Change to cash machines at Wal-Mart etc

[SAWYER]

I have a milk jug that is about full of change, I was thinking of trying one of these machines. Kroger has one as well. Do they charge a fee? if so, how much?

 

[xeemzor]

Just go to a bank. Most banks will change that for free if you are a customer. Some require you to call ahead though.

 

[Meghan54]

From what I've read on the machines, if you take cash out, it "charges" 8% of what you put in.....or thereabouts.

On the other hand, most of them offer some other "cash out" feature, like an Amazon gift card, and that is given for exactly what you put into the machine. Guess Amazon covers the fee the machines typically charge.

 

[lxskllr]

Just spend it a little at a time. Use exact change when possible. It's a hassle lugging a jar full of change around, and either waiting, or paying someone to count it for you.

 

[Newbian]

Whatever you do don't bring it to a strip bar.

For some reason strippers don't like getting hit in the head with quarters and when coins get stuck in certain areas the night tends to end badly.

Not to mention dumping a handful of pennies in a G-string is a pain in the ass.

 

[bignateyk]

I always do it once a year, before christmas, and get an amazon gift card since they don't take a percentage when you get a gift card.

Then I just use the amazon gift card to buy presents.

A years worth of change for my wife and I is usually about $250.

 

[edro]

~7% @ Coinstar

They have a promotion recently that will give you 100% if you exchange it for gift cards.

 

[BassBomb]

get rolls
fill rolls

 

[bignateyk]

~7% @ Coinstar

They have a promotion recently that will give you 100% if you exchange it for gift cards.

AFAIK with coinstar, you ALWAYS get 100% when you exchange it for a gift card. I've done it once a year for several years now, and it has always been that way.

 

[BoomerD]

Most banks won't take the change unless you roll it first.

 

[CptCrunch]

Whatever you do don't bring it to a strip bar.

For some reason strippers don't like getting hit in the head with quarters and when coins get stuck in certain areas the night tends to end badly.

Not to mention dumping a handful of pennies in a G-string is a pain in the ass.

you sir win the thread

 

[SAWYER]

Is amazon the only gift card offered?

 

[bignateyk]

Is amazon the only gift card offered?

Nah. Coinstar has at least 20 different ones there.

 

[gsellis]

Check your local bank branches. The stand-alone branches of my credit union all have change machines. You pour it in, it sorts it and gives you a receipt. You take it to the teller and either get the cash or can deposit it. No fee.

 

[allisolm]

Darn it, you're a couple of days too late. Coinstar was giving an extra $10 GC if you converted $40 to a GC. Promotion ended 12/6/09.

Hot Deals thread about it: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2024027

 

[Svnla]

The ones around here are all Coinstar and they charge between 8 to 9 percent if you take cash.

If you take Gift Card, then no charge but you have to go to the right machine with the GC that you want (different machine has different GC types).

To the poster that say go to the bank, all banks around here require the user to put all coins in to rolls, you can't just go to a bank teller with a jar or bag full of coins and ask them to deposit for you.

Darn it, you're a couple of days too late. Coinstar was giving an extra $10 GC if you converted $40 to a GC. Promotion ended 12/6/09.

Hot Deals thread about it: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2024027

I just sent 3 of them last week (one for each address - 1 for apt, 1 for work, 1 for PO BOX), hope they will come (free $30 GC FTW).

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Coinstar's Amazon deal is where it's at IMO. I am constantly buying stuff from Amazon anyway, and I'm sure as hell not going to sit and roll coins. Using my own bank is not an option since I am a USAA guy, and their nearest local branch is thousands of miles away.

 

[FoBoT]

why collect it in the first place
my change stays in the car and then i use it
i don't take it into the house

 

[SAWYER]

Change from my pockets

 

[TwiceOver]

My local bank will count it for me (machine).

We only spend cash so the change racks up quickly. Makes for a nice little "bonus" every now and again.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

why collect it in the first place
my change stays in the car and then i use it
i don't take it into the house

I don't like carrying change around, and it's kind of a hassle pulling it out of my pocket to pay for things. I can't imagine loading up my pockets with change in the morning (not that you're advocating that), and I don't really want it rattling around in my car either - I just keep a couple of bucks of quarters in my ashtray for parking meters. I build up about $80-100 in change a year, and just take to the supermarket for Amazon gift certificates. To each his own, in any case.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

do NOT pay a percentage to anyone to do this for you

 

[Deeko]

Coinstar will give you an Amazon gift card with 0% fee. That's as good as cash.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

do NOT pay a percentage to anyone to do this for you

You don't have to, if you are willing to live with Amazon GCs in lieu of cash (which I am). Honestly if that were not an option I would gladly pay 8-9% (the Coinstar cash fee for taking in change) to have my change counted and cashed out, since there is no better alternative (I do not have an account at a local bank). I bill $265 an hour for my time at work - I am sure as hell not going to sit home and roll change for hours to save myself a few bucks.

 

[lxskllr]

Don't save change in the first place is the easiest, cheapest way of getting rid of it.