Saving Change Works

[MargaretJ]

I know many of you like myself save change. Well for those of you who don't it really adds up. I took $134.00 in change to the bank today along with $166.00 in orthodontic checks & got $300.00 in Traveler Checks. Traveler Checks are free at my bank & are not something I will dip into to spend. I saved the $134.00 in about 3 1/2 months. Just think if you saved for a year or if there were 2 of you saving how much you would have.

[WillCAD]

I typically wind up with between $100 and $200 in change per year.

I'm a little behind this year, since I moved into an apartment with coin-op laundry, and have been using up my quarters almost as fast as I save them!

I usually take my change to the bank just a day or two before my trip and use the cash as extra pocket money, although I have also used it to pay for part of my park passes.

[Esmerelda]

I have $212 in change! Enough for one airfare, or two nights hotel..I am tryingg SO hard to find enough money for a May trip!

[Pinky]

I really need to save my change... but my son always takes it for gumballs or videogames at the stores. :cry:

[LisaG]

We always save our change to gamble with in Vegas!

[Cinders]

Hey Willcad...when I had to use a laundry I missed saving my quarters too. Then I decided to just keep saving my "regular change" and use a $10 bill for laundry. Each week I'd just use the $10 to get quarters for the laundry from the change machine or the lady that ran the laundry. Not only did I keep saving my regular change but then added the leftover quarters from the "laundry money" to my Coke bottle too. And for a few of my sweaters and blouses that need to be dried on delicate or air...I skipped drying them and just brought plastic hangers with me then hung them up to dry when I got home.

[Barb D]

Guess what we have done with our change the past two years?

Im a mom at heart and will always be even though my kids are now 22 and 19. At Easter I still have easter egg hunts but I put in the spare change into them. My husband was laid off last August so we didnt have as much thins year but it was still fun to do. My kids love finding the change in the eggs (As does their spouse or in my youngest daughters case - boyfriend) I have a great time doing the mom thing. It works out so much fun for us all.

Barb

[SW+7]

I've been doing this for almost 2 years now if not longer and for us it averages about $30.00 a month, the way I look at it, it's $30.00 I would have spent on nonsense. I saw it on an Oprah show when she would have Susie Ormond (I think) on regularly, this was one of the suggestions among others. The money goes right into a mini savings account I use for bdays, Christmas, anniversaries and such like that. SW+7 :girlears:

[disneylover]

we started this in Feb..2002 for the Dec.2002 trip and cashed in $800. We started again this Feb. for a trip in July and so far have almost $200.Between both of us it's about $20.00 every 2 weeks.All that gets exchanged into disney dollers. :clap:

[BetsyAnn]

Just had to add my :clap: to saving change.

Took in $50.23 from just 3 months since the last time I cashed in! Great way to save for a nice dinner or an extra must have Mickey thing!

[SuzyQ]

Wahooo, BetsyAnn!

That is great! We are doing the same and cashing out in August before we leave - I'm hoping to be able to pay for a dinner at Boma or Jiko.

~Suzy :)

[Lisa]

It is always fun for us to see how much we can save before our next trip. We always remember to save out the shiny pennies for the penny press!!


Lisa

[#1disneyfan]

This morning DD and I rolled a grand total of $67.50 in change! That will be enough for a character meal and a souvenir for DD. :D
Before DD's first trip to WDW in 2000, we decorated a shoebox with pictures of some of the attractions she wanted to see. I covered the box in clear contact paper so it still looks pretty good. We have re-used this box to save our change 3 times now. When we get home, we'll start saving change for the February trip. It's fun just to see how much we end up with. And I hope it gives DD some sense that you have to save money for the things you want.

Holly

[MargaretJ]

Holly I even do the change saving while in Disney. I usually end up coming home with at least $35.00 on a trip. I simply empty the change in a small Disney bag each time we come back to our room. You just have to be careful if you fly & have the change in your carry on. That much metal always gets you stopped when going thru Security.

[LimeGreenCheri]

My DD and I rolled the change for the last 5 months and the grand total is $83! Whahoo! I'm hoping to be able to pay for at least half of her annual pass with this money. Just had to share our grand total. :clap:

[Sandy]

Another change saver here! I never spend change -- it all goes in my travel jar. I also throw in a dollar bill or two now and then. I confess I occasionally raid the jar if I've forgotten to stop by the ATM or I need bus fare or something, but when that happens, I always throw in an extra dollar or two as soon as I can.

I cash it out and exchange it for Disney $$$ a couple times a year.

[SuzyQ]

Sandy,

That bus money can get ya! I have to remember to replenish my jar because it costs $3 each way for my bus and it really takes a hole out of my jar when I forget and need to grab some.

