To collect loose change, many people set out a designated container, which can be anything from a decorative coffee can to a coin sorter. This prevents the coins from being strewn about the dresser top when pockets are emptied. People who like to carry change with them each day might keep a small, shallow dish in the bedroom or near the front door, from which the change can be easily retrieved.
In the laundry room, people often keep a large container, such as an empty water jug or a large empty fish bowl, to put change in that has been left in pants pockets. They can store it within reach on a shelf beside or just above the washer and dryer. The kitchen is another area where an easily accessed container that can accommodate loose change can come in handy.
The house isn’t the only place that change accumulates. Many people have built-in coin holders in their car’s console, but they aren’t designed to hold very many coins. Drivers who have an extra cup holder in your car may want to place an empty cup just for change in it. When it fills up, they can carry it inside and dump into a larger loose coin vessel.
Collecting loose change in one or two locations makes it easier to put it to use. Over time, the coins can add up to a surprising sum that can be designated to whatever the collector likes. He or she can sort it after it has been collected and roll it for deposit into the bank or exchange the rolls for bills and spend the money on something frivolous. It may help to get the entire household on board by designating the collection to go towards a movie and ice cream, for example, or the money can be donated to charity.
Collecting change is also a great way to teach young children the value of saving money. By providing a child with a piggy bank, a parent can make learning to save fun. Each time the parent or child finds a coin, the child can use it as “piggy food.” When the child feeds the piggy, he or she has more money. The parent can allow the child to count the money when the bank is full and help him or her roll it.
People who do not have a coin sorter and do not want to roll loose change can take it to a grocery store or other retailer that has a machine to sort and count the coins. These machines are a convenient way to dispose of extra change, but they have drawbacks. The machines do not give the user cash back, but provide a printed cash credit for the store where the machine is located. Users will also be charged a small fee of a few cents for each dollar, so people should expect to pay for the convenience of disposing of large quantities of change without the need to roll or count it.