John Jebbia wrote:
Sometimes I get dirty looks. As if the cashier thinks I'm questioning their ability to make change.

Too bad for them. The vast majority of cashiers don't know how to make and count change as it is. They hand you whatever the register tells them to give you.

When a cashier does count back the change the traditional way, I openly compliment them.

Orca Bay Images wrote:

Too bad for them. The vast majority of cashiers don't know how to make and count change as it is. They hand you whatever the register tells them to give you.

When a cashier does count back the change the traditional way, I openly compliment them.

One of the first thing my new hires are trained on is how to count back change.

I too thank those that count back to me.

Blue Cube Imaging wrote:
I think it is an age thing. I both check my change and save what is left in my pockets at the end of the day in a "vacation fund".

Very seldom to I find silver anymore (about three quarters and two dimes in the last year).

My vacation fund averages $600-700 a year.

My kids on the other hand say (said) keep the change. After my daughter who is trying to buy a car saw that I had $600-700 extra by saving it she started to also.

What I have started doing is carrying a loupe to garage sales and looking for 925 and sterling on cheap jewelery (of course 10,14,18 and 24k also). About $50 in garage sale purchases last summer got me about $1,200 at the gold and silver exchange. Have another pound of silver and half an ounce of gold saved already this year. Score...

I've always been a change saver. I'm the type who'll stop and pick up a penny lying on the ground.

In fact years ago when I was a teenager, I remember reading an article that suggested always paying for items with bills and keeping the change. It's served me well.

Blue Cube Imaging wrote:

One of the first thing my new hires are trained on is how to count back change.

I too thank those that count back to me.

I once had a cashier give me back more change than I paid her. It was, if I recall, something on the order of $15 back on a $5 purchase paid with a $10 bill. She rang it up wrong and thought nothing of giving me $15 after getting $10. She was just following orders from the cash register.

I did set her straight and gave back the money and had her ring it up correctly.

Phoenix of the Oranges wrote:
I've developed a habit of rubbing the shirt on bills $20 and up. The shirts have a ribbed texture if it's real. Surprisingly I don't get looks for doing that. *shrugs*

I wouldn't complain seeing you rub money on yourself.

:running for cover:

Orca Bay Images wrote:
Too bad for them. The vast majority of cashiers don't know how to make and count change as it is. They hand you whatever the register tells them to give you.

When a cashier does count back the change the traditional way, I openly compliment them.

I went to Sonic, yesterday, for lunch.  My meal came to $5.11.  I handed the girl $10.26.  She handed me my food, and then said to hold on, she had to get change.  I waited and waited and waited, figuring they were out of fives and ones.  Finally, she came back to the window with dollar bills in one hand, and a pile of change in the other.  She handed me the dollar bills.  The following conversation ensued:

Her:  Your meal was $5.11
Me:  Yes
Her:  You gave me $10.26
Me:  Yes
Her:  (blank stare)
Me:  (stare)
Her:  Well...I asked someone, and we're not sure how much change you're supposed to get back.
Me:  (blank stare)
Me:  $5.15
Her:  (digs at change in hand, hands me fifteen cents)
Me:  (counts the dollar bills in hand)  This is $4.
Her:  Would you like a five dollar bill?
Me:  I just need a dollar, so I can get back to my office.
Her:  Ok (hands me $1)

The sad part isn't really that she didn't know how to count change.  The sad part is, she asked someone else, and THEY didn't know, either.

Oh, and I count my change.  I also count the money I get when I go to the bank to cash a check or use the ATM...before I drive away.  Always.

John Jebbia wrote:
Kind of a quirky habit I've had since I was a kid. Checking for silver as I leave the cash register. And more recently checking for copper pennies.

Sometimes I get dirty looks. As if the cashier thinks I'm questioning their ability to make change.

Well, be honest--aren't you typically questioning the cashier's ability to make change...? 

Yeah--I always check for silver.

DivaEroticus wrote:

I went to Sonic, yesterday, for lunch.  My meal came to $5.11.  I handed the girl $10.26.  She handed me my food, and then said to hold on, she had to get change.  I waited and waited and waited, figuring they were out of fives and ones.  Finally, she came back to the window with dollar bills in one hand, and a pile of change in the other.  She handed me the dollar bills.  The following conversation ensued:

Her:  Your meal was $5.11
Me:  Yes
Her:  You gave me $10.26
Me:  Yes
Her:  (blank stare)
Me:  (stare)
Her:  Well...I asked someone, and we're not sure how much change you're supposed to get back.
Me:  (blank stare)
Me:  $5.15
Her:  (digs at change in hand, hands me fifteen cents)
Me:  (counts the dollar bills in hand)  This is $4.
Her:  Would you like a five dollar bill?
Me:  I just need a dollar, so I can get back to my office.
Her:  Ok (hands me $1)

The sad part isn't really that she didn't know how to count change.  The sad part is, she asked someone else, and THEY didn't know, either.

