by Veronica Bowman

Created on: December 28, 2009   Last Updated: September 26, 2011

It may be easier than you realize to save money using a piggy bank.  Change adds up faster than you might think. By making a conscious effort to save change you can accumulate extra money even in financially difficult times. There are several daily choices you can make to help your piggy get fatter faster.

Your personal piggy bank should be a bank that makes you smile when you see it.  If a whimsical piggy bank delights you, buy one. You might want to select a vintage style piggy bank in which to deposit your change daily. If you are a person who likes to gauge progress, a clear glass piggy bank would be an ideal way for you to see your piggy bank filling up with coins.

There are things you can purposefully do to make your piggy bank fill up faster. First of all, never count out change when making a purchase.  Consider it a bonus if a purchase total adds up to something like $4.01.  Smile as that .99 is counted back to you.  That will be a nice addition to your piggy bank. Before you go to bed each night empty your purse or pocket and feed the piggy.

Keep your eyes open as you walk around. It’s easy to find pennies and possibly other coins in parking lots or on floors that people drop and don’t bother to pick up. Add them to your bank to increase the rate at which it fills up.

Give up a cup of coffee, a sweet treat, or a newspaper one or more days a week and put the amount of money you save in your piggy bank.

Prepare a bag lunch for yourself one or more days a week and put the money saved in your piggy bank.

When family or friends ask you what you want for a special occasion gift, surprise them and ask for coins. By doing that you might even have to buy a second piggy bank in which to put your change.

Once a month clean the change out of your car and put it in your piggy bank. Also check for coins under the sofa cushion once in a while.

Act as though your piggy bank can not be opened until it is absolutely full. It may be helpful to you to write down how you plan to use the money in your piggy bank once it is full. Keep this aspiration under your piggy bank and read it often as a way to encourage yourself to find more ways to fill your piggy bank.

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