carrying of small coins in the pockets/purses  

Hello. In the U.S., we don't have coins over $1.00 that are used in circulation. You can't buy much with $1.00 except some small candy or gum. We have 1,5,10,20,50,100 dollar bills. Many stores won't take a bill larger than 20 or 50 for small purchases. When you get a $100 bill from the bank, it is hard to break it sometimes, except at a large store.

When I visited Japan, they have coins up to 500 yen (about 5 dollars in U.S. dollars) I am used to using bills for anything over a dollar because that's how it is in the U.S. where I live.

Well here in the UK we have only £1 coin, 50p, 20p 10p 5p 2p and 1p and well they are not used much. Only if you go in Macdonald's for a cheese burger which is £1.29 I believe. I hate coins as they are an inconvenience. I only use coins in vending machines as it's easier to use coins than notes. Mostly I use my card to buy stuff and the odd time I use cash but coins is a no no for me. I keep all the coins in a piggy bank and when it reaches £300 I deposit the coins in the bank.

Hi Yugasini. It is not unusual in the US for people, both women and men and even children, to always have coins with them. They are handier than paying always with bigger bills. One can pay the exact amount with both bills and coins. And many of us save our coins for those times between pay checks, and are not ashamed to use them to pay for things. Money is money, and as they say, it all spends the same.

Karen

Here in Denmark many people use their visa cards all the time. I think it is convenient to use coins if I want to buy small things, but many other people use their cards instead of coins. I usually carry some coins in my bag, because I need coins if I want to use a shopping cart, a public toilet, a parking lot etc. I have never seen it as shameful to carry small coins, and it is my impression that other people from my country don't find it shameful either. It is something that I have never noticed or even thought about.

I never carry any coins in my pocket, unless I had some changes from my previous purchase at the store. I intend to carry dollar bills most of the time. That just me.

I also carry change in my wallet, mostly because if the vendors don't have the change, I have to leave them some more money until it reaches a more round sum, or I have to buy something else that I don't really need. And as I don't have much money, neither of these two options is very appealing to me...

Yes, I also carry my coins and change in small purses, it is convenient to pay and very handy at times to give to shopkeepers or anyone else, or they exchange it with a candy or a chocolate which you may not require then.

I usually don't spend my coins, I save them until I get back home and then they go into a big jar that I have and it is used for times when I am short on money or if I get enough in my jar I will cash it for bills and use it on vacations or trips.

I think each country and people from different countries look at coins differently only because coins in each country hold a different value. Like previous US posters have stated our coins do not really go aver the dollar amount, so you will find more Americans using their coins as a savings.

Now I do put my coins in a small change purse, but just to keep until I can get home and put them in my coin jar to spend at a later time

in Malaysia, we do have coins for 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents and 50 cents. i got a lots of coins in my house, but i seldom use them. it is heavy to carry coins in you pocket.