The power of pocket change money

My six-year-old son has been collecting coins over the months and the other day I was surprised to see his small bag of coins almost full.

“What do you wish to do with the coins?” I asked with all the curiosity. “I want you to be buying me pizza. Every time I ask for one, you either don’t have money or you say I have to wait for the weekend because you can’t buy pizza all the time,” you could tell, he meant business.

I admired his innovativeness. But how long would it take him to accumulate enough for a K3 000 pizza? I kept asking myself. Come end of the month, he called me to see his coins. I was really amazed that he had accumulated over K20 000 in coins.

So, every time the children asked for anything from toys to pizzas, we could ask him for some money and he would happily give us to buy. You can then imagine how much money we have been losing by allowing coins to lie idle or even never bothering to receive coin change on shop counters. There is some power in change money —after all, they say a million kwachas are a collection of so many coins.

Just last week, my son had introduced yet another bag of coins. “What’s this for now?” I inquired. “I want you to buy a very big bed so we can all fit. Sometimes you do get my little brother into your bed and you always tell me there is no space for four people.” He was saying this with all the seriousness.

We sat down as a family and agreed that we would need 52 coins to buy a big bed. My wife and I agreed that we would be getting every coin we find and give him so he could hit the target. These days, if I see money on the ground, even if it is just a penny, I pick it up and toss it in my pocket so I can give my son. We are all scavengers of coins these days and the one who brings the most coins at the end of each day is a hero.

You see, you can experience the power of changed money too—but how you wish to accumulate and use the money is up to your innovativeness. For a start, you could have a little jar that sits on your dressing table and be throwing in any coins you have. Every little bit helps and it takes almost no effort at all.

It seems like such a simple idea, but it can be quite powerful if you keep up with it. Instead of dumping excess pocket change into the church offering plate, as most people shamelessly do, allow the money to accumulate and change it with notes at the bank and offer at church with dignity.

I am even planning to introduce my own jar. I will let it build up until the last Friday of the month, and then I can stop by my bank and deposit the jar contents into my savings account. Most banks (and fellow depositors waiting their turn on the queue) find coins a nuisance to count , but won’t reject them anyway.

I will then watch my savings account earn interest on my accumulated coin change. When the savings grow bigger, I will invest in shares and see my coin change own companies—such a colourful dream.

A dream that can only come true.

Is this not a simple and nearly effortless way to build up your personal savings? Oh! Don’t throw away coins.