before dark after school as well as collecting weekly for the newspaper, then on weekends mailing the money in to them as well, all for about 25 bucks per week.  Basically, about 3 buck per day in the mid 1980's.  Collections was the worst trying to find them home before 5 p.m. was nearly impossible so had to go back on weekends or after dark trying to get them to pay.  

NO kid nowadays would EVER do that today even if they time traveled back in time to the 80's and attempted to do that.  they all would quit in 1 week for sure not worth it to them.  I also helped a local farmer bailing hay, mowing hay, kick bailing, tractor errands, etc. all for minimum wage of 3.50 per hour.  A younger kid than me say 14, me 17, quit helping said not worth his time and energy for so little pay.  I also work now with a 23 and 28 year old, both think the world owes them and both take advantage of the lack luster mgmt. and HR to their advantage weekly.  

[The emperor has no clothes]

I bought my wife with spare change. 

I had tons of it, and was too lazy to wrap it up. This was way before there was access to machines. With what turned out to be about $750 (as I remember) I told her if she rolled it up I would buy her the set of golf clubs she wanted. We were married about a year later.

So in effect, I bought my wife for a $250 set of golf clubs with spare change.

[RNFWP]

I don’t mind counting and rolling most my coins.
I tend to take the pennies to a machine.
BTW a quart pennies is worth about $12

[threevalks]

Over several years I have bought a few guns by saving my change.

[Valkorado]

Over several years I have bought a few guns by saving my change.

There's an idea.  At today's costs I probably have enough change for a box or two of plinking ammo.

[SCain]

Here in Albuquerque, my local FCU has a coin counter, dump it in and it gives you a ticket with the amount due, you take the ticket to the teller and they pay you, of course you have to have an account at the FCU. This also reminds me of a video I just watched on YT of a guy that had to pay a fine at his local court house, he waited till the last day and walked in with $90 in coin to pay his fine, the clerk and some other gov officials told him they couldn't take coins, he argued that it was US Currency and he was paying his fine, they finally started counting out the coins.