Yay! Have over $80 in change to take to a coinstar machine for an Amazon gift cert! - Page 2

daffy4u · 10-24-2008, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texasnightowl

They charge 8.9% (according to their website) to exchange the coins for other currency, but it is waived when you go for the gift cards (presumably subsidized by the merchants). So by going for the Amazon gift card, I get the full value of my coins to use.

I do have a large chunk o' change in a couple of jars at home. Between the Oprah discount and the Coinstar Amazon certificate, Mom just might get a Kindle for Christmas.

NatCh · 10-24-2008, 02:10 PM

Wells Fargo takes big, loose change, at least they did as of last summer, when I did it last. No fee with them.

Regions apparently takes change too, but I haven't done this with them since we switched (no WF banks where we live now), so I don't know about fees, but they didn't mention one when I asked about it.

I tend to use mine for splurging too, but I just put it in my checking and spend from there. Doesn't really take too much discipline that way.

I collect my change in a 22" high plastic Coke bottle bank. I'm currently trying to fill the whole thing (6" so far) but my wife keeps raiding it for quarters, I want to see how much it adds up to when it's full. Past experience suggests that the 6" is around $300, but like I said, my wife's been raiding it for quarters.

pilotbob · 10-24-2008, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

but like I said, my wife's been raiding it for quarters.

Maybe you need to drop a hand full of $1 coins in it to make up for that.

BOb

NatCh · 10-24-2008, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Maybe you need to drop a hand full of $1 coins in it to make up for that.

But I like those! I like to use them as part of a tip at restaurants. No real reason for it, I just find it amusing.

pilotbob · 10-24-2008, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

But I like those! I like to use them as part of a tip at restaurants. No real reason for it, I just find it amusing.

I wish we would go ahead and stop printing paper $s. It has been put off three times now... due to people not wanting to change. But, to me we are just wasting money printing $1 notes. I also thing we should stop making pennies too. This would allow room in the cash draw for the $1 coin better.

BOb

daffy4u · 10-24-2008, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I wish we would go ahead and stop printing paper $s. It has been put off three times now... due to people not wanting to change. But, to me we are just wasting money printing $1 notes. I also thing we should stop making pennies too. This would allow room in the cash draw for the $1 coin better.

BOb

Coins are too heavy and bulky. I prefer paper.

HarryT · 10-24-2008, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompe

Maybe because it cost money? At least in Sweden you have to pay for a bank to accept a lot of coins.

You don't have to pay in the UK, but it does have to be properly sorted into bags, each with a specified amount of one type of coin. I guess the machine saves you the effort of having to sort and count the coins.

pilotbob · 10-24-2008, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Coins are too heavy and bulky. I prefer paper.

Bah... you never need to carry more than a few of them. When change is made it will never be more than 4 of them. Do you need to carry around quarters, dimes an nickles. Only when you get some change.

People in Canada do fine with out a $1 note... they actually have a $1 and a $2 coin. I don't think there is a 1€ either... is there?

Your attitude is one of the reasons we spend millions of $s printing the notes. In these times wouldn't you rather save the US government millions of $s if it only meant carrying around a few $ coins or getting them for change here and there?

BOb

daffy4u · 10-24-2008, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Your attitude is one of the reasons we spend millions of $s printing the notes. In these times wouldn't you rather save the US government millions of $s if it only meant carrying around a few $ coins or getting them for change here and there?

BOb

Majority rules! Whoo hoo!

pilotbob · 10-24-2008, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Majority rules! Whoo hoo!

How many times has there been something new that you didn't try or want to do because you thought it would be so terrible... but, when you finally were forced to do it, it wasn't so bad... actually maybe better than before? I think this applies here.

Example, my mom used to walk with a portable CD player. I asked here if she might like an iPod... she said she didn't need it, to hard to use, etc, etc. Well, she finally got one of the new Nano's... I got here a gift card for 1 year of audible.com (audio books) and she is just overjoyed with it. It is so light and easy to use, and it doesn't skip while she walks, it remembers her place in the book, etc.

