Don't spend those $1's

$1 dollar bills - bundle of $1 bills
United States
April 18, 2009 11:42am CST
This might sound a bit drastic but 3 weeks ago, I stopped spending my $1 bills. Every night I take them out of my wallet, if I have any, and I put them in a money bag I got from the bank for free. I don't spend my change or my dollar bills. Next month, if I am running short, I am going to cash in my dollars for 5's, 10's whatever and start all over again. It's kind of like recycling my own money, so to speak. I am hoping not to run short and just keep saving them. I don't want to count it, I want to be surprised, but I noticed I seem to have a lot of them already and I couldn't help myself so I just had to count them. I have $52 already. I couldn't believe it! I promised myself I wouldn't count it anymore for at least a month, unless of course I need it sooner.
7 responses
@marguicha (215504)
• Chile
23 Apr 09
I sounds like a sort of piggy bank to me I have a real piggybank with about the same idea. Everytime I get paid online, I deposit the same amount in my piggy bank. The online money is for vacations, the piggybank money is for extras at home (repairing things, buying some soil for my garden, etc). I feel as if I´m paying myself for earning online. It´s a two way payment: the vacations and the house beautiful Happy postings, lucky earnings
• United States
23 Apr 09
Kind of like a matching 401k plan only you are matching your own earnings. Cool idea. I have just started doing stuff online for money and it does take awhile to make anything but I have already made more online this month that what I made in interest in my savings. I am planning on having all my online money sent straight to my savings account. Every little bit helps.
• United States
26 Apr 09
those are great ideas! i'm going to try to do that, too!
• India
18 Apr 09
Its a thing I am doing since my childhood . Its like filling a well drop by drop . you start with a amount that you thing is nothing compared to what you need to save but when that small amount adds up in months , its shocking . What i did is .. I started keeping aside the sum left out of my pocket money every week , NO matter how big or small it was .. at the end of the month i count that .. n keep it aside again ... i did it 1 year and you know how much i saved .. 36000 rupees , thats a lot my friend . I deposited it all in my bank account as i don't need it .. i still keep aside my left up pocket money every week and am planning to deposit 50,000 this time .. n it wont take long. Habit of saving money will nourish like this only and i hope all my friends here will try it too . just a small amount is enough .. it may b as small as much u spend for a burger ..start it on daily basis or weekly like me or any thing that suits you and see how much you can save .. i bet you'll get shocked . and remember .. it will take time .. don't rush in ..let it fill slowly and steadily.
• India
19 Apr 09
You saved 36000 thousands in a year and thats only by saving your pocket money. Thats, pretty good dear! If you would do the calculations you had saved 3000 rupees per month approximately, 750 rupees per week. Thats sound interesting. It means you must be getting a good amount as pocket money. Keep up with your good habit.
• United States
23 Apr 09
I was just talking to my sister a couple days ago and she has started doing just what you are doing. Her family is planning on using it for a vacation. I think that is great you were able to save that kind of money. I am hoping I can do this all year and can't wait to see what it adds up to.
@clorissa123 (4926)
• United States
18 Apr 09
Time to save your money, and not to overspend them. You should discipline yourself a little more strictly. I am practice it myself right now. I have to come up a better way to save more, and pay off my debt fast.
• United States
23 Apr 09
Fortunantly I don't have much debt. Just a house payment but I am making a lot less money now than I ever have so things are tight. Not spending my $1's is another way for me to save.
@playapal (894)
• United States
26 Apr 09
What a great idea angelican. I usually save change but dollars would add up so much faster. I love to read how other people are saving money it really keeps me motivated. You are doing great, and like you I am sure I wouldn't be able to resist counting!
• United States
28 Apr 09
I like reading different ideas to save money also. I just wish I could save in all the ways I have read but for now this is what I am doing and it seems to be working great. I have now been saving them for a month and yes, I had to count it just one more time. I saved $62 in 1 month. I was sooooo happy. I love money! Who doesn't though. Have you ever looked at $60 worth of $1 bills? It looks like several hundred!
• United States
26 Apr 09
my wife got me one of those coin counting banks (I always save change, and I like to know how much it's up to because I find it encourages me to save more). I haven't thought about saving $1 bills, but I did think about changing in some money for rolls of $1 coins that I wouldn't be tempted to spend. I like collecting old coins and the random foreign coin I come across and I never spend those. It's fun and something my dad did and reminds me of simpler times. Good luck!
• United States
28 Apr 09
Saving change is something I have done since I was very young but after having kids I stopped untill recently. I love watching it grow. It is sad that I have to keep it in the form of change to hold on to it but if that is what it takes. I think a lot of people are the same way. It is so simple to spend the green but change is just change to most. I plan to keep saving change for a very long time. I took in my pennies, nickles, and dimes and cashed them in for rolls of quarters. They take up a lot less room in the safe I keep them in. The lady at the bank, I think, thought I was nuts when I left there with 10 rolls of quarters but I didn't care. Keep up the good work.
• United States
21 Apr 09
That sounds great, but I couldnt do that. I use all my dollar bills if for nothing more than toilet paper. I have started shopping a lot at the dollar stores.
• United States
23 Apr 09
Me to. I use to buy a few things from the Dollar Store but find myself buying more and more there. I am also buying off brand food most of the time and look for stuff on sale at the grocery store. I have a large family to feed and they know how to put away the food. Every little bit helps when it comes to saving.
@KupoSin (680)
• United States
18 Apr 09
thats a very intresting method. if it works for you, im sure itll work for the rest of us
• United States
18 Apr 09
3 weeks, $52 dollars, I can't wait to see what it could add up to in a few months.