keep a piggy bank, change adds up

Think piggy banks are just ceramic collectibles? Think again.

Along with savings accounts, piggy banks can be a great source of extra cash. Keep your pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters in a piggy bank of sorts, and you may be pleasantly surprised by the result a month or so later. I have several small wooden boxes and containers on my desk in which I store my spare change — from jean pockets, the bottom of my purse, etc. Whenever I need a couple of dollars, I search through my change containers and find some quarters; however, change can be heavy and obnoxiously loud to carry around. So, here are a few solutions:

Wrap the coins and bring them to the bank — This is a kind of old-school method, but it still works just as well. It can also be a fun lazy Sunday activity. Simply sort your coins and wrap them in paper coin wrappers according to the dollar amount. Banks carry the wrappers for free, but you can also purchase some for cheap at stores like Office Max or Staples.

Bring the coins to a Coinstar machine — Coinstars are very helpful in that you can throw all of your coins into the machine and have them sorted automatically, but the downside is that Coinstar takes a percentage of your total to complete the service. However, if you don’t have the time or patience to wrap your coins, it can be a great alternative. Check out Coinstar to find a service near you.