A Quarter Here, a Nickel There,
Pennies, Pennies Everywhere!

I like to call it “coin consolidation.” While organizing paper can be a bit of a drag, organizing the household coins can be down right fun. Gather your pint-sized pirates (adults can play too!) for a treasure hunt.

Let all your family members know that they are searching for lost coins.* These misplaced treasures often lurk in coat pockets, laundry rooms, sofa cushions and the car floor. Some gather in bowls on kitchen counters, at the bottom of an old purse or behind dad’s dresser.

Set some ground rules (where kids can’t look) and decide how you’ll spend the loot. Everyone gets two bags: one for found money, the other for gum wrappers and last year’s cough drops that they may find along the way. As an added incentive, pay out a nickel a piece for the trash collected.

Before you know it you’ll have purged the “underbelly” of your home while collecting treasures along the way.

Now what to do with your new-found coin collection.

Set up an ice cream fund. Sort, count and roll those coins and keep them near the door. When the ice cream truck approaches you’ll be set!

Coinstar. Take a trip to your local grocery store and dump your haul into a Coinstar machine. You can cash in your coins for a Starbucks card (free coin counting) and take the family for a treat. You may also opt to donate your found funds to one of the six sponsored charities.

Start a “College Fund” jar. Let everyone know that any found money can be added to this collection. Then commit to sorting, counting and depositing the money once a year. (This is also a great New Year’s Day activity when everyone is motivated!)

Enjoy!

*Safety First: Children under three put everything in their mouth; coins are a real choking hazard. Monitor young children closely if allowing them to participate in the coin hunt.

Create calm from chaos
Contact Alys Milner, Professional Organizer at:
(408) 921-4816
alysmilner@comcast.net