# What can you buy with a quarter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 1, 2025, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665 "2025-09-01T21:49:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/1 "2025-09-01T21:49:52Z")
You have 25 cents in your pocket and that’s all. No cell phone, no charge cards. What can you buy with it? You must pay taxes if applicable. If you are European, you have a 20 Euro-cent coin or perhaps a 20 pence coin in the UK. Japanese coins are in 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 yen denominations (plus others). There is no 20 or 25 yen coin in Japan, so they can’t play this game. People from other countries can adapt this question if there’s a comparably valued coin. Long ago, Cecil noted that the penny had lost its commercial use. I’m wondering about the _extent_ that we could say the same about the quarter. Yeah, I know about vending machines and parking meters. I’m just wondering where the US quarter is on its life cycle, ignoring the demise of cash. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/2 "2025-09-01T21:56:21Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > If you are European, you have a 20 Euro coin… There’s a 20 euro cent coin (€0.20) and a 2 euro coin (€2). I presume you mean the former? To answer your question, the only thing I can think of offhand is a gumball (or other “penny” candy) or increment of time for a parking meter. Maybe an extra condiment packet at a fried seafood counter. Or an old legacy arcade game or pinball machine that never bothered to increase the price. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/3 "2025-09-01T21:58:40Z")
Local hardware store sells individual bolts, nuts, screws, etc. Some are less that $0.10 (10 cents) each. Not sure if any are \< 5 cents Brian ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/4 "2025-09-01T22:04:21Z")
I caught the edit window and updated the OP. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/5 "2025-09-01T22:05:49Z")
15 extra minutes of drying time from a coin-op machine. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/6 "2025-09-01T22:12:26Z")
Some years ago one could have said that the most useful thing you could do with a quarter would be to use a pay phone and call someone to bail you out of whatever fix you were in. Today, there are two problems with that. There are hardly any pay phones any more, although there are still a few in various odd or rural locations. The other is that the cost of a local phone call in most places is now 50¢. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/7 "2025-09-01T22:31:43Z")
> [@robby](#): > > To answer your question, the only thing I can think of offhand is a gumball My carwash has an old-fasioned gumball machine w the big glass sphere in the waiting room. The gumballs are ~1/2" diameter. It takes two US quarters, so USD 0.50 to buy one gumball. As a child 60 years ago I might have bought penny gumballs. Definitely nickel gumballs. IMO the USD 1 bill is 99% obsolete. All US coinage could be cancelled tomorrow with no actual impact. Except RW nutbag screaming. I’d pay money to watch that. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/8 "2025-09-01T22:35:40Z")
Put it in a slot machine and try your luck. What’s the largest payout on a 25 cent slot these days? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/9 "2025-09-01T22:39:42Z")
If you can even _find_ a coin-in slot these days, a single coin wouldn’t net you more than maybe $100 even if you hit the biggest jackpot it offers. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/10 "2025-09-01T22:42:14Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > My carwash has an old-fasioned gumball machine w the big glass sphere in the waiting room. The gumballs are ~1/2" diameter. > > It takes two US quarters, so USD 0.50 to buy one gumball. I was curious, so I looked it up. This candy supplier recommends selling standard gumballs for 25 cents and fancy name-brand ones for 50 cents. > [@CandyMachines.com](#): > > ### Are gumballs profitable? > > Yes, gumballs are one of the most profitable items you can offer in a bulk vending machine and one of the few items that you can still offer at a quarter. With the average price of a gumball between 4-6 cents each when you buy in bulk, you can make between 300%-500% profit margin on each gumball. We recommend you sell standard assorted gumballs at 25 cents and gourmet gumballs like Nerds for 50 cents. [Gumballs for Sale | Bulk Gumballs | CandyMachines.com](https://www.candymachines.com/Bulk-Refill-Gum-Gumballs-C1.aspx#:~:text=With%20the%20average%20price%20of,like%20Nerds%20for%2050%20cents). ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/11 "2025-09-01T22:54:05Z")
I thought maybe you could find a 100-count package of toothpicks for $.25, but the lowest price Google shows is $.33. Then I thought of matches and Google came up with one vendor that lists a single box for $.15. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/12 "2025-09-01T23:30:34Z")
You can “buy” the use of an Aldi shopping cart. That’s the main reason I keep quarters around, any more. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/13 "2025-09-01T23:33:13Z")
I can buy a shirt or any other single article of clothing at the Salvation Army alley store on Wednesdays between 9 am and noon. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/14 "2025-09-01T23:36:28Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Some years ago one could have said that the most useful thing you could do with a quarter would be to use a pay phone and call someone to bail you out of whatever fix you were in. Today, there are two problems with that. There are hardly any pay phones any more, although there are still a few in various odd or rural locations. The other is that the cost of a local phone call in most places is now 50¢. I saw one last week on Route 70 in PA just a few miles from Breezewood. It was $1 for 4 minutes. So four quarters. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/15 "2025-09-02T00:07:01Z")
10 minutes at the parking meter so I can run into the bank and get more cash from a teller. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/16 "2025-09-02T00:15:01Z")
I keep quarters in my car for: - Deposit on the use of a shopping cart (Aldi’s) - Parking meter in Hudson NY Neither are buying anything. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/17 "2025-09-02T00:16:23Z")
Parking meters remind me of a story that I’ve probably told before. I drove to city hall years ago to pay my property taxes – this was long before you could do stuff like that over the internet. It pissed me off that in addition to being ripped off for property taxes, I was also being charged parking fees for the privilege of being ripped off. So I refused to feed the meter, rushed in, gave the clerk a cheque, and left. But there was already a parking dude out there writing me out a ticket. I was so totally pissed off by this point that as he put it under my wiper, I pulled it out and tore it to shreds in front of him. The look of surprise on his dumbass mug was very satisfying, but he did manage to blurt out “you just doubled it”. No, I did not! Whether he wrote the ticket out in a hurry because he saw me coming or whether it was just an accident, the dumbass got the license plate wrong. I’m glad I stuffed the torn-up ticket in my pocket instead of dramatically throwing it on the street (I didn’t want to be charged with littering) because I found the mistake when I looked at the pieces of it at home later. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/18 "2025-09-02T00:30:08Z")
You might be able to buy a variety of things in the bulk flour/nut/candy section of a store. A handful of popcorn kernels or a shot glass worth of salt or sugar. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/19 "2025-09-02T00:36:31Z")
Jalapeno peppers are four-for-a-dollar at the farmer’s market, so I guess I could buy just one for a quarter. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665/20 "2025-09-02T02:04:08Z")
I was just about to say that you could buy a single jalapeño or similar sized hot pepper from me at farmers’ market. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-you-buy-with-a-quarter/1022665.md?page=2)