Pros and Cons of Using Change to Purchase Items

I watched in dismay as our coin jar of two years was being filled. The last time we counted, we had over $60 of change! I thought of taking it to a coin machine, but those usually take a percentage of the money. Then I thought of putting them in coin wrappers and turning them into the bank, but my husband said it would take a ton of time. That is when I stumbled upon my plan. I was going to use the coins at the self-checkout. From this experience, I write my list!

Pros of Using Change to Purchase Items

1. You use the coins. This last week, I have used over $25 worth of coins! It is incredible how fulfilling that is. I love seeing the pile of coins slowly disappear.
2. You pay for something without touching your bank account. It feels good to pay for something without pulling anything from the bank account. 
3. It is a great gauge to see how much you care what other people think about you. I felt several eyes on me as I placed hundreds of coins into the machine. It took all that was in me not to stop and pull out my card. I didn't realize how much I cared what other people thought about me. This experience is a great way to find where you are on that scale.
4. A great teaching moment. We live in an increasingly wasteful society. I want to teach my children that money is money! Does it matter if you use change instead of a card? Why does change pile up? Change is money and shouldn't just pile up. 

Cons of Using Coins to Purchase Items

1. If you are like me, it can be a humiliating process. I watched out of the corner of my eye as I got several judgmental looks as I continued to place coin after coin. No matter how much I told myself it didn't matter, I felt humiliated.
2. It can hold up the line. I was careful not to do this and kept watching to make sure. Once there was a line, I whipped out my card and paid for the rest using that method. 
3. It takes time. Minutes passed as I dumped $15 worth of coins into the machine. The machine would only let me go so fast before it started to reject my coins. This was really frustrating! NOTE: Did you know that the coin part of a self checkout will open? This allows you to dump dozens of coins at a time! 
4. It is hard to bring the coins with you to the store. Lucky for me, I made my purchases in the winter. I used my large coat to hold my massive stash of coins. 

"Our goal is to help the world make decisions with a list of Pros and Cons. We invite all to add to our lists to help others make the most educated decision possible. We are all in this world together to help each other and learn from what others have learned from their lives journey." - Pros and Cons Team

Written By: Kristen