The Shiny Box Challenge!

salnic

During a chat with my partner about money he challenged me to collect all my odd coins i had left in my purse for a month. I got an old shoe box and together with the kids we decorated it and i placed it in the kitchen.

All i did was to empty my pockets of any change but also any change that came into the house from things like the kids going to the shop to buy a pint of milk or change from the car park, that sort of thing. The first month i saved £40.00 pounds!

Because we made the box and it sits in the kitchen it has become a bit of a game to find change to put in it.

My challenge is to save a £100 for easter....Any one care to join me? :j:j:j

mummybearx

What a lovely idea, involving the family in the MSE ways :T

I have just made a new place for my £2 coins, empty gravy tub with a slit cut in the lid, then duct tape to keep it closed!

x

meritaten

oh dear - I have a silver jar and a copper jar already, now lets see .............could I have a very small shiny box just for 50ps? If so then I am happy to join in! but you do have a head start on us!!!!!!!!!!!!!! no fair lol.

[Deleted User]

We already do this and save all year in a money box. All spare change goes in and at Christmas time we cash in the change in the bank and then use the money to by some nice treats at Christmas. In 2011 we bought a couple of DVDs and some posh chocolates and posh biscuits which we would probably have not bought otherwise.

I remember my gran doing the same thing many years ago, but it was always known as pin money.

karren

what a fab idea! can i join?
we already have a tin from the poundshop you have to open with tin opener that i pop change in when i remember, and we usually use it for spends when we go on hol but i could have a secret one and pop change in and extra money i make etc so i can treat them together with the tesco vouchers ohhhhh im plotting now xxx

Linda32

I save loose change as well, and will save more now as the change had previously been used to pay the milkman. (We now pay online - long story )

I also save 50p's in a money box, I can get into it, but I won't be doing so. I'll just count up how much is in there......£4.50 I'm glad I did that, as I found out the hole isn't very big and you have to fish them out one at a time :eek: I think I'll revert to the original money box.

Can I ask please, Spider in the Bath, you said you cash in change at the bank. Do the banks still take change, does it have to be bagged up? I guess it does, I didn't think they had the time for that now. Or didn't like doing it. I surpose they are obliged too if it isn't every week.

I've been using Coinstar machines in the past :eek:

CCP

I've been doing this for several years now - originally the money went into a mug with a cracked handle which meant it couldn't be used for drinking, but I then bought one of these (in a sale, for considerably less than is being charged here, naturally :money:) - I refer to it as my puddy bank.

I empty it out when it gets too heavy to lift and usually find there's a good £40 in there to pay in to the bank. Linda32 - my bank does insist its all bagged up, which is a bit of a nuisance. I've always wondered why banks can't install something like a coinstar machine - if a commercial company can do it, why can't banks?

Linda32

CCP wrote: »

I empty it out when it gets too heavy to lift and usually find there's a good £40 in there to pay in to the bank. Linda32 - my bank does insist its all bagged up, which is a bit of a nuisance. I've always wondered why banks can't install something like a coinstar machine - if a commercial company can do it, why can't banks?

I thought as much, so does anyone have the old problem of having 90p in 1p pieces and 84p in 2p pieces, thus you can't pay them in. Or is it just me who worries about things like that

PolkaDotsAndLace

We do this - I counted it up a few weeks ago, £20 we had which we took down to the coinstar machine. Paid for a nice night in the pub! We just save our coppers and 5ps, which I never manage to use in the shops.

It can be a bit annoying having the commission on the coinstar machines, but my bank only takes change up to £5 and it has to be bagged, so it's just too much faff to do that.

rachbc

our coppers 5s and 10s go in a demi john, 20ps get saved for the jelly bean machine and the rest stays in my purse!


20ps get emptied from the jelly bean machine when the sweets are all gone and get donated to charity - £40 to Children in need last time. The we refilled and we start again - the kids love finding a 20p in the change cos it beans they get some sweets!

Pink.

Hi salnic,

Well done on your savings so far! I have two tins that require a tin opener to open them...one for coppers and one for pound coins. As I can't take a peek I have no idea how much is in there, but hopefully it will be a pleasant surprise when we open them.

As your thread has now fallen down the Old Style board I've moved it over to the How much have you saved? board to see if you can get more replies.

Pink