Oh, and I count my change.  I also count the money I get when I go to the bank to cash a check or use the ATM...before I drive away.  Always.

I've done that too with change to the and make it easier, most of the time it just confuses the poor person, so I stopped.

DivaEroticus wrote:

I went to Sonic, yesterday, for lunch.  My meal came to $5.11.  I handed the girl $10.26.  She handed me my food, and then said to hold on, she had to get change.  I waited and waited and waited, figuring they were out of fives and ones.  Finally, she came back to the window with dollar bills in one hand, and a pile of change in the other.  She handed me the dollar bills.  The following conversation ensued:

Her:  Your meal was $5.11
Me:  Yes
Her:  You gave me $10.26
Me:  Yes
Her:  (blank stare)
Me:  (stare)
Her:  Well...I asked someone, and we're not sure how much change you're supposed to get back.
Me:  (blank stare)
Me:  $5.15
Her:  (digs at change in hand, hands me fifteen cents)
Me:  (counts the dollar bills in hand)  This is $4.
Her:  Would you like a five dollar bill?
Me:  I just need a dollar, so I can get back to my office.
Her:  Ok (hands me $1)

The sad part isn't really that she didn't know how to count change.  The sad part is, she asked someone else, and THEY didn't know, either.

Oh, and I count my change.  I also count the money I get when I go to the bank to cash a check or use the ATM...before I drive away.  Always.

That is a really sad story. What is worse is when it comes to say $5.26 and you hand them a ten and then they tender the sale before you hand them a quarter and a nickel so you can get back a five, they get totally lost with that extra 30 cents. if you gave them 26 it would not be any easier for many of them.

Gianantonio wrote:

Well, be honest--aren't you typically questioning the cashier's ability to make change...? 

Yeah--I always check for silver.

How can you tell if it's silver?  I wanna find some silver.   

John Jebbia wrote:
Kind of a quirky habit I've had since I was a kid. Checking for silver as I leave the cash register. And more recently checking for copper pennies.

Sometimes I get dirty looks. As if the cashier thinks I'm questioning their ability to make change.

Yes, I do and for very good reason --

During this week, I was given the wrong change twice. The first one was pretty big. I gave the cashier a fifty and she gave me change for a ten. I noted that and she made the correction. Then, I had to remind a post office clerk that I had a dollar coming back to me. So, yes, it's important to make sure you're getting back the correct change, unless the mistake is in your favor ... LOL

Big A-Larger Than Life wrote:

How can you tell if it's silver?  I wanna find some silver.   

Any quarter or dime dated 1964 or older is silver
Any dime without fdr's head on it(1945 or older)is worth a lot of money,same with any quarter without Washington's head on it
Any penny older than 1959 has a different back,it has 2 ears of wheat on each side,with a large
ONE CENTbetween it,they are called wheat pennies...
Worth at least $3 a piece
Indian head nickels are worth a lot as well,and have a kewl buffalo on the back(buffalos are kinda related to moo cows)

John Jebbia wrote:
Kind of a quirky habit I've had since I was a kid. Checking for silver as I leave the cash register. And more recently checking for copper pennies.

Sometimes I get dirty looks. As if the cashier thinks I'm questioning their ability to make change.

When I was 10 to 12 or so ( 1969 - 1971), I was into coin collecting and was obsessed with checking change and even searching coin rolls from banks. Silver coins were mostly gone even back then, but were found on occasion, along with previous-generation coins such as Mercury Dimes and Buffalo Nickels, and Standing Liberty Quarters, Franklin Half Dollars, and George V Canadians. I also loved the Canadian Centennial pennies with the flying bird on the back.

I considered anything from 1939 or before to be old and collectable.

My ultimate fantasy was to find coins with a metal detector. I managed to get one, but it was a total POS that required use of an AM "transistor" radio to generate a constant tone that changed pitch when metal was beneath it.

Big A-Larger Than Life wrote:
How can you tell if it's silver?  I wanna find some silver.   

An easy way is to look at the edge. It's immediately apparent. Silver U.S. coins have solid silver edges. Non silver coins, have that copper looking edge. Especially if you sandwich several coins together and look at the edges collectively. The silver one will immediately jump out at you.

Another easy way to tell, is any quarter, dime, half dollar, silver dollar 1964 and earlier.
1965-1970 Half dollars (Only 40% silver but still cool)
1971-1976 Silver dollars (Harder to identify since not all of them are silver)

Nickels,  during the WWII years 1942-1945. There is a "P" above the building on the back. Though not all nickels from those years are silver. Best way to tell is look for the mint mark above the building on the back.