~Suzy :)

[Sandy]

I have to remember to replenish my jar because it costs $3 each way for my bus and it really takes a hole out of my jar when I forget and need to grab some.

~Suzy :)

$3 each way?!?! Wow. And I thought my $1.75 each way was bad!

[BetsyAnn]

Just took in my change since the end of July and I was amazed it was over $72.00! Wahoo! Love this tip for saving money -- Also had saved enough one dollar bills to have Mousekeeping, and other tips alread handled!

[Connears]

Before our trip in June 2003, we sorted our change at home and brought $480.00 to the bank! It was nice spending cash we didn't plan on having on hand. Saving up really pays off!
connears

[Brer]

The final tally here is 100 in change, 310 in Disney Visa Reward dollars and 400 in Discover rebate dollars.....it may get close towards the end of the trip. oh yea, BP visa rebate gas cards pay for the gas. The AP is 400.00 correct? so that leaves us wth about 400. We have 6 quick and casual vouchers. Have to pay for Boma's 1 night and Cape May one morning, so that ruins another 100.00....Leaves us with 300.00....Maybe I should get a part time job while I am there next week ?

[TrixyA]

We save only pennies. Quarters, dimes, and nickels go into the jar too. But, they always get swiped a few days before payday by DH (for his morning coffee). Nonetheless, saving only pennies, we added $70 to our Disney "mad money" last January. I can't imagine how much we would have had if DH didn't raid the jar for the larger coins.

[Mariaºoº]

I can't get over how much change you find buried underneath the couch cushions, seats in the van, change in the wash. LOL The change usually adds up to $300 a year. On top of that I also try to get to the Disney store and buy a little bit of Disney money, as well as, give Disney money as stocking stuffers, valentine's day, Easter, etc.... Every little bit helps and the kids usually end up with enough money to spend $20 a day. The extra money from the change goes towards meals and snacks. It's a great way to save for vacations!

[Stinkerbelle]

Just an update on the change front. I began saving change for my trip next week while I was in Disney World in December 2004. On Easter Sunday my mom brought over the contents of a change jar I had left at her house when I moved out. I cashed it all out today at a coinstar machine and after they took out their share of the $$ I walked away with $73. I then had to immediately go buy Disney Dollars with the $73 lest I spend the money on something else in the next 8 days.

While I was putting my coins in the machine there was a lady waiting to go after me who had 2 big plastic cups full of change that her kids had been saving for their trip to Disney (small world, huh?) Today she ended up with $56 but this was her third time this week cashing in and had already cashed in over $300!

Keep saving those coins!

[Sheryl]

I am Stinkerbelle! We have a plastic juice container half full. Even if the kids find any money (even penny's) it goes into that container. Money found in the washer into that container. It's an addiction.

:mickeyWalk: Sheryl :minnie:

[DrDolphin]

I started doing this for my trips as well - I have my coke bottle piggy bank that I bought at Ice Station Cool in 2001, I have a shoebox that I keep my pen, coin rolls and envelopes for each of my trips. My goal is always a minimum of $300.00 per 4 day trip - this equals $200.00 for my food and $100.00 to "play" with - clothes, etc. I put all my change every day in the coke bottle and every 2 or 3 weeks I roll the change - which is usually 20-25 dollars in change and then take the coins and buy Disney Dollars. I place these in the envelope and write a running total on the front to tell me how close I am to my $300.00 goal. It usually takes me 5-6 months - since I add my mystery shopping money and any rebates and "found" monies as well.

[Lady]

saving change really works - we've bought small appliances for the home with our change - lately though we are going to use it at WDW : )
We deposit all our change into a Lady and Tramp Dog Bank : )
and we question each other every now and then
"have you fed the dogs?"
"the dogs are hungry!"
and we immediately grab our change and toss it in

[Bookwood]

I took my change to the band (and directly to the Disney Store ) yesterday witht he $68.00 I got yesterday my DD total is now $144.00 with change (I also have $10.00 tucked away in my passporter for emergencies- Disney emergencies of course :rofl: ) The rest of the change I collect will be tolls and "pressed pennie" change or the start of my collection for the half-marathon!

[Linda S]

We also save change. And I also include any "found" money. We have a big water cooler jub (the 5 or 6 gallon one). So, change goes in, as does bottle return money and I'll throw in one's if I find them in the laundry. We average $200-$300/year that way. I will also put in half of our tag sale money each year (those years we've been closer to the $300+ amount I'd guess).
For our last 2 trips to Disney we had about $800 each in our jug!