Is a frugal lifestyle tacky?

I should've subtitled this post, "how to pay for stuff using coins without being a jerk" Or better yet, "Exchanging Coins without Coinstar. Not for the faint of heart."

OK, I have a confession...and a question.  Is it tacky to pay for things using coins??? I mean, like, using coins to pay the entire bill?

I don't think it is, but I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority on this one. When you think about it, coins are in fact legal tender. Still, spending coins is increasingly complicated in our cash-loving, credit-swiping, Bitcoin-centric world.

First and foremost, you have to mentally prepare yourself for the "judgy" looks you'll receive from others when you do use them. In my experience, the minute you start counting coins, people will give you the side eye for any perceived inconvenience.

U.S. Coins on a table

Here's when I started using our coins in earnest. A few years back I had a day when I had no time to go to the ATM. As I walked out of my bedroom I saw my hubby's coin jar and it occured to me to grab some change and use it to pay for the spray starch I'd intended to buy. After all, I reckoned, the entire purchase would cost less than $3. Well, I grabbed a handful of change and made my way to my local Target. I went to the store, made my purchase, and frankly felt really awesome about paying with cash. Even better, I wasn't tempted to meander through the store. I was in and out of the store in record time. Actually, it may have been faster than normal. You see, I was forced to stick to buying only what I needed. No meandering down the aisles looking for deals. 

Wait. Before you accuse me of stealing from the hubby. I did tell him I was taking the coins. He was fine with it, but did remind me the coins had an intended purpose. Since we name every dollar (thanks Dave Ramsey), we have always saved our money. This includes coins. Then once a year we cash those coins in and apply the money toward something fun during our family vacay. So, after replenishing the coins I'd borrowed, I asked my husband how he felt about me using just his pennies. He told me to go for it as to him they are mostly a nuisance. Not to me though! In fact, early in our relationship, he once left 7 cents change behind on a counter. We've been together more than a decade, but I've never let him forget it! LOL!

I may be all alone in this sentiment, but I do not consider coins "a nuisance." In fact, I don't even consider pennies "a nuisance." Think about it. Coins are legal tender. So I treat them as such by using them in exchange for goods and services. In short, coins are money and in the words of old Ben Franklin, "a penny saved is a penny earned."

Our coin jar is pretty big. Once I got the green light, I dumped it out and began separating pennies from the rest of the coins. It took a few days, but I ultimately counted nearly $30 in pennies!

glass jar filled with coins

My mind was racing about how to spend my sudden financial windfall. A pedicure? Yes. A lunch date? Absolutely!  I occasionally like to go out out to lunch all by myself. I sit and read a book. Something simple like Panera. It feels decadent to this SAHM. I love it, but honestly feel guilty about spending on myself. Knowing these little treats were coming from found money eased my concern. I enjoyed that lunch, but passed on the pedicure. Fast forward 6 months. The coin jar is full again.

After that original shopping trip, I've become quite savvy about using coins without much inconvenience. Case in point? I recently used coins to pay for a dinner out at a restaurant. Twenty percent tip included. In case you're wondering, I did count and roll the coins in advance so it wouldn't inconvenience the waiter.

Some might consider this tacky. I do not. I feel that using up resources I've already invested in makes good financial sense. So, this "use it up" mentality applies not just to food in our pantry, but also to coins we've stockpiled.

Of course the simplest way to use coins is to use a coin-counting service like Coinstar. I've used these machines in the past. I just have found its possible to use coins doing regular activities without much extra effort. Bonus is you don't incur a service fee. The only output is taking time to plan ahead and a little patience because transactions may take longer.

When evaluating whether to use coins, my checklist is:

1. Will it cost $5 or less?
2.  Can I make a small payment without incurring a fee?

If answer is yes to either one, then I do.

Now for the secrets to my success.

• First, I'd encourage you to start small and think about the recipient. Almost no one is willing to wait while you count $20 in nickels. They will wait for you to count out $5 in dimes. Especially when they're not busy.
• Second, think about things you can pay in person like library fees.
• Third, make payments. I only do this when I can make payments without negative consequences. For example - paying library late fees. By making payments it allows me to get what I want (e.g. using up large quantities of pennies) while minimizing any frustration experienced by the vendor.
• Fourth, don't bring a wallet or credit cards with you. Honestly, if you pull out your coins, but the vendor sees you've got a wallet with plastic. S/he is more likely to balk as you pull out your coins. If you say, "this is all I've got." They usually won't argue it.
• Fifth, be prepared to recount coins. I always count out a few bucks in quarters or dimes while I wait in line. Still, I'm sometimes asked to recount it.

Feeling inspired? Good! Not sure if you have the nerve to do it too? No worries!

I know that most readers aren't willing to go to this much effort to use their loose change. So, I've compiled some of my other favorite ways to spend coins - even PENNIES, in my daily life. Read on for my tried-and-true tips for spending coins:

1. Coinstar is quick and convenient for most, but you'll pay a fee
2. Whenever patronizing a mom-and-pop business, I ask if they need coins. On more than one occasion, I was able to unload about $20 in coins while saving the business owner a trip to the bank.
3. Check with your bank/credit union about coins. Many will count and deposit coins for free if you're an account holder.
4. Check with bank/credit union to see if they'll give you free coin roll papers. Many will provide free of charge for account holders.
5. Carry a few coin rolls in your car/purse/backpack at all times.
6. Get in the habit of at least using a few bucks worth of coins whenever you pay with cash. 
7. Shop during off-peak hours or pick an empty lane. This way, cashiers have more time and are willing to wait while you count coins.
8.  Use coins to pay nuisance fees like library late fees or traffic tickets.
9. Use coins to make small in-person payments for services like sewer or garbage. In my community, City Hall is next door to the Public Library. I'm there every week anyway, so it's easy to pop in and make a small weekly payment using rolls of coins.
10. Use coins to pay for Western Union
11. Use coins to buy gift cards for future use
12. Buying stamps at the post office
13. Make a payment on your cellular phone bill using coins.
14. Buy grocery store gift cards
15. Paying parking meters.
16. Paying tolls
17. Paying park entrance fees
18. Paying school activities
19. Paying student meal accounts
20. Pay library late fees
21. Paying for school lunches
22. Covering tips at restaurants, barber, beauty shop, manicurist, etc. (if its good enough for tip jar, its good enough for other tips)
23. Fast food restaurants
24. Quick top-off at the gas station
25. Single item grocery run (e.g. milk or bread). 

Best ways to use pennies:

• Next trip to a dollar store like Daiso or Dollar Tree.
• Save and take to your bank/credit union. Many will count and deposit coins free for account holders.
• Get coin roll papers, then roll and exchange for quarters.
• Use rolls to buy Girl Scout cookies or whatever treats the neighborhood kids are selling.
• Use to pay library late fees.
• Pay parking fees.
• School fees library fees, school field trip costs, student meal accounts, your share of the class pizza party).
• Get in habit of always counting out 10 or  25 pennies and exchanging for a dime or quarter whenever you're buying something with cash.
• Garage sales and flea markets.
• Thrift stores.

Readers, have you ever used a large amount of coins to buy something? Have you ever paid a restaurant or bar tab with change? Share in the comments below.