Got Spare Change? A Few Ways to Utilize that Jar of Coins

When you were a kid you probably got excited every time your parent(s) gave you spare change to put in your piggy bank. The change would eventually add up and you could buy something you wanted.

Some people grew out of this excitement, others still have a jar full of coins sitting somewhere around their home and are waiting for the day they can put it towards something they really want or need.

Whether you get excited when you get a handful of change back or not, there are many benefits associated with saving this spare change.

Use it on your fixer-upper

If you’re trying to make your home into a dream house, or looking to replace a few appliances, you can count up your coins and head to Lowe’s or Home Depot. Even if you hire someone to do the dirty work for you at least the materials will be covered.

Retire on it

You won’t be able to save enough spare change to retire entirely, but if you can save a few hundred dollars a year you can dump it into an investment account or Roth IRA. Soon your savings will add up to much more than a few hundred dollars sitting in a coin jar.

Create an emergency fund

If you don’t have an emergency fund already, saving your change can be an easy way to save up for a rainy day. Once you get $20 or $30 dollars you can take it to the bank and deposit it.

Make a charitable gift

Make a gift to the Salvation Army kettle during Christmas time or to the local animal shelter. You can gather up the coins you’ve saved and make a charitable gift to the cause dear to your heart.

Pay for a vacation

You may not be able to pay for your entire vacation, but maybe you’ve scrounged up enough from your change jar to pay for that special dinner you wanted, or a fun activity to do while you’re on vacation. Perhaps it will cover the gas or airfare. No matter what you put it towards, saving a few dollars during the year without knowing it can help decrease the vacation costs.

Go on a date night

If money has been a little tight you can always use your spare change to put towards a nice dinner alone with your loved one or happy hour drinks.

Using the money from the change jar to do something fun will make you feel less guilty than having to dish out a few bills from your wallet.

Turn your coins into dollars

There are more options you could consider when deciding to save up your spare change, but it’s important to remember coins add up to dollars. Any money you save now will only be beneficial in the future.

What are you saving your spare change for?