All Coins Fund - not just £1s or £2s

hbslc

Has anyone thought, ever tried, or done successfully an 'ALL COINS FUND'.

Basically, i've always had a jam jar fund for loose change. So my rationale is this: If I don't take coins with me whenever I go out I will be less tempted to buy anything.

I am single with a daughter living with her mum, work either at home or in cities, and travelling with coins does my head in. They're so heavy, jangle about, and basically dis-shape my suit trouser pockets! As I rule I don't do cash anyway, been mugged too many times (3 to date).

But there are times when you need it, eg: newspaper for the train, a bottle of water when gasping & stranded, station toilets, the odd quick pint between trains etc.. They're my weaknesses! If I want something whilst away from home, without coins, I need to justify breaking into a note or justify going to the bank!

I've got £4 sitting on my desk, do i need it or can I hide it? This might be the same rationale as the Un-neccessary challenge! But i think if i budget for £10 I'll spend it within days! My normal week is Monday & Tuesday in London, Wednesday & Thursday in Newcastle, Friday at home, Sat / Sun at home or in Edinburgh. So too many temptations & too much time spent bored travelling.

Little_Pickle

Hi and welcome!

Well, I know that there have been lots of variations on the saving 'change' challenge but I think you'll still get enough support and followers to collect 'all change'.

I'm certainly up for it! My OH and I are hoping to buy a flat at the end of the year and the other night we got ourselves a jar and filled it with change in our pockets and from around the flat that we found when we were cleaning...

Not sure how much is in there, but as I update every Friday, I can count tomorrow and come back and let you know how I'm doing!

Good luck!
LP
xox

Helonearth

I did do something along these lines a couple of years ago. I was about to go away for a month travelling, and really needed to make sure I had plenty of money. So every day, when I got home, I emptied my purse of all change. Even if I had broken a tenner just for a pack of polos and had all coins for change, it went in the maltesers tub.
I think I got together about £80 in 2 months, without even really noticing.

The only thing I would say is that most of your "weaknesses" could be avoided with a bit of forward planning. Nip to the loo before you leave the house or office, take a book and a bottle of tap water with you, and remember that you (probably, knowing most blokes) have beer in the fridge at home.

All the same, best of luck with this challenge!

tooties

think i will join in with this one
i have a coffee jar in the cupboard that i dont think i can get an other coin in there and its a big jar but then its been on the go for a while.
will count tonight or tomorrow and report back, then its going to the savings account to pay off one of my debts
tooties

hbslc

I do 4hr plus train journeys - so having a wee before I set off doesn't really help! Take the point that I could McD's or similar!

Ditto bottles of water, I take one, but where do you fill it up?

With regards beers, I very seldom drink at home. I've always been like this, but do dip in & out of the habit of squeezing in a beer in between trains / planes etc..!

I'm gonna do it - my £4 is now in the jar!

floss2

Does it have to be a jar / tin you can't get the top off, or can it be dippable in case of genuine emergency?

I'm going to join in - no debts now but we want to get married & i will have to pay for my frock!

£1.04 tucked away in my desk drawer until I find a tin!

redsquirrel80

hbslc wrote: »

I do 4hr plus train journeys - so having a wee before I set off doesn't really help! Take the point that I could McD's or similar!

Ditto bottles of water, I take one, but where do you fill it up?

With regards beers, I very seldom drink at home. I've always been like this, but do dip in & out of the habit of squeezing in a beer in between trains / planes etc..!

I'm gonna do it - my £4 is now in the jar!

I used to travel by train a lot (less so now), and really resent having to get change and then spend 20p or however much on going to the loo! Always try to wait until I get on the train or sneak into a bar or cafe at the station. I guess if you couldn't get away with that, maybe you could go and have a soft drink (or half a pint instead of a full one), then use the toilets in the bar.

I also try to take a book and pick up the Metro free paper or any that people have left behind on seats! Bottles of water you could fill up at home/ work (take a couple if one isn't enough, I know it's a pain to carry but think of the savings). I really did used to spend a fortune on food and drink at stations and on trains, so I know where you're coming from - I now take sandwiches and cheap supermarket crisps and drinks when I'm travelling.

Oh and I also have one of these http://www.bitecard.co.uk/ - which gives you 20% discount on food at stations, just in case!

Rose_Crow

The only problem I could see with that, is if you don't have any change on you, wouldn't you be tempted to / need to withdraw more money from an ATM? For this reason I only collect 10p's and under in my coin jar, otherwise I'd end up making myself skinter as I'd need to withdraw notes.

hbslc

For me there's a huge difference between temptation & justification. So for a pint, newspaper, or a 20p toilet trip finding an ATM to take get £10 just ain't worth it!

baxgttdi

hey good luck with this. I'm currently doing something similar, feels great to know someone else is trying it. The only downside is you notice how much you've been wasting as I've er... saved £105 in 4 and half weeks :eek:. I have no idea where the hell it's all come from but I have everything form 1p's to £2 coins the whole lot. I'm starting to run out of jars though heh and I'm desperate to find one of those giant whisky bottles and glue the lid down so I don't go into it, as the fuller it gets the more tempting it is. I'm aiming for £1000 by Xmas, although I'm sure it'll take some doing. The plan is by that time I'll have all debts gone apart form my car (see sig) and then I'll be able to put this cash (always makes me chuckle at the thought of someone having to sit and check through it all does that make me evil?) towards my "one month wage security fallback/holiday fund. Ahh well we can but dream

JET34

I try to save all coin's except £1 coin's I have saved quite a bit this year £300+ in £2 coin's alone.. As for the other coin's I banked £60 quid and have since raided what was left for a school fete. I am now back on the wagon and I am going to try and keep it up for Xmas.