Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Change your coins

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Change your coins

    I remembered one place in Waipio that had a machine where you could just drop your loose change and it'll either sort them and put it in small bags or count them up and give you the dollar amount, (either at the machine or you take the receipt inside and they'll cash it for you)

    Is there any more locations? Is it still active?
    How'd I get so white and nerdy?

  • #2
    Re: Change your coins

    Various supermarkets have Coinstar machines. Off the top of my head, there's the Foodland on Beretania and the Foodland in Mililani. They take a hefty cut of the total, but sometimes, getting $80 for $100 in coins is worth it for not having $100 in coins lying around.

    Actually, the Coinstar site lets you search for installed machines. Just type in your ZIP code.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Change your coins

      Coinstar is HQ'd in Bellevue, WA. Although most machines may be programmed to take out a "service fee" from the amount you get back, some machines in my area have started to do away with the service fee (used to be something like 3-4% of the total) and instead converting the money into Starbucks cards. Coinstar might be working out some other deals with other companies to give you a store card without the service fee.

      Miulang
      "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Change your coins

        The Pali Safeway has a Coinstar machine. I think it charges 8%. I've used it a couple of times. You can either redeem a receipt for cash or put it towards your grocery bill. I think the Customer Service counter has to be open, however.
        Don't be mean,
        try to help.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Change your coins

          So, should I wait until I saved more coins, or just go and change them?

          I just counted the coins and I have about $30 in a small container, and that's just from the beginning of the year till now.

          But since some of them has a service charge, do you think I should still go along with it, or wait some more?
          (BTW, on an internet article, they said that you should cash it before it fills up the jar or it becomes $100, then send it to the bank to collect interest; which is hard for me, because my account is tied to my debit card, and whenever I see something I know I have the money for, then I'll usually buy it)
          How'd I get so white and nerdy?

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Change your coins

            Star Supermarket in Kahala Mall had one.
            Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Change your coins

              Adrian: If you're feling altruistic, some Coinstars will donate your coins' value to a local charity. At some of the Coinstars I've seen, you can designate which charity it goes to; I'm not sure if this set-up is available in HI.

              Speaking of which: As a long distance runner, I see (and pick up) the hundreds of coins I see in a given month, on my various running circuits. On average, I find about 35 cents a run. Sometimes I find nothing, once I found $50.04. ( 2 twenties, 1 ten, 4 pennies ) But again, all told, it averages about 35 cents a run. I pick up this loose change and throw it into coffee cans upon my arrival home. (Yesterday's run: I found 3 cents and a 1965 bronze medal given to someone who graduated from a local college in Massachusetts in that year.)

              BTW, I have found numerous activated cell phones and wallets. In fact, I even found a wallet the last time I went out running on Sand Island the last time I was in Honolulu for the marathon..it had in it over $150, credit cards, IDs...turns out it had been stolen and ditched. Found this out after I had turned it in to the HPD. (Belonged to a UH-Manoa student). I have also found plenny gold and silver jewelry. Once even found someone's stash of pakalolo and pipes..I left that right where I found it! Neat what treasures one can find running.

              Back to the story: It was my original intention to donate all the coins and bills I have found during running to the Hawai'i Food Bank. I figured I could sneak at least a few coffee cans full of coins into my checked luggage on my trip home to Hawai'i. Not going to happen.

              It's turning out now to be a near impossibility to get all the coins I have found to Hawai'i, at least when it comes to paying freight to get them there..I'm not going to pay freight on coins for donation..very counter-productive. Checked luggage is out of the questions as well..too heavy, and would probably get stolen as well.

              At last check, I've have amassed 15 one pound coffee cans of coins, bills, and precious metal jewelry. Hard to place an estimate on the total value, but I say each can, based on the quarters alone in each can, is worth at least $75-85 each.

              At some point, I'm going to lug all of this change to a Coinstar, cash it in, and get green for it..no way all of these coins are going to Hawai'i in luggage..but that would have been kind of neat if I could have done that.

              Note: I'm kind of relunctant to use the Coinstair, with the 9% processing fee..that's money that the HFB won't get. I always figured I'd be able to drop the coins en masse into one of the nets I see collectors for the HFB using on Food Drive Day, or when they are out collecting in front of Aloha Stadium before UH football games. I figured if I did that they would get 100% value of the money found, not 91%.

