Change the way you think about change.

The easiest way to save money fast.

The picture above is of two of my change containers. The one with the handle is a five pound pickle jar, and the other is a half filled mason jar just for pennies. Saving pennies will not get you too much fast, but saving all your change like in the pickle jar could easily save you more than a $1,000.00 a year. I have been doing this for years and it is the best cushion you can have for yourself. The containers are so heavy no one can lift them so even if your were (God forbid) burglarized no one could carry the containers away.

Think what you could save if it were Euros? I imagine it would turn into thousands of euros quickly with one and two euro denomination coins being routinely added. It would work well with any currency and I encourage you all to do it.

The money saved acts like a cushion for emergencies.  

With all the natural disasters occurring you never know when you'll need to leave quickly, and you'll have unexpected costs for gas or lodging.  After a few months you should have a few hundred dollars. Really it adds up that fast.

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans on August 29, 2005 I was disturbed by how many people refused to leave. To this day visions of people helplessly stranded on their roofs with rising waters all around them fill my memories. Most of these folks were extremely poor with no bank accounts, credit cards, or relatives on higher ground. They did not want to go the the storm shelters, and after the violent acts that happened at the civic center who could blame them. Seems they knew their neighbors well and decided to take their chances at home. 


But what it they did this simple act of depositing their daily change in a jar? They would have been able to take a Greyhound bus somewhere, and find themselves a cheap hotel to have ridden out the storm. In this situation spare change could have possibly saved lives. 


Put the money in an annuity or IRA.

When the jar is full take 3/4 of it out and deposit it into an annuity or an IRA. Never remove it all because you need to leave a balance there for emergencies. Put the money into your annuities or IRA or buy stocks with it. Make it work for you somehow to make even more. The rich aren't better than you they are just very disciplined in how they handle their finances.You can be just as equally committed without getting a raise in your pay check.


Stop giving the store clerk the exact change. Change the way you think about change. It isn't disposable, it adds up quickly and can really make a difference in your life. Make this a part of your daily routine and you will have added considerably more to your finances. 


Use the money for Christmas.

Here in America not having the funds for Christmas is a huge problem. Christmas leaves people feeling strapped and sets them up for credit card debt. When I was young they had Christmas Clubs and you put money into the club each week and the bank sent you a check after Thanksgiving each year. Banks do not do this anymore, as they would rather you charge things. I do not charge things at Christmas if I can avoid it. 


As a matter of fact this is how I first started saving like this. I wanted to see how much I could save and whether it would really help me at Christmas time. When I first started doing this there was some work involved as you had to roll the change up. I can still remember the first time I did this and went to the bank with a pillowcase full of rolled coins. It was years ago, but I do remember I had enough for all the presents I needed and the bank teller was very impressed. She even said said she should start doing the same thing.  Today there are Coinstar machines in banks and supermarkets and they take a little to pay for the convenience of not having to count and roll it yourself ... believe me the cost is nothing compared to the tedium of rolling coins. 

Use the money for a Holiday Trip.

Everyone needs a break once in while, but the pocketbook sometimes really can't swing it without taking out the credit card. I can assure you if you religiously save your daily change you will have a very sizable amount to add to your holiday enjoyment, and depending on where you go you might be able to cover the whole cost. You can enjoy yourself and feel relieved that it is paid for.  


Use the money to pay off debt.

Like I've stated over and over the money adds up quick. After six months you would have enough for an extra mortgage payment, or to take a nice chunk off the credit card bills. It really does add up that fast. Do a Google search on how much you can save on your home ownership by making a couple of extra payments a year. Here I am giving you a real easy way to do that without you feeling it in your daily life. 

Make a couple of extra payments on the credit card over the year, or just add the change to what you were going to send in each month. Just make sure you send the minimum from your normal resources, and then add the change on top of that to pay it down faster. It really will help.

This is a great New Year's Resolution.

This is a no fail New Year's Resolution. Have you ever kept a resolution? I have, and it feels absolutely spectacular on New Year's Eve knowing you have succeeded in keeping your resolutions. This is a way to make an improvement in your life without a lot of sacrifice, because lets face it most resolutions are sacrifices we really aren't prepared to make. Here is one where you can't fail. If you save change routinely, and do not hit it up for cigarette money or coffee money then you should be on your way to improving your financial picture.

A Recap

Just remember that this is a two purpose process. Foremost it is an emergency fund for you and your family in case you need to bug out because of a natural disaster. In a disaster ATM's may not be working, and change is "legal tender"and may be the only way for you to pay for supplies, and to buy a ticket out. Secondly, it is a resource for quick cash for other things, but only after about six months or so, as you need to let the emergency cushion grow first.  Never take all the money at once.  Leave 1/4 or 1/3 so you always have something to depend on at hand. 


If you have a spouse or partner have them join in. As children we always had piggy banks? Remember how quickly they filled up? Our children learn from us. This year my 14 year old had $157.00 to spend for Christmas gifts. He was beaming with pride over that.  Just think how much you could save?


If anyone has tried this before please comment and let us know how it worked out for you?