Who needs CoinStar?

[jonnyGURU]

My wife was cleaning up the house and told me it was time to get rid of the big ol' jar of coins in the kitchen.

CoinStar gets 9%. Nope.. I mean, good for CoinStar, but I'm a capitalist too.

I went to the post office at around Midnight (when the PO is really dead) and went to the stamp machine and pumped in all of my pennies, nickels and dimes. I selected to buy one 39 cent stamp and hit the coin return.

Apparently I put in over $8 because I got back seven of the dollar coins (those are GREAT on toll roads!!!,) one fiddy cent piece and a quarter.

...and a stamp to pay my electric bill!

 

[mzkhadir]

you can always take it to the bank FTW.

 

[mcvickj]

What made you think to do that?

 

[aolj]

That's a good idea. I have a big jar too. I will have to try this out.

 

[sswingle]

How long did it take to push them into the slot one by one?

 

[loup garou]

FYI:
Coinstar doesn't charge a fee if you get your payout in Amazon GCs. Not bad if you need something from Amazon. I just bring my change to Commerce now though.

 

[nakedfrog]

Yes, I prefer the bank. We've usually got at least forty bucks in change, though.

 

[Gibson486]

The only reason I go to coinsatr is when i am at the supermarket and need to stock up on quarters.

 

[Kelemvor]

Originally posted by: loup garou
FYI:
Coinstar doesn't charge a fee if you get your payout in Amazon GCs. Not bad if you need something from Amazon. I just bring my change to Commerce now though.

Yeah, that's a new promotion they have going on. I've seen those machiens too and it's like 10%, no way. Bank does it for free.

I remember one year I bought my GF her CHristmas pressents with all the change I had saved up. Had over $100 in some of the cups you get when you SUper Size a drink at McDonalds.

 

[kranky]

Nickels/dimes/quarters I roll myself and sell them to the cafeteria at work. The pennies go into the Coinstar - their 8% cut doesn't make much of a dent.

 

[jonnyGURU]

Originally posted by: mzkhadir
you can always take it to the bank FTW.

True.. But I have to get in during bank hours and have to wait in line. No line at the Post Office stamp machine.

Originally posted by: loup garou
FYI:
Coinstar doesn't charge a fee if you get your payout in Amazon GCs. Not bad if you need something from Amazon.

You know, with X-Mas coming, etc. that's not such a bad idea. I looked at the CoinStar last time I was at Albertsons and didn't see that. All they were pushing was the stupid calling cards.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
True.. But I have to get in during bank hours and have to wait in line. No line at the Post Office stamp machine.

Time to get a new bank. Or at least see if yours has changed hours. Mine has recently begun to stay open until 7 pm every day except Sunday. That is a lot better than the old bank hours of 9-5 M-F.

And with the increase in ATM/driveup use, most of the time there is no longer a line inside a bank. The only exception is on Friday ~5 pm (when many workers get their paycheck and rush to the bank right after work).

 

[Vegito]

Originally posted by: loup garou
FYI:
Coinstar doesn't charge a fee if you get your payout in Amazon GCs. Not bad if you need something from Amazon. I just bring my change to Commerce now though.

Same... commerce.. opens 7 day and have multiple machines.. not one.... last time i took one of those bulk 100 cd cover.. had 133 in coins..

 

[jonnyGURU]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
True.. But I have to get in during bank hours and have to wait in line. No line at the Post Office stamp machine.

Time to get a new bank. Or at least see if yours has changed hours. Mine has recently begun to stay open until 7 pm every day except Sunday. That is a lot better than the old bank hours of 9-5 M-F.

And with the increase in ATM/driveup use, most of the time there is no longer a line inside a bank. The only exception is on Friday ~5 pm (when many workers get their paycheck and rush to the bank right after work).

No. I'm with a credit union, so.. although the hours suck.. I get interest back on checking and savings, no limits on checks, no minimums, better interest rate on car loan, no ATM fees, ATM's in every McDonalds in Florida. The benefits far out weigh crappy hours.

 

[hevnsnt]

You can easily "hack" coinstar (but it takes time)

If you put in a penny, and then hit change out, it will give you a receipt for a penny (since it cant take 9% of a penny) do this for every penny you have.

Then hand the cashier 40 billion receipts and reap your rewards!

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
No. I'm with a credit union, so.. although the hours suck.. I get interest back on checking and savings, no limits on checks, no minimums, better interest rate on car loan, no ATM fees, ATM's in every McDonalds in Florida. The benefits far out weigh crappy hours.

Still, there is no reason you can't put $0.01 in a free bank account at a bank with good hours and get all your coins counted for free.

 

[theknight571]

The benefit Coin Star has over my bank is you don't have to roll the coins.

My bank won't take "bulk" loose change.

I still don't think it's worth 8-9% though... so I roll my own.

- TK

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: theknight571
The benefit Coin Star has over my bank is you don't have to roll the coins.

My bank won't take "bulk" loose change.

I still don't think it's worth 8-9% though... so I roll my own.

- TK

The bank that I have always done it at just dumped it in a machine similar to the Coin Star machine and gave the cash.

 

[Anubis]

where the fvck do you live that the PO is open at midnight

 

[virtueixi]

Go to a commerce bank. Similar machine to coinstar, but no fees! You don't even need to be a customer.

 

[hevnsnt]

Originally posted by: Anubis
where the fvck do you live that the PO is open at midnight

Um.. they all are I belive.. The foyer is open, but the teller booths are usually locked down.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: hevnsnt

Originally posted by: Anubis
where the fvck do you live that the PO is open at midnight

Um.. they all are I belive.. The foyer is open, but the teller booths are usually locked down.

Many post offices have the lobby (where the PO boxes are) open 24x7, but by no means all of them.

 

[hevnsnt]

Well all of them that I have been too.. But I do live in KS.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: hevnsnt
Well all of them that I have been too.. But I do live in KS.

Yeah. I know that the ones I went to in Long Island, NY were not, and some of them in Wisconsin are not.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

my bank takes coins...don't even have to sort them.