Useful Links

cute fuzzy bunny · 02-13-2006, 09:05 AM

I'd seen this a while back but hadnt gotten around to doing anything about it.

The "coinstar" change counting machines found in many stores and markets now will usually have an option to give you an amazon gift certificate instead of cash, with no 'counting fee'. 100% of your spare change goes into a certificate!

We had the usual 10-15 years worth of jars and whatnot filled with coins. Took mine down and got $106.29 for my troubles.

Pretty straightforward...push a few buttons, select amazon e-certificate, dump your coins into a hinged tray, lift the tray to feed coins through a horizontal slot, when its done it spits out a receipt with a redemption code you type into the gift certificate field during checkout. Its pretty immediate, because when I got home from the market I bought a baby gate and the certificate was already valid.

cube_rat · 02-13-2006, 09:12 AM

I roll my own 8)

HFWR · 02-13-2006, 09:13 AM

That's my line... :P

JPatrick · 02-13-2006, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cube_rat

I roll my own* 8)

Gosh--aren't they hard to light?

cute fuzzy bunny · 02-13-2006, 09:20 AM

We used to roll them too, then take them to the bank and 'walk the plank' with them while they weighed and measured and called homeland security.

Unless you dont use amazon, this was a pretty good deal. For 8c or 10c on the dollar for the regular deal, I'd roll 'em too.

I wonder if they collect that change periodically or just sell it to the store the machine is in for their change needs. That'd be a pretty good deal...just lease out a machine that would count and roll coins, split the 8% with the store you put it in.

Nords · 02-13-2006, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by (Cute Fuzzy Bunny)

We had the usual 10-15 years worth of jars and whatnot filled with coins.* Took mine down and got $106.29 for my troubles.

Which takes less time & hassle:
1) the Coinstar approach

2) actually carrying a buck or two of pocket change and spending it once a week?

3)... alternate approaches involving child labor, lottery tickets, side bets during the golf match, etc.

cute fuzzy bunny · 02-13-2006, 09:47 AM

Since I use my 5% dividend card for most purchases, and the 1% card for about everything else, randomly generated coin never gets spent

justin · 02-13-2006, 09:53 AM

Then there's the approach of the guy in front of me at a recent lunch outing to Hardee's (Carl Jr's, for you non southeast atlantic coast types). The guy had the counter covered in assorted silver and copper coins to pay for his ~$5 lunch purchase. Unfortunately, the coins repeatedly dropped on the floor prior to being accepted by the cashier. After a few minutes of this comedy routine, he finally counted out enough coins to appease the cashier, and I got my turn to order my dead cow sandwich (I paid with a $10 bill). Nords, was that you in front of me in line?

My local credit union now has free coin counting machines in most branches. Problem solved. I don't usually make that many cash transactions, since I, like CFB, use my 5%/1% dividend card almost all the time, even if it's just a buck or two. 8)

Nords · 02-13-2006, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justin

Nords, was that you in front of me in line?*

Introduce yourself next time-- I'm there every day!

Just kidding. At least when we do this for our CostCo pizza I have the stuff counted out & piled up in advance. But my face is so honest & trustworthy that the cashiers rarely bother to count it anyway.

Our kid watched the movie "Paper Moon" with Grandpa last week, and she's been making change for $5 & $10 bills with all her less-acculturated friends. I'm expecting parental phone calls any day now...

cute fuzzy bunny · 02-13-2006, 10:03 AM

I think they just look at ya and say "hmmm...looks like a guy that would live in a sunken thin metal tube with a nuclear bomb at one end" and just give you the pizza.

cube_rat · 02-13-2006, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justin

Then there's the approach of the guy in front of me at a recent lunch outing to Hardee's (Carl Jr's, for you non southeast atlantic coast types).* The guy had the counter covered in assorted silver and copper coins to pay for his ~$5 lunch purchase.* Unfortunately, the coins repeatedly dropped on the floor prior to being accepted by the cashier.* After a few minutes of this comedy routine, he finally counted out enough coins to appease the cashier, and I got my turn to order my dead cow sandwich (I paid with a $10 bill).* Nords, was that you in front of me in line?*

My local credit union now has free coin counting machines in most branches.* Problem solved.* I don't usually make that many cash transactions, since I, like CFB, use my 5%/1% dividend card almost all the time, even if it's just a buck or two.* *8)

One of my pet peeves: Someone in front of me counting out exact change for a item costing $2.38!

I want to yank out my Citibank dividend card and pay for the item myself.

HFWR · 02-13-2006, 12:13 PM

Or someone's just ahead of you, in line for the past ten minutes, and finally fumbling for their wallet or checkbook, after the clerk has finished...

Guess having to pay was a surprise...

Rustic23 · 02-13-2006, 01:53 PM

No, it is someone in the 15 item line with 25 items! I normaly ask them if they can count.

cube_rat · 02-13-2006, 01:55 PM

Someone writing a check and then LOGGING it into their checkbook gets my panties in a bunch. Who writes checks these days?

SteveR · 02-13-2006, 03:19 PM

I wonder if retirement will slow you folks down a bit.

Why the rush when you have the rest of the day to get 'er done?

Then you too can afford the time to count out 20 years accumulation of coppers for an item and really piss off those behind you in line who are still working and far less free time to burn.

Breath in..............breath out.................think calm thoughts and be one with the universe.

wabmester · 02-13-2006, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cube_rat

Someone ... gets my panties in a bunch.

Is this another one of your crazy contests, cube_rat? What do I need to do to win?!

cute fuzzy bunny · 02-13-2006, 04:39 PM

Nah, retirement doesnt chill you out. Still bugs me when someone writes a check for four bucks and change and waits until the whole thing is rung up to take out the wallet.

I do suppose the store might change its name, the customer might change theirs, a whole day might go by, or they might decide at the last moment that they're not really in a buying mood.

Nothing beats the two young scumbags in line 2 ahead of me at walmart who successively brought out at least a dozen cards each, all of which were rejected, who then brought out a checkbook (what are the odds?) and yep...that was rejected too!

Oh yeah, that was for a 12-pack of soda and a bag of chips.