When reading a financial tip or advise, we sometimes shrug it off and think that we already know about it. But knowing is different from applying.
This is the case with spare change and how they can help us save money, but it is still not obvious enough to make people keep them handy.
Having coins handy can go a long way in reducing your spending and in turn maximizing your savings. When you break a bill, no matter how big, chances are you will spend the leftover money faster than if the bill was never used. Having spare change on the other hand will help you avoid breaking up big bills. This trick is more psychological in nature but it works.
The thing we buy most often while at work or driving is probably coffee. And this is pretty much an everyday occurrence. If you save enough change, you could go days without having to break any of your big bills. Which means more money in your pocket.
If on the other hand, you need to buy something that will cost you a a dollar or two, and you have no change, you will have to break a big bill, like a $20. What will happen next, you are left with some change and smaller bills. Once the big bill has been broken, a psychological barrier has also been broken. Now that the bill is smaller, you are more likely to spend it. And as it gets smaller, you will be even more and more likely to spend it all, and so on.
Therefore, and to keep your bills intact, and not have to break a $50 for a $2 coffee, be sure to have as much change handy as possible. It is a paradox to think that having spare change can act as defense against spending your bigger bill and it is. Try it, and it won’t be too long before you get into a habit of not wanting to break your big bills and only use spare change for smaller purchases.