# Do I look rich enough to toss my money away for nothing? Of course I want my change back! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 23, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543 "2016-10-23T22:47:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/41 "2016-10-26T21:52:14Z")
I save all my change until the change jar is full. Then I cash in my pennies for quarters to make more room in the change jar and wait for it to fill up again and then I turn that into bills. Last time I did this I had $9 worth of pennies. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/42 "2016-10-26T23:34:22Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > I save all my change until the change jar is full. Then I cash in my pennies for quarters to make more room in the change jar and wait for it to fill up again and then I turn that into bills. > > Last time I did this I had $9 worth of pennies. Wow. If you had $9 and some ham, you could make a ham sandwich, if you had some bread. ---
**Author:** ![TwiSpark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TwiSpark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwiSpark)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/43 "2016-10-26T23:47:56Z")
If a penny makes a difference to you then collect those pennies. No till person should be giving you a hard time for it. The “worst” I’ve had is a slightly ceremonious (i.e. I pick it up as a ‘lol seriously?’) “aaand here’s your PENNY!”. I wait for mine because it’s mine to decide what to do with, not theirs. Let’s not spread the tipping cancer to literally everyone you hand money to. Truth be told, I’m not well paid at all, but find full time employment to be enough that I value wallet space over a few pennies. But I resolve that by dumping them into charity jars once in a while, not by letting the till people keep them. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/44 "2016-10-27T01:30:34Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Wow. If you had $9 and some ham, you could make a ham sandwich, if you had some bread. Well, but you’d need either mustard or mayonnaise as well, depending on how you swing. And some cheese would be nice. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/45 "2016-10-27T07:47:42Z")
> [@CoastalMaineiac](#): > > Even if the only change I’ve got coming to me is a lowly 1¢; it is still better in my pocket than in your cash register! > > I must get asked this question at least a couple of times in the run of a day out: “Do you want your penny?” No, stupid, I was standing here with my hand out waiting for you to slap me five. > > What’s the deal with this question? If your store wants to charge $1 for an item, then be upfront and put $1 on the damn price tag. But don’t put 99¢ on the tag and then ask me to give you an extra cent for it! If you don’t want to deal with pennies at all, then price your shit in 5¢ or 10¢ increments so you don’t have to deal with them! > > Maybe I’m just too old-fashioned, but then again, I’m also the type to pick up pennies off the ground. There used to be this guy at work that would just dump his pennies on the break room tables for anyone to grab. He didn’t want them. His reasoning? They wouldn’t work in the vending machines.:smack: I bet I got at least 50¢ per week from him. Funny thing is, the guy was always complaining about being broke. > > Tldr: If I tell you to keep the change, feel free to do with it as you please. Otherwise, I want my change back, all of it, including the lowly pennies. I have a book in my library somewhere I think called “How to Think Like a Millionaire” and one of the tips is a millionaire always takes back the penny. Even when I clean my house, and I sweep up some old pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters off the floor I do my best to clean them and keep them because I’ve been broke before and my OCD fear is one of the coins might be the difference between life or death if I ever go broke again. All that said I do contribute to “leave a penny, take penny” jars because I have in the past have seen cashiers pull from them to complete my order. I have no problem paying it forward but I need evidence that is the institution in questions policy before particpating. This of course begs the old debate as to whether or not we need to eliminate the poor penny. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/46 "2016-10-27T07:51:36Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > Just remember this. Without the cent, the price of everything will go up, not down. Even if this happened, it would be _four cents_ max. The coin is so outdated that even the dumb arguments for keeping it have been rendered worthless by inflation. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/47 "2016-10-27T10:17:33Z")
OP is absolutely right. My pocketful of change is what I keep around to give to people who ask me for change, pennies included. While that 50 cents a week from a co-worker doesn’t sound like much, it can literally make all the difference to someone who’s down and out. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/48 "2016-10-27T11:56:24Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > I have been throwing pennies on the ground or in the trash can at home. > > Since 1985. > > They became “not worth the handling costs” many years before 1985. > > I try to tell cashiers to “keep the pennies”, or, if pennies are the only change due: “throw them back”. > > I would love to have the cashier ask BEFORE scooping the damned things up. > > In case you haven’t heard: The US MINT stopped using copper for its one cent coin\* DECADES ago - the copper was worth more than $0.01 back then. > > - > - the US Mint has never issued a coin it called a “penny” - it once issued a “half-penny”, but its one cent piece is called “one cent piece”. In the trash?!? Good heavens, get a jar and throw your pennies in. When it gets full, cash them in. Buy yourself a lunch with it. They aren’t worthless by any means. If I’m walking down the street and see a penny on the ground, I pick it up. I always wait for my penny change. If the young whippersnapper at the register thinks I’m a tightwad, screw him. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/49 "2016-10-27T12:41:27Z")
What’s up with all you weirdos who keep pennies in your _wallet_? I don’t even put bills under $10 in my wallet. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/50 "2016-10-27T13:09:27Z")
The question posed is, “Do I look rich enough to not care about a penny?” My answer is, “Do you look like a white-bearded prospector coot dressed in nothing but a barrel with suspender straps and mangled boots that might end up in your soup someday?” ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/51 "2016-10-27T14:10:53Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > The question posed is, “Do I look rich enough to not care about a penny?” > > My answer is, “Do you look like a white-bearded prospector coot dressed in nothing but a barrel with suspender straps and mangled boots that might end up in your soup someday?” But… There are Marxists in the world, there are Georgists. There are Keynesians, Fabians, and then… There are those who follow [Randall’s works](https://what-if.xkcd.com/22/) OP’s never been one of them. OP’s a penny counter Is a counter now through and through And the one thing they say about counters is They never can sneak up on you. He’s got to have great big pockets With more metal than he’s got in his car. The jingling makes such a nice ruckus And prevents him from sneaking too far Because: Chorus: Every penny’s sacred! Every penny’s great! If a penny’s wasted, OP gets quite irate! Let the rich folk spend theirs On tips and honor jars OP counts all his cab fares 'Cause he ain’t no movie stars. [Chorus] Canucks, Aussies, and [Hebrews](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_agora) Got rid of theirs long hence; OP loves those who don’t lose Any of their cents! [Chorus] ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/52 "2016-10-27T14:34:08Z")
