Among the customer amenities at WalMart West, where I shop if and when I shop, is the money corner against one wall in the customer service department. All automated for your convenience. There's only one problem, a problem of language and meanings: take a close look at the CoinStar. Now tell me when coins ceased being cash. Heavy, yes, if you're hoarding nickels and dimes; might even wear a hole in your pocket. But the last I heard, a quarter was cash quite as much as a Cnote. Both legal tender backed by the feds, unlike, say, a check or a credit card which is only as good as your credit.
Of course, the CoinStar will take your jar full of coins, tote up the value and give you bills in their stead. All for a horrendous fee -- something like 10%. If the piggy bank is a kid's stash, the young'un should get experience of the grownup world by stopping at a bank to get those nifty kraft paper roll gizmos, making the rolls and turning them in at the bank for folding money. Last time I heard, no charge.
Among the customer amenities at WalMart West, where I shop if and when I shop, is the money corner against one wall in the customer service department. All automated for your convenience. There's only one problem, a problem of language and meanings: take a close look at the CoinStar. Now tell me when coins ceased being cash. Heavy, yes, if you're hoarding nickels and dimes; might even wear a hole in your pocket. But the last I heard, a quarter was cash quite as much as a Cnote. Both legal tender backed by the feds, unlike, say, a check or a credit card which is only as good as your credit.
Of course, the CoinStar will take your jar full of coins, tote up the value and give you bills in their stead. All for a horrendous fee -- something like 10%. If the piggy bank is a kid's stash, the young'un should get experience of the grownup world by stopping at a bank to get those nifty kraft paper roll gizmos, making the rolls and turning them in at the bank for folding money. Last time I heard, no charge.
I agree with you; it's folding money instead of cash.
ReplyDeleteHermano
Some years ago I did just that with a penny collection. When I took it to the bank, they tore open all the wrappers and ran the coins through a counter . . just like Coin Star!
ReplyDeleteAh! The glories of hidden fees! When I was tiny I ONLY thought that coins were money. When my grandma gave me $1 instead of change, I cried. I thought paper money was some type of credit.
ReplyDeleteI think she swapped me for a quarter, two dimes and a few pennies just so I'd stop crying.
bro -- I think that cash includes all those words that sub for money -- moolah, loot, etc.
ReplyDeletecat-A -- did they also charge you 10% or thereabouts for the operation?
ESP -- my kind of Granny! BTW, welcome to Walking Prescott -- and do return often.
too funny, ESP! I used to let my daughter keep the change from any shopping trip if she could count the change and tell me how much it was. She learned the value of change very fast!
ReplyDeleteGJ - 10% what a rip! What's sad is the number of people that probably do that.
No but it would have been worth the 10 percent not to have to do all that wrapping.
ReplyDeletecat-A -- I'd say that's an adult's point-of-view, not a kid's.
ReplyDeleteThere's a competitor to Coin Star that has a lower fee, but the name escapes me.
ReplyDelete~Anon in AV.
I raid hubby's coin stash and yes, I take the change to the bank in rolls. I simply won't pay 10% for the luxury of a machine doing what I can do!!!!
ReplyDeleteanon av -- that's what competition is all about!
ReplyDeletesandy -- good for you.