How many of you pick up pennies? I do. And don’t start thinking it is because of the stereotype that Jews have earned. If I see a penny heads up, I grab it. I like to think it is a penny from heaven; a little note from my Nana to remind me that she is watching over me. I don’t believe in the saying that if I find a penny, I should pick it up so that all day long I will have good luck, BUT for the benefit of those who do believe that, I will flip a penny over if it is tail side up. I suppose my superstition about not picking up a penny unless it is heads up makes someone else’s day.
Yet, I feel that there are less and less pennies in circulation. I don’t know this to be a fact, as I have yet to contact the U.S. Mint. But, more and more, I am finding that if I am at a store and my transaction adds up to, let’s say, $21.99 and I hand over $22.00, all that I am handed back is a receipt. Has the penny lost its’ value? Listen, I can live without the penny, but I will say that there is joy in giving exact change. So many times the change section of my wallet is loaded down with pennies, so when the opportunity arises, I will count out up to ten or so cents in pennies. When I owe 21 cents, I like being able to round out my change situation with that cent. Sometimes, I grab or give a penny to the little trays labeled with “Give a penny, take a penny” by a cash register. They do come in handy after all. Yet, how can I keep doing this if I am not getting my change back?
As annoying as I am sure it is for storekeepers to count, isn’t there some charm and sweetness to when a child has saved up all of their hard earned change to buy something they have had their eye on, even if it is 50 bucks worth of pennies? How can I teach my daughter to save her pennies for a rainy day if she can’t collect them? With all of the gypping I get during my errand and shopping runs, I can’t even give her my change! As it stands now, we have a loose change jar at home. Do I prefer quarters to pennies? Of course! But those pennies do add up as many of us could probably attest to after a visit to the Penny Arcade. The point is, money is money. A penny saved is a penny earned. When clerks and cashiers deny us that one cent, they are denying us the opportunity to save, or in the very least to teach our children the value of saving. So, be bold, not embarrassed, to ask for the change, even if it is just a copper disk. It is yours. You worked hard for it and during a time of major economic downturn, we should value hard work and savings. You never know when it will be a rainy day.
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