A Penny Saved

A penny saved is a penny earned, but does it matter any more?

Pennies don't seem to be worth much these days. We leave them lying where they are, donate them to the tins or cups at cash registers, and sometimes just toss them aside as nuisance. What we seem to have forgotten is that a penny is related to a nickel, a nickel to a dime, a dime to a quarter, and a quarter to a dollar. As we toss our pennies, we discard our dollars as well. But then, for some, the single (one) dollar bill is reduced in value as well.

There are plenty of moments when we notice that dime. When gas (petro) prices increase we are willing to shop around for a dime less and some people even know the differences by the pennies. We neglect the cost of driving the extra distance to get the lower price, but we know it is out there.

We willingly purchase bottled water. soda, or drinks at one dollar a liter (or more) but grimace at the price of fuel, milk, or bread. We support savings on the dollar menus to eat fast "food", yet turn from the bargains of dried beans, rice, and raw product to make more and better of the same meal.

Back to the pennies. One hundred pennies still equals a dollar. One suggestion for increasing savings is to empty your pockets, each evening, of all change into a container. At the end of a specified period, the coins are counted and applied toward the goal reward. While pennies are heavy and space consuming, my suggestion is that as we become more conscious of our pennies that thoughtfulness is extended to our money in general. We can then begin to include paper money into the savings, perhaps the singles or windfalls, unexpected income, and savings.

Penny savings are still available. When we go shopping and make a purchase for less than expected, that's a savings. Here is the penny saved. When we attend the cost of products and services, we pocket the savings. If we neglect our fortune, the savings will be absorbed into the next purchase without acknowledgement.

Saving pennies also make allowances for splurges. I save when I can so I can splurge when I want. Learning to save pennies extends into the habit of saving dollars. Recognizing relationship makes it easy. We are just helping friends find each other.

We are shopping in San Francisco. Dollars spend WAY faster here than they do in the Midwest. Thankfully, I've been saving for this adventure.