How often do you use coins for monetary transactions?

BryceM

Lots of people receive coins in change, but how often do you actually count out and give others coins as part of a transaction? Throwing them in a bucket and taking them to the bank once every few months isn't what I'm talking about.

Paying for a $10.47 lunch with two fivers and $0.47 in change counts. Receiving $0.27 in change when using a $5 bill for a $4.73 soda and candy bar does not count. Paying tolls with physical coins counts. Using coins for bus fare counts.

keyman64

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

I already voted but now that I think about it more, parking meters in a downtown area every couple of months.

Paradisefound

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

I could imagine the need of coins when you have to deal with toll, parking meters & frequent the vending machines.

🌺 I can’t remember the last time I was dealt with loose coins; perhaps at the Farmers market where I would leave them the change.

ShaunBC5

A few times per year

I keep some on hand for when I want to pay someone back at work who bought lunch through their phone. Other than that it’s two or 3 times a year when we travel on toll roads.

skier07

A few times per month

The only form of payment in California for a toll road is a fast track.

Clackamas1

A few times per day

I use cash for everything but online and bills which I use checks.

VanHalen

A few times per year

About once a month, mainly car wash and parking meters.

I remember when many men carried a small oval "squeeze open" coin holder in their pocket. I also remember penny candies that are now 50 cents at your local Walgreens.

Clackamas1

A few times per day

@VanHalen said:
About once a month, mainly car wash and parking meters.

I remember when many men carried a small oval "squeeze open" coin holder in their pocket. I also remember penny candies that are now 50 cents at your local Walgreens.

I was just thinking about those yesterday and had not thought about them in years.

Jzyskowski1

A few times per week

Having a 9 year old grandson in-house requires a variety of “petty cash “ From change to small denomination bills. There’s a 7-11 down the street and exact change gets spent several times a week.

rec78

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

I have not paid for anything for many years with coins. After all, what can you buy that costs less than a dollar? I hardly ever use vending machines anymore. I usually pay for things with a credit card, I have two but usually use the Visa card. Slot machines in casinos don't use coins anymore. So for me, coins are useless. The only thing I do with coins is collect them. When I get them in change, I save them until I get a roll and then they go to the bank.

PerryHall

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

I stopped carrying coins a long time ago. I use a credit card for all purchases and enjoy getting back a rebate at the end of the year. Even vending machines take credit cards these days.

gumby1234

A few times per month

I use them when the purchase comes to an easy amount like 5.25. I receive coins daily in change. Most go in the change jar after looking through them. Then off to the bank every couple hundred $ or so.

Edited to add also use when it is a few cents needed to keep me from getting. 97 cents back in change.

ricko

A few times per month

Under the conditions stipulated, a few times a month... More often, when paying with bills and receiving change (disallowed by stated conditions in OP). Cheers, RickO

WCC

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

Per the above posts, I've also used coins for road tolls, but there wasn't an option to choose "other". I did bring coins with me, as I know in advance I can use it. I'm not sure I have any left now, other than my Whitman folder buried in storage.

Last time I drove to FL, my recollection is the Turnpike was the only one accepting it. State highways removed cashiers and only accepted the Sun Pass.

Bolo

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

I think its been over three years since I last used paper money, much less coins. I still have the $100 in my wallet from my last ATM use in 2019.

Floridafacelifter

A few times per year

It takes six quarters to put air in your tires at the gas station, which I do a few times a year. My LCS will often give me SBA or Ike dollars in change and when you try to use those in stores they look at you funny.

P0CKETCHANGE

A few times per week

I use a couple of AI dollars to buy coffee a few times per week. I am known as “dollar coin guy”.

mr1931S

A few times per month

I will sometimes take accumulated pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters with me to the grocery store and pay for purchases at SELF-CHECKOUT using these. A person in line behind me that I observe being impatient with me paying for groceries with change, will oftentimes hear me remark to the SELF-CHECKOUT machine, not the person, "I spend my change, okay?"

OAKSTAR

A few times per month

Always fun pulling up to a CVS drive thru window to pick up a 71¢ generic prescription and giving them dollar coin. First; many don't know what it is and second; waiting to see if I get the correct change back! 😂

bsshog40

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

I can't remember the last time I used cash for anything. I use my debit card. The wife still does occasionally. When she gets change, she just brings it back to me to check. If nothing good, goes into the 5 gal. coin jug.

JW77

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

Never ever carry change. It either goes in a tip jar, round up for charity, the first homeless person I come across, etc.

seatedlib3991

A few times per month

I carry some coins for one reason. I don't like to make small purchases on my debit card because I forget about them, but both my wife and I have co pays on our perscriptions .
For some reason all the co pays will end with some odd change amount. When between the 2 of you their are over 20 scripts involved you might be surprised how much change I need. James

jesbroken

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

I used to use quarters for parking meters, but the state moved out of town and has free parking so none there. Our tolls are in the many dollars now so no change required. As the poll indicates, CRW as opposed to CRS.
Jim

oldabeintx

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

The only time I use cash domestically lately is for tips for parking attendants and bell persons. Toll roads and airport parking use a toll tag in the parts of Texas and Washington I live/visit. Parking meters are rare where I go and those that I encounter take a cc. The last time I needed change was for tolls in Europe and that was a while pack.

mr1931S

A few times per month

@OAKSTAR said:
Always fun pulling up to a CVS drive thru window to pick up a 71¢ generic prescription and giving them dollar coin. First; many don't know what it is and second; waiting to see if I get the correct change back! 😂

Third is hearing, "we don't accept foreign money, sir."