Vintagevista wrote:
Oh yeah - my change is checked - (Been a while since I got a silver quarter)

All my change gets dumped into a bucket during laundry - and saved til December - and that change is my "Christmas Club"  (Usually between 220 and 250 dollars)

All the money I find goes in a special jar - for more than 20 years - filled with perhaps 20 dollars of battered and road worn coins  Not much cash value (People leave pennies in the parking lot - but, they'll pick up quarters - so most of what I find are pennies and dimes)

Those pennies. Start separating the copper from the non-copper (81 and earlier & some 82's - Ask if interested and I'll tell you how to tell the 82's)

The copper ones are worth over 2 cents each currently, and will sell on ebay in bulk for about 1.5 cents each. It fluctuates, but I generally sell $100 worth for between $160-$175 + shipping.

Brian Diaz wrote:
Who gets change anymore?  I've probably spent less than $100 in cash in the past year.

Brian, I say this all in fun; but isn't this an attempt at a threadjack?

Well, I'm not buying it.

Now, about the NSA spying on our debit card purchases.... Oh, wait...

Drew Smith Photography wrote:
YES!

I'm a tight mean bastard!

Although all the copper goes in a jar and is given to the 'Children in Need' appeal each year.

What year did England stop making silver coins? I have a handful of coins, but not sure. Also have some French Francs from the 50's and 60's

Brian Diaz wrote:
Who gets change anymore?  I've probably spent less than $100 in cash in the past year.

I use cash whenever possible. I use electronic billing for bills and I use plastic for business purchases. Personal purchases? Cash. I prefer to leave as light a footprint as possible.

And the retail businesses that ask for a phone number even for cash purchases? I refuse to give my phone#. Nunna their fuckin' business. Several times young cashiers didn't know what to when I refused to give them my phone# and they called a manager. Most of the time the manager approves the purchase (terribly kind of them to do that),  but one manager acted like I was an arch criminal trying to hide from the law. Kept asking me why I didn't want to give up my number. Rather than just walk out and make my purchase elsewhere, I kept asking why they needed the number for a cash transaction.

Marketing.

But I don't want to be part of your marketing surveys.

Why not?

Because I don't, you fascist. I don't want to get your junkmail and I don't want to get your robocalls.

We won't call you.

I know you won't because you don't have my number. You want my money or don't you? Yes or no. It's a simple question.

Yes.

Great. Nice doin' business with ya.

Big A-Larger Than Life wrote:
So then what do you do when you find silver coins?  Like lots of people in the US are collecting gold and silver now but what do you do when you get some?   Who gives you dollars for it?   

Ideally, you sit on them and wait. The whole point of collecting silver coins isn't to get cash for them. You're banking on the idea that cash will be worthless , but you'll still have something of value to buy stuff with.

And you know those commercials (sell us your unwanted gold and silver)? That's one place you can sell them. Though they won't give you near what they're worth.

John Jebbia wrote:
Ideally, you sit on them and wait. The whole point of collecting silver coins isn't to get cash for them. You're banking on the idea that cash will be worthless , but you'll still have something of value to buy stuff with.

You should really be investing in brass, copper, and lead if you want metals with value.

Of course, they're mostly traded in assembled forms, with a primer at one end. When they're traded in disassembled forms, someone usually gets perforated.

fluffycakes wrote:

I've done that too with change to the and make it easier, most of the time it just confuses the poor person, so I stopped.

I do that.  Often the cashier looks puzzled until they punch it into the register and it tells them what my change should be.

I sometimes explain that when I ran a register, it didn't tell me what change to give.  (McDonald's in the 70's, when fast food was actually fast.  The menu wasn't in the register either.  We had to learn all the prices, punch in the right numbers, it would give us a subtotal, we had to look up sales tax on a chart and punch it in.).

Chris Rifkin wrote:

Any quarter or dime dated 1964 or older is silver
Any dime without fdr's head on it(1945 or older)is worth a lot of money,same with any quarter without Washington's head on it
Any penny older than 1959 has a different back,it has 2 ears of wheat on each side,with a large
ONE CENTbetween it,they are called wheat pennies...
Worth at least $3 a piece
Indian head nickels are worth a lot as well,and have a kewl buffalo on the back(buffalos are kinda related to moo cows)

Aren't those prices for uncirculated coins?
$3.00 for a wheat penny in worn condition seems like a lot of money.
I have 200 1964 Kennedy half dollars uncirculated, still in the plastic containers from the mint.

fluffycakes wrote:
I've done that too with change to the and make it easier, most of the time it just confuses the poor person, so I stopped.

I don't understand how there are cashiers/tellers/clerks (whathaveyou) that do not know how to count back change, or understand that someone gives over to receive exact bills. One of my first jobs was as a cashier, it was learned immediately.