Accept Change 2

Let's face it, saving money and pinching pennies out of your budget is going to require you to make some changes. Obviously, if you keep on doing what you have been doing, you will keep on getting what you have been getting. You will have to look at old habits and try some new tactics if you want to keep more of your green than you have been.

Even if you feel you have heard this all before, you wouldn't be here if you weren't looking for something new you can try.

So to review what we have covered so far:

Respect your money by agreeing that every penny matters.

Begin to consider your expenses as needs versus wants.

Accept change given by store clerks and use your pennies quickly to turn them back into silver.

Drink water to save on beverage expenses.

And finally, keep looking for thrifty changes you can make.

Accept Change

When the clerk at the store tries to give you pennies for change, accept them. Remember, every penny matters. You want to treat all your money with respect and that should include the money you are tempted to toss in someone's "give one take one" dish. Put your change (including pennies) in your wallet, change purse, or pocket and then use your pennies as soon as possible to turn them into silver.

For example, let's say you get back three pennies on a transaction and you put those in your pocket. Then your next transaction totals $9.92. You might be tempted to pay with a $10 bill, but if you give the bill plus two pennies ($10.02), you will get back a dime. You will have turned those pennies into silver.

And unless you are a big fan of stuffing pennies into paper rolls, or paying someone else to do it for you, be sure each morning to grab any change you dumped from your pockets the night before. If you practice this discipline, you will turn your pennies into silver every day and you will never need to have more than four pennies in your possession.

Every Penny Matters

I saw a young mother with two small boys outside the grocery store today. One of the boys ran ahead and picked up a coin off the ground. "Thomas, put that down. It's filthy," his mother called.

"But, Mom, it's a penny."

"A penny. What could you buy with a penny? Nothing. A penny these days isn't worth the effort to pick it up off the ground." She had reached Thomas by then and tossed the coin aside.

You know, nothing frosts me more than hearing someone talk like there is an amount of money that isn't worth saving. You have to start somewhere. Ben Franklin said, "A penny saved is a penny earned." I think he said penny, not dollar, because he recognized that saving money begins at the smallest unit. Every penny matters. And in today's economy every penny matters more than ever before.

If you are throwing away pennies, then over time you are throwing away dollars. If you agree that every penny matters, I would like to share with you the tips I have found over the years that allowed me to keep more of my hard earned pennies. I think I can teach you a thing or two about saving money.