"Here's your change sir, $2.97". I'm thinking "what am I going to do with all this change?" I tried a wallet with a coin compartment. The coins ruined the credit cards and misaligned my spine. Then I threw the coins into the car's console until it overflowed. I could use the coins at the McDonald's drive thru. Except I don't go to McDonalds.
What about Coinstar? "Turn coins into cash, NO FEE gift cards, or donations at Coinstar. Find a kiosk location in a grocery store near you." The machines are usually jammed with blanks from electrical outlets. The fees are $.50 + 12.5% unless you get a gift card.
How about rolling the coins in those paper coin rolls and take it to the bank? The bank doesn't take coin rolls anymore.
OK how about using a coin holder? You know those rubber oval things that look like a small flattened lemon? There is a slit in the middle and you have to squeeze it open and pick through the coins. My Grandfather used to carry one around. Never seriously considered it.
Then I tried a small 2" x 2" orange nylon and velcro pouch. They put CPR first aid face shields in these things. It would barely fit 99 cents. I put this thing on my keychain and it worked for a while. Until the weight of the change wore out the ignition switch and the car wouldn't start anymore. They replaced the ignition switch. Now I carry two keys. One for the door and one to start the car.
Next I tried a leather zippered case with little metal rails inside to hold the overlapping coins. The zipper was awkward and the rails would bend slightly and the coins would fall out.
I even tried one of those coin changers the ice cream truck drivers used to carry around. This one was plastic and the coins jammed in the dispenser. Something would almost have to be wrong with someone carrying around an ice cream truck coin changer on their belt. Unless they sell ice cream.
Finally I found this plastic coin holder on Amazon. It holds a lot of coins and dispensing is easy. It took months to spend down the pile of change from the car's console. "That will be $2.97 cents Sir." Oh 97 cents? The clerks seemed disappointed to get a fistful of change. Sorting the coins back into their register.
Nearly every time I took the coin holder out the clerks commented. "Wow. Nice coin holder. That is so cool. Where did you get that? It's so organized. How many coins does it hold? I want to get one of those."
One day at the health food store, the clerk went crazy. I had an extra coin holder and brought it back into the store to give to her. She acted like she won a cruise for two on the Wheel of Fortune.
I bought five more coin holders.
Next I am in a Korean BBQ for a bento. Making change the clerk says "Wow that is a nice coin holder." Here we go. When I walked back into the store the clerk thought something was wrong. "Is everything OK?" Everything is fine. I have an extra coin holder and I wanted to give it to you. "Really? That is so nice. Thank you. You just made my day."
The next time I was in the Korean BBQ, the clerk was busy making a custom bento with kimchee, spicy eggplant, seaweed, and pot stickers with sauce. As I walked to the door she runs around the counter and hands me the bento. "I want to thank you for giving me the coin holder." This time she made my day.
If you told me I would be giving away coin holders to clerks, I'm not sure I would have believed you. I have one tip. If you give exact change, make sure to hand the coins over first. If you hand the bills over first the clerk already has the change in their hand. Its like a shootout with Clint Eastwood in a fistful of dollars. You are going to get a fistful of change.
dave@worldsowrstwriter.org 2021-10-24