Testimony from Jan.
For several years now, we have been saving our change in a jar starting at the beginning of each new year.
Then, during the Holidays, we dump it out on the table, count and roll it, then go through the Gospel for Asia wish list to see what we can buy.
This past Christmas, we were able to buy:
- a pair of pigs
- a sheep
- two chickens
- a mosquito net
- a blanket
- a tambourine
- a drum
Everyone in our family got to pick something and tell why they thought it would be a good idea, then we made our list.
This year we purchased all this and had 17 cents left toward next years gifts!
My local grocery has a Coinstar machine that counts coins for free and puts the amount on a store gift card. It’s like free groceries! I’m always amazed how fast my spare change adds up.
When we were little and money was
Really tight for us we would save up all out spare change to buy our Christmas
Tree every year. It was so much fun for my sister and I to watch out dad deposit whatever change he had ino that jar everyday and then we would want to help too. It taught us great things about saving money for something you really want. And for our family having a real Christmas tree was a big deal and it made it so much more special. We are both out of the house now but my parents still get a real Christmas tree
(grankids get to pick it out!) but now that they can easily afford one my dad still faithfully saves all his spare change to donate at that time of year. One tradition has blossomed into another. Can’t wait to do something like that with my kids. Amazing what a little loose change can teach you about life.
When unplanned bills come up it helps us get thru the month and either goes toward groceries or gas, I would love to eventually be able to do this!!
This is a great idea! We use our loose change to buy our Sunday newspapers with the coupon inserts in them.
We are using it to go towards a down payment on a boat.
I am retired and living on a strained budget, and funny just today I took wrapped coins from past years and paid real estate taxes.
I love this idea! DH and I *never* cash in our change jar(s). I don’t know what we’re saving it for lol, but I love this!
We take our change to the bank and pay extra on the mortgage. Last debt to pay off
I had a friend buy ‘us’ a goat for a wedding gift. I thought it was the best gift we received!
When my husband and I got married, combined our change jars and paid for our honeymoon! It was great because we were young and broke.
Love this!
Several years ago, we kept a change-jar beside the door. We collected for months. The children would even work out deals with their grandparents for their change. At Christmas, I let the children pick the gift they wanted to send from the GFA Christmas catalog. It was so fun for them and such a blessing to give!
This is fantastic !
We are on a tight budget so we use our change as our spending money on our yearly vacation.
Love this idea! It doesn’t take much to buy much needed items for this ministry. Mosquito Netting is cheap and so important to the families to save them from malaria. We are doing this in 2013 – thanks for the idea!
I love loose change ideas!
I still pick up coins off the ground too!
We save our spare change (and budget $10.00 per month) for Operation Christmas Child. I know this is a once a year ministry that doesn’t help out with all the day to day needs of a child, but it is a ministry that gets out the Gospel to children around the world and gives them an opportunity to learn more about God, as well as giving them a gift that makes them feel loved. My mother loved children and this ministry, so when she passed, our family adopted it, and that is how we fund it. This year we helped our church of about 35-40 people send out 24 shoe boxes to children around the world.
I like the idea that your change jar basically contained a little farm and band. I also think charities that let you choose items, rather than giving money to a general cause, make the point of giving seem a lot more real to kids. Nice work!
“A little arm and a band”. Yup, that pretty much made my afternoon a happy one.
I use all of our loose change to put in our 2 girls’ piggy banks. When they get full, we go to the bank and put them into their savings accounts. I figure this is an easy way for them to have money for college.
Great story. I thought about buying farm animals through Operation Christmas Child for each member of my family instead of buying my family members a gift. This would be their gift to another family. Love how the kids are involved in buying a gift 🙂
Great idea! We usually save it for a “just because: or “fun” day. We cashed in again yesterday… $43.73 we have saved since November 27 🙂 Have not done anything with it yet!
This is a wonderful idea. Usually, we use our money toward a family trip, but I like this so much better. Thank you for the inspiration!
That’s such a fun idea. I love the Gospel for Asia Christmas Catalog. Its my favorite!