Bravo. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/53 "2016-10-28T07:12:53Z")
I’m kind of amazed at the number of people here that are so well off that they ignore money if it’s less than a certain amount. OTOH, maybe that’s why so many people are in financial difficulty. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/54 "2016-10-28T07:40:10Z")
for a while in the early 00’s KFC delivered here in so cal and once a month id have a 6 to 12 piece meal delivered depending on the coupon I had the meal dinner I bought came up to about 25 because I bought extra stuff I paid with 3 20s I turned around to set the food down (which was hot enough to start to melt the plastic bag it was in ) on the table in the living room and the delivery guy was gone …I called kfc and said what the hell … and he hadn’t made it back yet and cal back in 20 minutes … so mgmt. called me about an hour later and said delivery guy was on the way back to me apparently he thought the 35-40 in change was a tip… I got a certificate for a free meal and the cash back … I did give the guy the 5 I usually tip drivers … he was nice about it ( I think he was maybe 18 …) ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/55 "2016-10-28T08:30:50Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > I can’t speak for you guys south of the border, but lots of people were whining up here when we were in the process of getting rid of the penny/cent/1 cent piece/whatever that merchants would round up. That turned out not to be the case. … > …Note also that up here rounding is done on the final total (if you are paying cash), not on the individual items. So, even if totals were always rounded up it would only make a significant difference if you were buying single items one at a time. Same in Aus. Clueless people who had no idea about the way retail operates. What actually happend is interesting though: lots of companies initially rounded down the sticker price to x.95 to match the coinage, then gradually realized that nobody cared, and put the price back up to x.99, either to catch a few cents rounded on the total, or because x.99 still looked more “normal”. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/56 "2016-10-28T09:09:23Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > I collect coins. You never know when you might get something interesting. I agree with the OP. > > PS: The USA does not have pennies. We have cents. Had them ever since the US mint opened in 1793. > > Pennies are a fraction of a pound sterling and have nothing whatsoever to do with US coinage. Since 1793? I’m pretty sure that in 1973 we still had pennies, because I particularly remember the Lincoln Penny. I see that according to Wikipedia, that is now the Lincoln cent, but those old timers at cointracker still call it a Lincoln Penny by preference. Also [Penny (United States coin) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_%28United_States_coin%29) ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/57 "2016-10-28T09:55:44Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > Same in Aus. Clueless people who had no idea about the way retail operates. What actually happend is interesting though: lots of companies initially rounded down the sticker price to x.95 to match the coinage, then gradually realized that nobody cared, and put the price back up to x.99, either to catch a few cents rounded on the total, or because x.99 still looked more “normal”. I worked in retail a long time and prices have ended in random numbers for as long as I can remember. Most purchases are done with EFTPOS or credit cards and most people figure (correctly) the rounding evens out in the long run. I never, ever - not even once - had someone complain about rounding the price shafting them somehow. I’m comfortable saying no-one in Australia cares. NZ got rid of 5c pieces recently and the country hasn’t descended into anarchy. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/58 "2016-10-28T10:20:14Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > Same in Aus. Clueless people who had no idea about the way retail operates. What actually happend is interesting though: lots of companies initially rounded down the sticker price to x.95 to match the coinage, then gradually realized that nobody cared, and put the price back up to x.99, either to catch a few cents rounded on the total, or because x.99 still looked more “normal”. It would be even harder to manipulate the amount collected on taxed purchases in the USA. Sales taxes are calculated on the total and then rounded to the nearest cent, so you can have a situation where one item costs a total of $4.98 (rounds up) but if you buy two you pay $9.97 (rounds down). ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/59 "2016-10-28T10:25:38Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > I’m kind of amazed at the number of people here that are so well off that they ignore money if it’s less than a certain amount. OTOH, maybe that’s why so many people are in financial difficulty. Nobody in 2016 is in financial difficulty because of pennies. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543/60 "2016-10-28T11:44:13Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > Since 1793? > > I’m pretty sure that in 1973 we still had pennies, because I particularly remember the Lincoln Penny. I see that according to Wikipedia, that is now the Lincoln cent, but those old timers at cointracker still call it a Lincoln Penny by preference. > > Also [Penny (United States coin) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_%28United_States_coin%29) Large cents 1793 - 1857, Flying Eagle cents 1856-1858, “Indian Head” (Actually Liberty) Cents from 1859 - 1909, and Lincoln Head cents 1909-present all have the word “cent” on them. Not one has the word penny. A few early ones also use 1/100 to signify that fraction of a dollar. In the USA, penny is a slang term. Our Canadian friends, do (or did) have pennies. > [@](#): > > In American numismatics, slang for the one-cent coin. The name derives from the British coin, formerly used in America before the adoption of decimal currency. The old British penny was worth 1/12th of a shilling, or 1/240th of a pound. It was originally a silver coin in mediaeval times, and was first struck in copper in 1797. Pennies were also struck in numerous British colonies, such as Australia, South Africa etc… In 1970 the predecimal penny was replaced by a decimal one, worth 1/100th of a pound. [Source](http://www.coincommunity.com/dictionary/coins_p.asp) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-look-rich-enough-to-toss-my-money-away-for-nothing-of-course-i-want-my-change-back/769543.md?page=4)