If you don't use loose change, you may often find yourself keeping it out of your wallet. Purposefully leaving it on the restaurant table after you've eaten, or just throwing it in random places. It can honestly get annoying to carry around, and you find change all over the place. Here are some ideas to put that change to better use.
1. Collect It
Simply have a jar near your front door. Then, whenever you get home from work, school, grocery store, etc., throw it in the jar. It won't take long for the jar to fill up. We collect more change than you may realize. When it's full, count the change. You'll be surprised how much it's all actually worth.
2. Make a Mosaic
Different shades of pennies can be collaborated to make a piece of art. If you're an artist, you may want to try this out. Even if it doesn't turn out the way you'd like it, it's a fun project. Besides, you were probably going to lose or throw away those pennies anyway.
3. Make a Table
If you collect enough pennies, try decorating the top of a coffee table or night stand with them. After some finishing gloss, it looks really neat!
4. Make Something Useful
Coins can even be put together to make a bowl (there are online tutorials), or even placemats and coasters.If you get creative, there are plenty of other things you can make out of pennies.
5. Tile Your Wall or Floor With Pennies
Getting your floors or walls tiled is expensive. Not only do you have to pay for the tiling, but you have to pay for the labor too. Pennies actually look really cool when set into the floor or wall. In addition, the only money you're putting into it, is literally the money that you are putting into it. You can even ask your friends for their pennies. Most people are happy to get rid of them. It's going to take a lot of pennies to get this project done!
6. Self Check-Out
The machines at the self check-out usually take any kind of change. Take all your change with you and just empty it in to pay for as much as you can. I once bought $12 worth of items with my change.
7. Donate It
Every penny counts. If you simply don't know what else to do with your change, collect it somewhere you won't lose it and dump it into a donation box. At least you'll know somebody is using it, and probably for a better cause than whatever was going to happen to it if you kept it sitting around (probably between the couch cushions.)