Start a Spare Change Elephant Bank

I was listening to NPR while I was driving the other day and happened to hear a segment about people who collect spare change. For some, this has become a family game and their kids do it too. All they do is watch the ground wherever they go, pick up abandoned coins whenever they see them; then empty their pockets into a jar of some sort when they get home. Some of the families they interviewed reported collectively saving $1,000+ dollars in a year, just from picking up spare change!

August 26, 2008—New poverty estimates published by the World Bank reveal that 1.4 billion people in the developing world (one in four) were living on less than US$1.25 a day in 2005, down from 1.9 billion (one in two) in 1981. --World Bank

The good news is things are getting better! The bad news is 1 in 4 people are still living off less that $1.25 per day.

Just think of the good that could be done around us if all our thousands of dollars in lost coins and spare change were used to help people (okay I'm an optimist, nevertheless every little bit counts).


WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• If your spare change hasn't already been earmarked for something else, then consider starting a donation jar*
• Pass this idea on to three people (children count too).
• And just in case there was any doubt, we don't mind links back here when you're out doing you're passing the idea along :D

*Look around for a person or a cause that you feel passionate about helping so you know what to do with your jar when it's full. There may be something or someone locally you want to help or maybe you want to pick one of the organizations we mention on this blog or maybe you just want to increase your fast offerings. You will know what works best for you. Then, get yourself a jar or a basket or one of these cute little elephant banks (a portion of the proceeds goes to help UNICEF) and start your collection.