What to do with pennies?

I know for a fact that there are these coin machines where you convert your pennies to dollars. Maybe you should check your local Fry’s or market.

You can take them to a bank where they can be exchanged for larger currency. It may not amount to much, but it is in essence a way of recycling and providing a bit of pocket money.

We keep all of our change in an old plastic pretzel container. Then every so often I’ll roll it up and take it to the bank. Last time we did it, we had a few hundred dollars in it (enough to make an extra truck payment).

Take them to a coin machine and convert into dollars as cyndi said above.

Find a wishing well and make some wishes.

Is there a Penny Harvest near you, if you are so inclined?

I am saving all my pennies for my children’s college.

This.

Donate.

Those machines in grocery stores take 9 cents on the dollar out of what you put in the machine. When I have been to the point of cashing in my coins in life I was usually very poor and those 9 cents added up to dollars quick. Banks have machines a teller will use for you that will count the coins and then convert it to larger currency free of charge. Rolling pennies isn’t necessary unless you just enjoy it. If you don’t need them give them to young kids you know with piggy banks.

Those coinstar machines don’t charge you if you get a gift card. I collect change and use the coinstar for iTunes gift cards. It’s like free music.

@missingbite Sorry but it is not like free music because you bought a gift card with your pennies or other coins.

@buster Sorry but it is not like free music because you bought a gift card with your pennies or other coins.

True, but the Coinstar website says Albertson’s and CVS gift cards are available for free. Everyone can use something from those stores.

PS I haven’t tried this at my local store, I don’t know what no-cost options are there, your mileage may vary.

Convenience often comes with a price, so Coinstar may be worth the 9 cents on the dollar for the convenience of being able to deal with your pennies at 1:30 am, if you so desire. Since the pennies have been sitting for so long, it doesn’t sound like you’ve missed the funds.

Some charities have penny collections. The grade schools around here do it for the American Heart Association, a local coffee shop donates pennies to the battered woman’s shelter. Call around and see if there’s anything like that in your area.

Go through them all and look for a 1943 copper or 1944 steel penny.

Donate them to your local food bank.

The ones before 1982 are made of 95% copper
1946–1962 bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)
1974 Experimental aluminum variety
1962–1982 brass (95% copper, 5% zinc)
1982–Present* 97.5% zinc core, 2.5% copper plating

They are already worth more in copper than the value of the penny. Keep at least a few of them for your grandchildren. They weigh 3 grams by the way. The new ones weigh 2.5 grams.

We used to live 3 blocks from a bank. You’d just go in and walk up to this FUNNEL, dump the coins in and they’d give u what the total was .

@worriedguy It is illegal to sell the pennies for copper prices. You aren’t allowed to profit on melting down a coin.

@selen If your bank will not just take them and count them for you, they will most likely give you rolls, and you can count them out and rol them yourself. You could make it a project. Do 10 rolls a day. You don’t have to count every time, if you stack 10 or 25 pennies and just build a bunch of stacks the same height you can do it really fast. How many pennies are we talking anyway?

I forgot to add, once you roll them up, you can bring them to the bank and get the larger bills for them.

@buster That’s why I said it’s like free music. To me, the change is extra money. I don’t use change for anything else and the music I purchase doesn’t go on my credit card. It’s like it’s free.

@missingbite I understand what you’re saying and that’s a great idea. Now I know what to do with my extra jars of change.

I roll them up for use as coin grenades in fast moving road rage battles.

Ask yourself, have you ever seen a roll of pennies explode on a car windshield at 60–80mph? If not, then consider treating yourself just once before you die. I used to use old AA batteries for that, but the penny rolls are much more explosive.

@RealEyesRealizeRealLies Hope you don’t live in my town. :-)

@chyna Tisk’... your roads would be much safer with guys like me keeping the ragers in line. Besides, all that loose copper helps to reinforce the pavement, and gives a rainbow affect for the rush hour cruisers.

Kroger stores have coin counters. take your pennies there.

@john65pennington They charge something like 8 cents on the dollar. Best to go to a bank where it is free.

(1) If you haven’t already, switch to a local bank or credit union. (2) collect spare change and periodically bring it to them to deposit in your savings account. The supermarket coin machines grab several percent off the top. Wouldn’t you rather it start accumulating interest for you immediately?

You take all coins and go bank exchange currency of pennies and use this money for your birthday party.

Bring them with you.

Keep em. You never know when you might need them.

Trust me.

It took me like two hours to roll them all up and cash them in at the bank, but it got me nearly thirty bucks, and I got to eat that day. It was awesome.

Go to the Dollar Store, get pennies pressed, buy some candy, exchange for some $$, donate them…the possibilities are endless!

1) Use the penny as a fuse.
2) Melt them for copper.
3) Time your digestive track.
4) Glue it to the lunch counter at work OR
5) Tack weld a spike to one side and drive it into the street.
6) Put them all around the edges of your neighbors door while he/she sleeps.
7) Leave them on the railroad tracks.
8) Give them as tips for bad service.
9) http://adorninc.wordpress.com/2009/07/07/made-of-money/
10) throw them away—this is what I do with most of mine.

@bootonthroat , you throw away pennies?!!! There still money!! They have feelings to!

@bootonthroat You can’t melt them for copper, I’m pretty sure it is illegal. Throwing them away I find awful. @h3llolim3 is right, it is still money. Give them away if you don’t want them.

Yeah, you should donate them….to me ^__^

Glue them to the wall of your new place. I bet you don’t see that too often. :-)

@ChazMaz Oooh, I just saw that on a tv show. Can’t remember which one. Did you see it?

No, but you would have to go through plenty of tarnish remover. Keeping that wall all nice and shiny. :-)

@ChazMaz Pretty sure it was on Flashforward. I might be remembering wrong though.