DisneyFan

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

@Floridafacelifter said:
It takes six quarters to put air in your tires at the gas station, which I do a few times a year. My LCS will often give me SBA or Ike dollars in change and when you try to use those in stores they look at you funny.

Your car dealer will put air in your tires for free.

DisneyFan

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

My other hobby/sport Is finding free parking spaces. I religiously avoid parking meters.

But, I do keep a coin purse in my car to pay the local library for copies off of their copy machine.

Floridafacelifter

A few times per year

@DisneyFan said:

@Floridafacelifter said:
It takes six quarters to put air in your tires at the gas station, which I do a few times a year. My LCS will often give me SBA or Ike dollars in change and when you try to use those in stores they look at you funny.

Your car dealer will put air in your tires for free.

They would but it’s a hike and then I have to deal with them- easier to spend the buck fitty

Tramp

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

I think I need to step up my game. Either run by the bank and grab change to pay for my purchases or in advance do roll searching and then use the commons for my purchases.

ms71

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

The only time I use cash is for small transactions at self checkout at a supermarket, and then only paper money. I likely haven't used coins as payment in years. The only coins I see are those that come as change from the checkout machines (or in the coinstar reject pocket).

Namvet69

A few times per week

The ebb and flow of spare change in my pocket has yielded strike thrus, die chips and cracks on occasion. I feed them into the Giant self checkout to lighten the load.

PeakRarities

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

All the parking meters in my area are accessible via app like ParkMobile, vending machines take credit cards, and even for a small purchase I’m more likely to use Apple Pay.

zippcity

A few times per week

Every chance i get, cash is king.

coinpalice

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

i get anywhere from 2 to 5 percent cash back using a credit card, the only time i pay cash is when a business charges me to use a credit card

dunkleosteus430

A few times per year

I don't buy very much, and when I do it's usually coins, and change usually isn't needed. Still happens less than once per month.

coinbuf

A few times per week

Almost daily, but not quite many times each day.

Edited to add: While a fun poll the members of this forum are hardly representative of the US population. Most coin collectors are closer to the wealthy end of the spectrum, for it to have any real meaning you would need to have a better cross section of financial demographics.

mr1931S

A few times per month

@Floridafacelifter said:

@DisneyFan said:

@Floridafacelifter said:
It takes six quarters to put air in your tires at the gas station, which I do a few times a year. My LCS will often give me SBA or Ike dollars in change and when you try to use those in stores they look at you funny.

Your car dealer will put air in your tires for free.

They would but it’s a hike and then I have to deal with them- easier to spend the buck fitty

Discount Tire will check and put air in my tires for free. Also, the Hyvee gas station has a free air station.

mr1931S

A few times per month

@Clackamas1 said:

@VanHalen said:
About once a month, mainly car wash and parking meters.

I remember when many men carried a small oval "squeeze open" coin holder in their pocket. I also remember penny candies that are now 50 cents at your local Walgreens.

I was just thinking about those yesterday and had not thought about them in years.

I had one of those squeeze change holders when I was a kid. Those were kinder, gentler times when people were not so much always in a hurry. I mean, back in '62 I NEVER had to apologize for using change out of my squeeze purse to pay for a purchase. Use a change purse at the regular check out (not self check) of a store now to pay for items one might be in danger of someone calling the cops on you. Charge: disturbing the hurry.

Smudge

A few times per month

Throw them in a jar, roll them up. When you have enough use it to buy silver bullion.

johnny9434

A few times per year

Maybe once or twice a year i do that

coinandcurrency242

A few times per year

The laundry machines in my condo complex only accept quarters. No credit cards.

asheland

A few times per week

I use Apple Pay a lot lately, but about half the time at lunch I use cash. I try to spend my change as I go to avoid it building up.
So like 50/50 electronic payments and cash.

CoinHoarder

A few times per month

I sometimes use the corroded coins found in coin star to cover the tax in a transaction.

I also have an empty prescription bottle in my car that I put my change in. I pay for my small purchases at the Goodwill using the change accumulated in this container.

Jimnight

A few times per month

I'm still active going in and out of smaller stores.

CharlotteDude

A few times per day

Everyday… and it amazes me how much some people struggle to manage simple arithmetic. Gotta keep em on their toes.

Walkerfan

A few times per week

When going to the convenience store to purchase bread, milk or eggs; I use cash (currency) and change (coins). I also buy beer and soda pop a lot, too, the same way.

Maywood

A few times per month

Our coinage denominations need to be re-evaluated and updated, they have been the same for 150 years now and don't suit the economy. Coins are needed in store registers to make change but that's about all. Even without current inflation levels and the use of CC's or checks there aren't very many instances where coins can be used to purchase something without have a bulky pocket full.

I am certain I'm not alone in this practice, but whenever I return home from running errands I immediately empty my pockets of change, Cents in one container and everything else in another.

Custerlost

Never. Used to attempt to use cash/coins for under $10 transactions, of which there are not many these days.

Tried to pay cash for a $1.70 bottle of water yesterday at the local hospital cafeteria. Sorry, cash not accepted.

divecchia

I can't remember the last time I paid for something using coins.

It's probably been more than 10 years the last time I paid for something with coins. I thought it was just me, but looking at the poll result so far a lot of people don't use coins any more to pay for stuff.

Donato

Shamika

A few times per week

We have vending machines at work were I pick out a drink from time to time. Coins are much easier to use so I always keep the hard stuff (even dollar coins) in my desk.

The_Dinosaur_Man

My coat pockets usually have a few dollars' worth of change and I like paying with cash. Fun story: back in 2009, I bought a laptop with 700 dollar coins.