BOb

DixieGal · 10-24-2008, 02:48 PM

Just to toss in my 2 cents (HA!), I love you both the same. Coins are indeed heavy, but bills are rife with filth like e.coli, staph, etc. Time and again, coins are tested and found to be mostly clean, with mostly inorganic dirt at worst. So coins are heavier-but-healthier.

DixieGal · 10-24-2008, 02:50 PM

By the way, as a public service to you all, just send me all of your dirty old bills and I'll return it as coins. Service fees, shipping, and handling will apply.

daffy4u · 10-24-2008, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

How many times has there been something new that you didn't try or want to do because you thought it would be so terrible... but, when you finally were forced to do it, it wasn't so bad... actually maybe better than before? I think this applies here.

Example, my mom used to walk with a portable CD player. I asked here if she might like an iPod... she said she didn't need it, to hard to use, etc, etc. Well, she finally got one of the new Nano's... I got here a gift card for 1 year of audible.com (audio books) and she is just overjoyed with it. It is so light and easy to use, and it doesn't skip while she walks, it remembers her place in the book, etc.

BOb

BOb, I'm not really going to get into this conversation. I have not researched the pros and cons of paper vs. coins. I just gave you my thoughts based on how I feel about carrying a lot of coins (which is why I have jars of coins).

And obviously, that fact that I have a Kindle (and a lot of tech toys) means I'm not afraid to try new things but I don't have to be interested in every new thing that comes along.

HarryT · 10-24-2008, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

People in Canada do fine with out a $1 note... they actually have a $1 and a $2 coin. I don't think there is a 1€ either... is there?

Here in the UK we have a £1 and a £2 coin (our smallest note is £5) and the same is true in the Euro-zone countries too - €1 and €2 coins.

Whenever I visit the US I must admit that I find having to use $1 bills for such small value transactions is inconvenient; personally I find coins to be more convenient. There don't seem to be very many $2 bills around either, which makes it even more awkward.

Any idea why there's resistance to a $1 coin? It would seem to be very sensible. After all, you've had 25c coins for goodness knows how long, and 30 or 40 years ago that had the same "buying power" as $1 does today.

pilotbob · 10-24-2008, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Any idea why there's resistance to a $1 coin? It would seem to be very sensible. After all, you've had 25c coins for goodness knows how long, and 30 or 40 years ago that had the same "buying power" as $1 does today.

See Daffy's message for the reasons I have heard from most people. We already have $1 coins and most vending machines accept them. The Mint/Govt has just continued to put off dropping the note. It was planned back as far as the 80s if I remember correctly. Now, they are even introducing the "redesigned" $1 note soon, if it didn't already happen. Just a waste of money in my opinion.

BOb

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10-24-2008, 02:10 PM	#17
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Wells Fargo takes big, loose change, at least they did as of last summer, when I did it last. No fee with them. Regions apparently takes change too, but I haven't done this with them since we switched (no WF banks where we live now), so I don't know about fees, but they didn't mention one when I asked about it. I tend to use mine for splurging too, but I just put it in my checking and spend from there. Doesn't really take too much discipline that way. I collect my change in a 22" high plastic Coke bottle bank. I'm currently trying to fill the whole thing (6" so far) but my wife keeps raiding it for quarters, I want to see how much it adds up to when it's full. Past experience suggests that the 6" is around $300, but like I said, my wife's been raiding it for quarters.

10-24-2008, 02:48 PM	#26
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	Just to toss in my 2 cents (HA!), I love you both the same. Coins are indeed heavy, but bills are rife with filth like e.coli, staph, etc. Time and again, coins are tested and found to be mostly clean, with mostly inorganic dirt at worst. So coins are heavier-but-healthier.

10-24-2008, 02:50 PM	#27
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	By the way, as a public service to you all, just send me all of your dirty old bills and I'll return it as coins. Service fees, shipping, and handling will apply.