Loose change is an amazing thing! We think nothing about the pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters that often weigh down the bottoms of handbags, fall behind the cushions of furniture or onto the floor of the car. Maybe you casually toss those coins into jars or bowls, to collect dust.

Several institutional banks have realized the value of the treasures that lie in saving loose change. They'll round up to the next dollar any of your charges and save that extra change for you. How's that for an electronic piggy bank? Pretty nifty, I'd say. The most effective way to save up some of that splurge money while not feeling the pinch, is to stow your copper and silver goodies in a money box or piggy bank.

Many years ago, I was given a 36" plastic replica of a Coca-Cola bottle that was a bank. I placed the bottle bank in the corner of my office behind my desk. For months, I ignored my bottle bank, choosing to leave it empty. Then one day, my handbag was just too heavy for my shoulder. I decided to eliminate some of the extra weight, disposing of a frightening amount of used tissues, paper clips, only to find a bounty of coins. My saving adventure began that day as I tossed all my coins into the Coca-Cola bottle.

Just the sight of all of the coins in the bottom of the clear bottle was enough to get me excited. With a smug sigh, I thought, what fun it would be to fill the bottle to the top. It would be a challenge to fill the 3 foot high Coke bottle. Without giving any thought as to how much money my excess change would amount to, I thoughtlessly began pitching coins into the bottle for about 6 months.

Finally, the bottle was filled to the brim. It was on my birthday that I decided to uncap my Coca-Cola bank and tally up my savings. To my surprise, I had actually amassed a small fortune. The bank held some $800 in coins! Never did I miss the money I was pitching into the bottle, and now I had a significant sum to do with as I pleased. And so I did, as I traded in my car for a new Cadillac Seville, adding my $800 to the down payment. Happy Birthday to me!

So, my tips to you about saving money in a piggy bank or money box, or whatever receptacle you may choose are:

1. Get a container that will hold and secure a large amount of coins

2. Don't dwell on how much you are accruing or how much you will gross

3. Throw your coins into the bank on a regular basis

4. No cheating, ever! No shaking the coins out, no breaking the bank until it is filled

When you've filled your bank to the rim, go for it! Count and roll those forgotten coins and revel in the joy of having your very own booty of found money. Your change adds up to some bucks that you can spend for something you need, or you may feel free to blow it without having a bad conscience. It's your fun money, you earned, you made it happen, you watched it grow.

So, next time you see that penny on the sidewalk, consider feeding it to your piggy bank and watch it grow into dollars.

Learn more about this author, Theo Chester.
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