Thrifty Thursday - The Penny Jar

"A penny saved is a penny earned."  We've all heard that but do we believe it?  Why not try a little experiment?  From now to the beginning of December, put all loose change and found money in a jar and don't break into it until December 1st.  Then gather the kids around and have a counting party.  (Kids LOVE doing this!)  Use this money for a special Christmas treat or family activity (depending on the amount).  You don't have much time this year (only 5 months) but if you start at the beginning of each year, the money adds up quickly.

My family started doing this years ago when my oldest kids realized the value of those shiny coins.  Whenever someone found a dime or penny on the street, the other ones would whine and complain that they saw it first, it's not fair etc... So, we made a rule that all money found would go into a jar and when we cashed it in, the money would go towards something the whole family can enjoy.  Some years we had as much as $200+  in that gallon jar.  It was pretty exciting to count it out and see how much we had.  (ok, so it didn't take much to get excited at our house!)

One of my daughters took the jar idea one step further.  When she and her future husband got engaged they set up a "love fund" jar.  Again, all loose change and found money went into their jar, with the proceeds going towards their wedding/reception.  They made a game out of going places and looking for coins dropped on the floor, in malls, restaurants, or wherever they went.  I kept my eye out for stray coins and added loose change too.  When they got married, they had accumulated over $500 in their jar.  Not bad for something so painless and easy.

I hope you see by this experiment that the saying is true..."A penny saved is a penny earned!"  Try it!