No, not right. I hate them. I HATE them. I @%$#ing HATE PENNIES.
This post almost went to the Pit because I find it difficult to discuss these worthless little bits of metal in polite company. Are we clear on this, that I hate them? That rage burns within me like the fires of hell when I am stuck with them?
Okay then. The question submitted for your approval is what to do with them. As a practice, I usually leave them in the “take a penny” dish at the register, or just leave them on the counter if there isn’t one. But what about drive-throughs? I feel like an idiot if I say “keep it” when I’m owed 3 cents change (and I get a look like “Oh, big tipper”) … but if I throw them on the ground outside I get dirty looks for that, too.
Thus my question: What is the socially acceptable mode for disposing of worthless currency which is only minted because a significant number of American voters are bed-wetting nostalgiacs who remember that back in 1809 the crappy little things were worth something? I am NOT going to take them home and save them, and I am tired of people looking at me like I’ve defamed the memory of Lincoln when I throw them away.
No, I don’t like nickels either. And the dimes are starting to get on my nerves, too.
I dont like them either. Pennies that is. A cashier at a store the other day gave me eight of them because they were out of nickles. I almost gave them back, but that would be acting like a dick, so I didn’t.
At the end of the day, if I have any pennies, I throw them in a jar. When the jar is full I take it to the coin machine at the grocery store and usually end up with about $15.00 in paper money.
If it gets to the point of you actively hating pennys, nickles dimes, send them to me. I got no problem with money.
Do stores etc in the states not have charity boxes? A small box near the check-out or the bagging station for various charities? Throw them in that if they bother you.
I really hate them too. I spend them, when I can. If I’m paying good attention, I never have more than four pennies on me.
Often if a purchase is like $1.48, I’ll have exact change for $1.50 in coins. This makes it easy. I give them the money, say thank you, and quickly walk away.
I don’t know if this is true in your area and, even if it is, it’s only a partial solution. But, the McDonald’s in my area all have collection bins for the Ronald McDonald House (a reasonably worthy charity, despite the association) under the drive thru windows. I generally put all my change in those, if they have one. If not, I take it home and put it in a jar.
I feel I have to mention that, as recently as the 1980’s, I knew of a place where penny candy still actually cost a penny. But, aside from that, both pennies and nickels are pretty useless. Hmmm…just remembered…there was one time when I was in one of the northern New England cities, Bangor, I think, and discovered that the parking meters wouldn’t take quarters. They only took pennies, nickels and dimes. And, all I had was a roll of quarters. I got a ticket. It was $3, which made me laugh. I went and paid the ticket in person. With quarters.
So, as useless as the generally are, they don’t inspire the same hatred, in me. One thing that really does annoy me, though, is foreign coins. Generally, it’s Canadian, but I’ve been given Irish coins and even an Israeli coin, among others. I know it’s my own fault, for not checking before I leave, but it really irritates me because there’s no way to get rid of that crap, short of throwing it in the trash or making a special trip to one of the two banks in the area that exchange foreign currencies. Neither of which is my bank, and neither of which is located anywhere I would otherwise have reason to go.
I am soo in tune with the OP. I give all change to my wife, who is one of those who finds secret delight in paying for something with exact change. And I find secret delight in paying for something (while in her presense) with a twenty when I have exact change in my pocket.
I used to collect all the pennies I could in high school and take them to amusement parks. I had a season pass and we went so often we’d get tired of the rides and had to come up with other things to do. Anyway, I hate pennies too, so we would collect as many as possible and dump them in a pile somewhere around the park in a busy area. Then we’d sit back and watch. People would go crazy over them! Especially if you got a couple of middle aged ladies competing trying to pick up as many as possible, it was hilarious.
So there’s something fun to do with pennies. Oh, and I DON’T reccomend stuffing your pockets with pennies and then riding a ride that goes upside down. Amusement park security didn’t think that it was very funny.
That reminds me, there’s about 40 pennies on top of the vending machine at work. There are also another 25 in my office drawer that were there when I moved in. Those of you who love money so much, feel free to come collect them.
J.B. : See, I would think that too, especially since that would help them even out the register at the end of the night. Heck, if everyone gave every cashier $.02, that’d be a big raise for them. But whenever I say “keep it,” even for 25 cents, I get dirty looks.
Why don’t you just run them all through the machine in the grocery store (or bank) that changes (!) your change into bills? I do this with all my loose change, although there’s a slight fee involved. (There are some banks that have them, and if you have an account there, it’s free.)
:mad:
The whole POINT is that I refuse to carry $#@& pennies around all day in order to take them home. They will not enter my house, nor my car, nor my pockets. I think of them as you would a dead rat: what would you say if I told you to just keep your dead rats, and at the end of the day go home and feed them to your pet, or keep them around until you have enough to make a fur coat?
Do you have any idea how many pennies that would take?! Therapists charge hundreds of dollars an hour, and that doesn’t include the money for medication, hospitalization, shock therapy … hell, it’s cheaper just to get the lobotomy.
well, what’s wrong with them? collect a few in your wallet, then buy a stick of candy whenever convenient. the convenience store near my home sells sherbets, 3 a penny.
