Many Australians contacted in a recent survey confessed to impatience with having to use five-cent coins. Almost all had literally thrown one away at some point. What should we do with our very small change? Here are a few alternatives from Guardian staff and those we have interviewed. But we’re sure you have more ideas. Tell us in the comments below.
The self-serve checkout
I save my change for the supermarket self-service checkout, in a neat trick I learnt from my mother. I pop my silver coins through first, try and hit an even number, and then pay the rest on card, thus avoiding the sad fate of seeing all my change spat back out at me. It sometimes takes a while, but it beats waiting in line at the ATM or the bank, and saves me from the intense moral guilt of giving my change to a cashier to count through. After years working behind the counter in retail, it’s something I would never inflict on another human being.
Naaman Zhou
The tiny tip
I usually prefer using cash to electronic money (call me paranoid – I don’t really like the idea of all my purchases being tracked). But I also get irritated when too many coins build up in my wallet, as it’s a literal pain in the arse. My usual response to this is to occasionally offload all my silver into the tip jar of whatever cafe I happen to be buying my coffee from, keeping just the precious, precious gold. As an Australian, this is one of the few good reasons I can think of for actually leaving a tip.
Lachlan Anderson
The ATM deposit
I collect coins when I clean my room and deposit them at an ATM when the tin is getting heavy. My boyfriend and I leave coins in our pockets which end up on the floor when we do the laundry. Feels satisfying getting them counted and seeing you had, like, $200 of coins.
Clara Choi
The sunglasses case
I store all my coins in a sunglasses case and banked a sweet $20 when I left Australia for the UK.
Elle Hunt