              BTW, a runner from Virginia paid for his trip to the Honolulu Marathon in 2003 using funds from all the coins he found during his training runs for the race. An article about him was in the Advertiser.

              People laugh at me when they see me pick up a single penny, but that's okay..I figure the HFB will ultimately have the last laugh. Remember: Never be too proud to pick up a penny!
              Last edited by Surfingfarmboy; June 2, 2005, 02:32 AM. Reason: Spelling

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Change your coins

                Originally posted by adri1456
                So, should I wait until I saved more coins, or just go and change them?

                I just counted the coins and I have about $30 in a small container, and that's just from the beginning of the year till now.

                But since some of them has a service charge, do you think I should still go along with it, or wait some more?
                (BTW, on an internet article, they said that you should cash it before it fills up the jar or it becomes $100, then send it to the bank to collect interest; which is hard for me, because my account is tied to my debit card, and whenever I see something I know I have the money for, then I'll usually buy it)
                Why don't you go to the bank with the loose change and set up a SAVINGS account? And everytime you have a bunch of coins to redeem, put it in that account? You might not be earning much interest on the money, but at least it'll be there for a rainy day and you won't be as tempted to spend it if it's not in your debit account. Sort of the "out of sight/out of mind" way of saving money.

                Miulang
                "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Change your coins

                  Eh Miulang! Most banks won't accept coins unless it's wrapped.

                  And Surfingfarmboy, Coinstar will allow you to donate your coins. I did that at the Kahala Mall Star Market. One year's worth of change went into that machine and I donated $136.oo to the March of Dimes. When I saw the amount of change I brought in I said,
                  Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Change your coins

                    Good job, Craig!

                    It would be neat if I could designate my change to go to the HFB, regardless of where I am physically at in the US, at any Coinstar. I think that would be cool if one could scroll through a list of charites, from all 50 states, that accept donations from Coinstar, and make the donation. I mean, even though I am in RI, at present, I'd like to go my Coinstar, either scroll through a list of charities until I find the HFB lising, or simply key in somehow "Donate funds submitted to HFB, Kilihau St., Honolulu, HI. I know there are thousands of charities, and it would be a real pain for the folks at Coinstar to have to deal with. (And would Coinstar actually make the donation? Maybe we would need to have some sort of voucher system in place where the HFB could be notified that funds were available to them from Coinstar.) It's just wishful thinking, I guess, that I want to be able to donate in this manner, but I know I can't...I'm pretty sure the charities available to accept donations at my local Coinstar are larger, national charities.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Change your coins

                      Originally posted by Surfingfarmboy
                      It's just wishful thinking, I guess, that I want to be able to donate in this manner, but I know I can't...I'm pretty sure the charities available to accept donations at my local Coinstar are larger, national charities.
                      I'm not sure, but I think the Coinstar near my house (Star Market in Kalihi) accepts donations to local schools.
                      But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
                      GrouchyTeacher.com

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Change your coins

                        For those of you (like me) less charitably inclined, or at least charitably overextended, I noticed this week that Coinstar lets you exchange your coins for gift certificates at Amazon (and a couple of other places, but I didn't see past AMAZON), with no percentage fee. I drop serious bank at Amazon all the time, so this was a welcome piece of knowledge.
                        But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
                        GrouchyTeacher.com

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Change your coins

                          this is besides the point, but i recall an article where a pissed off lady paid her $80 parking ticket in pennies, which wasnt illegal. there was a reason for her paying in this manner in regards to the bill. for some reason that popped in my head.
                          Aquaponics in Paradise !

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Change your coins

                            Originally posted by Hellbent
                            this is besides the point, but i recall an article where a pissed off lady paid her $80 parking ticket in pennies, which wasnt illegal. there was a reason for her paying in this manner in regards to the bill. for some reason that popped in my head.
                            There was also a guy on Maui (I think on maui) who paid a Toyota (the actual car, not the "toy yoda") in quarters.
                            Last edited by adrian; August 4, 2006, 08:47 AM.
                            How'd I get so white and nerdy?

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Change your coins

                              Originally posted by scrivener
                              I noticed this week that Coinstar lets you exchange your coins for gift certificates at Amazon (and a couple of other places, but I didn't see past AMAZON), with no percentage fee.
                              Ah, yes, a development greatly cheered in our household, since the iTunes Music Store is among the fee-free options. A long-ignored small cooler of not-entirely-corroded coins made for a pretty happy wife a couple of weeks ago.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X