Got Pig? / myLot

Boise, Idaho

January 25, 2026 5:57pm CST

It is believed that the piggy banks we use today may have its origin from Germanic folklore. Pigs represented luck and plenty. Before glass jars there were pigs -- real ones. A farmer could buy a piglet in the spring feed it garden waste and kitchen scraps, and by winter it would provide both food and money. In rural communities a family's pig was literally its bank.

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8 responses

Jimbo45

@Ineeddentures (33871)

•

26 Jan

Aye. They eat just about anything. So cheap to feed. Mind you a pig wouldn't get many kitchen scraps from me

2 people like this

celticeagle

@celticeagle (189793)

• Boise, Idaho

26 Jan

Good way to get rid of garden trash and cheap to bring some $$ in at the end of the season.

1 person likes this

pahak627

@pahak627 (5347)

• Philippines

26 Jan

I agree a family's pig is literally a bank. I used to have pigs back in my hometown. I remember when my son underwent appendectomy, we sold one of our pigs and spent them on the medicines and other expenses during his confinement. The barangay chairman of the next barangay bought it and because he pitied us he paid us at the maximum price at that time. So that's it the pig was our bank.

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celticeagle

@celticeagle (189793)

• Boise, Idaho

26 Jan

What a nice story and a nice barangay for sure.

1 person likes this

celticeagle

@celticeagle (189793)

• Boise, Idaho

28 Jan

@pahak627 .......I think we need to really give gratitude to those, like this person you speak of, that do kind deeds. In the world today there is too little of that and it needs to be giving the positive feedback it deserves so it can flourish.

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pahak627

@pahak627 (5347)

• Philippines

27 Jan

@celticeagle Yes and I was grateful to him. He was really very kind.

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ShannyBananny

@shaggin (74988)

• United States

26 Jan

That’s interesting. I’m glad I don’t have to live in a time where I had to watch animals slaughtered like that for our food. My little one has two piggy banks a mermaids tails and chase from paw patrol.

1 person likes this

celticeagle

@celticeagle (189793)

• Boise, Idaho

26 Jan

How sweet! Yeah, living on a farm is not for the squeemish.

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JB_girl

@sol_cee (38669)

• Philippines

26 Jan

Oh, that’s really interesting! It actually makes a lot of sense - taking care of pigs and then selling them for money is pretty common in the Philippines too. Farmers would raise a piglet, feed it scraps from the kitchen and garden, and then it could provide both food and cash when needed. It’s funny to think that piggy banks today might come from that idea!

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celticeagle

@celticeagle (189793)

• Boise, Idaho

28 Jan

I thought so too.

1 person likes this