While we may live in a debit card world, we still end up with spare change. Chances are you have a pile of it somewhere in your house or even in your car.
While you may not really think about it that change can really add up. Whether you save it throughout the year for Christmas gifts or use it to pay down debt, there are things to do with your spare change.
Save for Christmas
Christmas is always so, so expensive. But, that spare change you never think about could help you cover some of the costs. Save your spare change throughout the year and then cash it in at Christmas. You can easily do this in many stores that have a machine that will convert the change into cash or gift cards. Some of these machines charge a fee up to 12% if you choose cash, but you may be able to exchange your change for an electronic gift card for a store without paying a fee.
You can also roll the change and take it to the bank. Just visit your bank first to pick up free wrappers for the coins (or buy some from a discount store). You could even pay your kids a small tip to help you roll up the coins.
Either way, you’ll be surprised at how much your spare change adds up to.
Plan a Vacation
Plan a vacation for your family and then start putting all your spare change towards the cost. Between you and your spouse, you may be able to save a few hundred dollars this way. It may not seem like a lot, but it can really help out. This money could even be used to pay for a weekend vacation for just you and your spouse.
Pay Off Debt
No one likes living in debt, but many never consider how their spare change can help them get out of debt. Allow your spare change to add up until you have enough to make a credit card payment. You can then send double what you would normally would that month.
Open a Savings Account
If you have a large jar of change sitting around, consider rolling the change and then opening a savings account with it. You can then allow the change to add up over and over until your jar is filled and add the money to your account each time.
Donate It
There are so many different charities that have places where you can donate your spare change. It might be the Salvation Army at Christmas or The Lion’s Club. Keep some change in your car so that you can donate the change to those standing on the freeway looking for a handout. It might not be much, but that change may help someone get something to eat that day.
Spare change is worth more than you think. In fact, you may have a large jar of change sitting in your home that has a couple hundred dollars in it. Put that spare change to use.
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