Change Jar Challenge... - Page 5

formygirls · 03-19-2007, 11:18 PM

We have save up about $210.00 in one year! Yeah! Hubby is a vending machine junkie at work. He puts all his change on our dresser when he gets home. I snatch them up right away and place them in a shoebox in a hidden place. That way he can't get to them.

leasmom · 03-27-2007, 07:32 AM

I have $32 now!!! I want to save up at least $135 to pay for a 2 day camping trip near by our house. It's only $45 a day but I want to pay for it from my change and to buy a fishing pool and pay the park fees.

MandaRenee · 03-28-2007, 01:11 PM

Way to go! Its adding up quickly. I'm sure you'll reach your goal in no time at all!

How is everyone else doing ladies...The month of March is almost over.

flybygrace · 03-28-2007, 01:49 PM

Ooooh I want in for next month. Though I hardly use any cash. I'll have to think of some way to save up some money here and there... I just put a bunch of change and $1 bill that I had around the house into a metal Christmas tin and stuck it up in the cupboard. DH doesn't know it's there and I'm making a vow not to touch it for anything for him ($1 in change for a drink, etc). for those of you that keep track of how much you have in there, you can always try to best yourself next month.. i guess you could do the same if you don't know how much you have in there -- try to put more change in your jar, or a few $1s here and there to try to best last month. sounds fun

Anyway, a good way to keep money sealed in the jar without being able to get to it is to do what my mom did. She washed out a really big coffee can and glued the top onto it. Then she flipped it over, and took a chisel and hammered it into the metal can bottom to make a slot. She stuck it in the laundry cabinet and claimed all $ that came through the laundry for that can. We couldn't get into it because we would have had to cut through the plastic bottom to get into it -- and would totally get busted by Mom if we did. Once it's completely full, cut off the plastic lid and add up your savings!! My best friend in high school, her family saved their change. They each had a big glass jar (like one of those giant 5 gallon pickle jars) that had their names on it. They'd do this big contest. Each person would put pennies into their own, and silver change into everyone else's. The silver change was deducted from the total at the end. Whoever had the most saved in their jar won. They saved the money for Disney, so the prize was something that had to do with that. (I think extra spending money or something, I'm not sure.) They filled 5 giant jars in like 6 months.. it was NUTS. I'd go over there and they'd all be giggling as they dumped silver change in everyone else's jar. (The lids were screwed on with ribbon hot-glued over top of them, and a slot in the top. so no one could tamper with another's jar. when they were all done, they peeled off the ribbon to open the jars)

leasmom · 03-28-2007, 05:22 PM

MandaRenee,

It did add up fast, I didn't think it would. My mother saves all of her change, though she is NOT AT ALL FRUGAL, she is a lesson in what not to do...(like spending nearly $200 for the large storage a month for stuff she has no ideal whats in it, how can she there's 250 boxes in there), she doesn't pay me anything for filling my 2 car garage with stuff...she breaks hundreds constantly going to the thrift store to buy clothes, instead of shopping in my garage, also she keeps buying earrings when she has a garbage bag full of earrings...I mean literally a garage bag!!!

Well, back on subject...I am very excited about saving this. I wonder why it took me so long to know to save my change? But, I finally got it and to date we have $35. 06. Ten more dollars and we have the one night stay already!!!

MandaRenee · 03-29-2007, 11:38 AM

You are doing great leasmom. My MIL is the very same way. She complains about never having any money but her house and storage are overflowing with stuff and she just keeps buying!

Flybygrace, thats a great idea to seal the jar. Its not too bad at our house b/c dh hates change and he knows that the change jar money is MINE!!! So he likes to put my "tip" in there whenever he has change. I don't spend it because I'm using it to save for something specific. Right now its for a video camera. I want to have one before the baby comes. So I'm not totaling my money out every month. I am letting it add up and then when I reach the amount I need I will take it out and buy my item.

Its great for me this way because I am saving up for things I would like to have but aren't a necessity. It's incentive to save that change and keeps me from just going out to buy something I could wait and save for.

leasmom · **For March 2007**

We now have $40.58 as of 3-30-07!!!

goin24/7 · **Trip Money**

I have been doing the change jar ever since my kids were babies, they are now 17 and 21. The most we were able to save in a year was $548. My husband and I never spend our change, if we have to break a dollar bill to pay for something that's what we do. It has saved us money on the long run for impulse buys because we don't want to break a bill to buy a piece of candy at the register. My kids will often bring me their coins to exchange for paper money, it all goes in the jar. I have always had a hard time keeping the kids out of my change so now it's hidden in a decorative antique crock that sits on the top of my hutch. I have a change sorter that stacks the coins in tubes that hold just enough to be rolled, when they are filled I roll them up and add them to the pile. We use the money for our annual vacation, it will cover the gas and meals, sometimes more. So far this year we have $148

Em&Ash'smommy · 04-01-2007, 07:37 AM

I'm up for the challenge! I will post my new total at then end of each month. We have a jar that we have been saving for a few months, but I haven't counted it yet. Now I am excited to see how much we have in there! I will post my total later today.

itstinkerbelle · 04-01-2007, 08:57 AM

We have 3 glass piggy banks full of silver and an antique spitune that is almost full of pennies, We empty the pigs when they get full ad deposit the money usually about $245. in each . Then we just start refilling them..

Brightest Blessings to All