Counting Change: Little Stuff Adds Up

Posted on March 24, 2008
Filed Under emergency fund |

We talk about how little things add up quite a bit in personal finance and usually we are talking about the small purchases that blow our budget. In this case, the small things have added up to a pretty good chunk of change.

I have been throwing my loose change into a vase every night for the last 3 months. Some days there hasn’t been any to throw in but most days it’s been 75 cents to a dollar in change. I just never thought that change could add up so quickly.

I stopped by the bank today and picked up the rolls so that I could count and roll it. I dumped the vase out onto the little snack table and proceeded to sort. I felt a bit like Scrooge counting my money, little stacks of coins in neat little rows.

It took me about an hour to sort and count it all but in the picture above, you can see what $153 in change looks like. I was amazed that it had grown so quickly. And it’s a good reminder that the opposite is true as well. Those small purchases of a dollar here or there add up just as quickly.

I got it all counted and rolled and put away. I am working on opening an Ing savings account but wanted to get it up to the $250 to qualify for the $25 bonus. I’m really tempted to just add the extra $100 to it and open it right away. I think instead I am going to go on a snowflake campaign to save the extra dollars.

Help keep me awake to write by buying me a cup of coffee! .

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Comments

5 Responses to “Counting Change: Little Stuff Adds Up”

Lulugal11 (3 comments.) on March 25th, 2008 6:38 am

I don’t carry cash any more so the money I roll is what I pick up off the streets. After about three months this translates to about $20 and I take it to the bank because it is about 5 minutes from where I live.
feels good to cash in those pesky coins!
Debt Free Revolution (12 comments.) on March 25th, 2008 12:27 pm

Y’all just know I save my change as well Instead of a vase I use an oversized beer bottle (to remind myself of just where the money used to go). My record is almost $200 in a 3 month period.
no more spending (3 comments.) on March 25th, 2008 3:58 pm

It’s amazing how quickly the change builds up!

The dogs don’t look the slightest bit interested in all your money:)
CindyS on March 25th, 2008 4:02 pm

Lulu, I have gone back to carrying cash. It keeps me out of trouble with my check card.

Debt Free, Wow! You have me beat by about $50 and a couple weeks.

No More Spending, The dogs had figured out that it wasn’t food by then and decided to nap.
Debt Free Revolution (12 comments.) on March 25th, 2008 4:22 pm

Cindy, my strategy is that I don’t spend coins unless it is a very small amount (like under $0.10) and there have been days when running cash errands I ended up with $2-3 in coins. Of course, that was before the Draconian budget cuts at the beginning of my get-out-of-debt plan last year LOL Now I average about $50 per month in change since I no longer spend as much as I used to. It all goes to my savings account anyway.