Forget Coin Rolling: What I do when the piggy bank gets full

Image by inju via Flickr

You know those huge green machines by the entrance at your local grocery store? The ones you sometimes see people dumping coffee cans full of change into? They're called Coinstar machines, and you can use them to count your coins and exchange them for cash. I'd never used them until about a month ago because I knew they charged for the service. I just waited until my trusty piggy bank filled up and then dumped it on the floor and listened to a podcast while I rolled coins. Then I lugged them to the bank.

But Coinstar now has a free option, so as much as I love my podcasts, my rolling days are over. If you want your coins turned into cash, you're still going to have to pay for it, but if you choose to have them turned into a gift card, there's no charge. There are several gift cards to choose from: Amazon.com, Borders, AMC movies theatres, Overstock.com, and even CVS. And there's no worry about wasting--you can use them up to the last cent.

I'm always on the lookout for time-savers like this, so if you know any you'd like to share, leave a comment below.