Like most people nowadays, I rely heavily on my debit or credit card to make my daily purchases. To help myself keep on track with my budget a little better, I decided that making my transactions with cash could help me monitor my recreational spending on a weekly basis. Though I have been better about how much I am spending on leisure items, I started to remember the reason why I don’t like to use cash… SPARE CHANGE. Not only does it make my wallet and purse heavy, but I never have a great use for it, and my pile never seems to get smaller, and I was determined to find a good use for all of those pennies and nickels. Though my credit union has a coin machine where I can exchange my spare change for cash or put in my account, I remembered what a friend had told me before, and I quickly had a new favorite use for spare change.

Now I usually shy away from the Coinstar machines at the grocery store because of the fee they charge to exchange your change, I have learned that they now have two services that I was previously unaware of. Users now have the option to forgo those fees by purchasing a gift card or giving to one of fourteen charities. Using Coinstar to get rid of all of that change can not only help you treat yourself, but treat others with ease.  With gift card options such as Amazon, Nike, and Southwest Airlines, I couldn’t wait to exchange my first batch of change, start my collection of gift cards in my wallet, and help my purse with one of its new years resolutions, to feel a little lighter.

Basha Gitnes