Do you keep a coin jar or a piggy bank? I’ve kept several piggy banks for years. I have some on my dresser and one in the car, just in case. Sometimes I drop in spare change and others, I drop in cold hard cash. When it’s time to cash out or organize, sometimes the coins can be a hassle. If you’re sorting out coins to get ready to spend, you could opt for automatic coin counters, but you can do it at home for free.
Free Money
Think of your coins as free money. While its money you earned, putting it away into your piggy bank means free money later down the line. Most people don’t spend coins so it is easy to accumulate lots of them. I’ve even heard of people who throw away pennies. That’s WILD to me- pennies are money too! Saving your coins means a stream of income for something that doesn’t require automatic saving, or deviating from your main source of income. When you sort them out you may be surprised at how much you have.
Sorting Out Coins
Sorting out coins can take a little bit of time, but I actually enjoy it. It’s fun to organize your money, even if it’s just nickels and dimes.
Here’s how you can start sorting out coins at home.
Paper Rolls
A classic! I’m talking about the colored rolls of paper that you can pick up at a bank. Each roll holds a certain amount of money, and you fill it with a certain amount of coins. Since you get them for free from the bank and roll them for free yourself, you take home 100% of the money you save! If you can’t get them at the bank, pick some up from the Dollar Tree. I’ve used paper rolls, and even have some nickels and dimes still rolled from ten years ago.
Speed Sorting Trays
These trays have different sized holes in them for the different types of coins. You empty your join jar into the tray and the appropriate coin will fall through. Then you repeat with the different sized trays until all your coins are sorted.
These trays can be a big time-saver for you when sorting out coins, and they’re designed to last for years. If you’re a big coin person these might be worth the investment!
Electric Coin Sorter
One step up from the trays and two steps up from the coin rolls, you can invest in an electric coin sorter. These can be bought on Amazon or Target and are so fun! You pour your money into them (all the coins at once) and the machine will spit it out into the paper wrapper for you.
Sorting out coins at home is a great way to make sure your loose change actually turns into money you’ll use. It can be your fun money, or you can tuck it away into a savings account. In fact, coin savings can be a great and easy way to boost your emergency fund. If you can’t afford an electric sorter, tap into your DIY skills. You can make a cardboard sorter with the help of the posted video.
Looking for more great articles on how I handle my money? Try these articles:
How to Find Great Deals Online so You Can Save a Ton of Money
Things to Do When You’re Dead Broke
Navigate Your Bills to Work for You
Shatel Huntley has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University. In her spare time, she works with special needs adults and travels the world. Her interests include traveling to off the beaten path destinations, shopping, couponing, and saving.