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+--- Thread: Coinstar is totally awesome (/showthread.php?tid=74889)
Coinstar is totally awesome - Greg - 03-22-2009
Coinstar: "Would you, Greg, like to take the $63 in change you've been carrying in an old oatmeal container in the trunk of your car, and turn it into an Amazon gift certificate for the exact same amount?"
Greg: "Um...yes. Yes, I would."
http://www.coinstar.com/us/html/a-home
Re: Coinstar is totally awesome - tahoedrew - 03-22-2009
Used it for iTunes credit just last month!
I agree, pretty cool deal (though I wouldn't take the 7% hit on taking just cash instead of a gift card/credit).
~A
Re: Coinstar is totally awesome - Biff Lugnut - 03-22-2009
Yeah, last year we brought $400+ to partially subsidize a D80 purchase on Amazon.
Re: Coinstar is totally awesome - rgG - 03-22-2009
Won't a bank give you folding money for those coins? Granted, you might have to count and/or roll it up, but AFAIK, they won't charge you to convert metal to paper.
Re: Coinstar is totally awesome - Biff Lugnut - 03-22-2009
Chevy Chase bank here in NOVA has free coin counting machines, but sure, you can always invest the labor.
Re: Coinstar is totally awesome - GGD - 03-22-2009
rgG wrote:
Won't a bank give you folding money for those coins? Granted, you might have to count and/or roll it up, but AFAIK, they won't charge you to convert metal to paper.
Casinos always seemed like the logical place to take buckets of coins and turn them into paper money with no service charge, although I've never done that.
Re: Coinstar is totally awesome - Jack D. - 03-22-2009
rgG wrote:
Won't a bank give you folding money for those coins? Granted, you might have to count and/or roll it up, but AFAIK, they won't charge you to convert metal to paper.
My sentiment exactly. It's still legal tender and many banks get testy when you bring in unrolled coin. They all have the coin counters but they can't seem to be bothered helping a customer when there's no fee involved.
Re: Coinstar is totally awesome - Doc - 03-22-2009
rgG wrote:
Won't a bank give you folding money for those coins? Granted, you might have to count and/or roll it up, but AFAIK, they won't charge you to convert metal to paper.
If you're a customer, they should take rolled coins. They may make you jump through some hoops, though. My old bank used to make me write my name and account number on every roll and sign an affidavit that I'd counted them. It's a royal PITA to wrap the coins and then write on every roll.
One of the local banks that used to take loose coins with a Coinstar-like machine for free started charging for the service last year. They now take $7 bucks for the first $99.99 and then $15 for each $100 worth of coins.
It's going to make the holidays a little tougher this year. I always cash in the year's worth of change for holiday gift money. It's often well over $100.
Re: Coinstar is totally awesome - rz - 03-22-2009
most banks these days charge for that service. My credit union will allow you to bring in up to 20 rolls a month... after that they charge $2 a roll. Screw that. Plus you have to roll the coins.
I used Coinstar a couple of years ago to get over $400 in Amazon GC's, which paid for almost half my Macbook. I probably have about $150 in change right now. Just waiting for the next thing I need from Amazon.
Re: Coinstar is totally awesome - Lee3 - 03-22-2009
I agree, Coinstar with an Amazon gift card is the way to go.