Turn loose change into Amazon.com credit

My local grocery store has coin star machines. These are great for counting your change but normally charge a staggering 9% for the privilege. I recently discovered that you can exchange your coins for gift cards from a list of merchants. Amazon.com is one of them and the most useful to me. Best of all you get 100% of your deposit on the gift card.

I have some change that has built up over the past year and I will cash it in. I currently plan to get a book on Easter Island for my upcoming trip as well as a copy of Marco Polo's Travels to read while I am in Thailand sitting on the sunny beach. It will end up costing me little out of pocket since I don't track the change in my net worth.

It is a win-win since I get a couple books I want and get rid of my loose change at the same time. I turn a hassle into something nice as well. All of the little tips and tricks like this add up over time!