As many of you know, my friend and I make incense burners out of beer bottles. I display them at the store that I work at. They have always been a big attraction for the kids who are way too young to be playing with fire and burning things. I had listened to enough kids bugging their parents for one that I felt I had to come up with another use for these bottles. Do you realize that a beer bottle holds 70.00 worth of dimes? well it does. I tested it out. I have made tons of these for free for the little customers who actually will make it a goal to fill that bottle rather than to spend their dimes. Heck they don't even spend their quarters. They come into the store and change them in for dimes so they can fill their bottle. Some of them come in and report to me weekly how much they have accumulated. They keep an on-going log of their savings. It's pretty cool incentive. I have my own little dime catcher. It is just a clear beer bottle but it works. you could get creative and decorate one up for a little kid in your life or even put one on your dresser and fill it up....70.00...who couldn't use it these days?
[question posted by sid556]
responses and comments:
If I could only make enough to be able to hang on to my dimes... And by the way...I get lots of use from the one I received from you...thanks again. [The_Lamb_Lies_Down]
Oh I know what you mean about hanging on to the dimes. Mine is filling up a lot slower than the little kids are. lol I'm glad you are using yours and you are very welcome. happy Just remember to buy the incense! ok?whistle [sid556]
hi sid556 well my change glass is just an odd old glass I have had for ages but into goes all my loose change. I gleamed onto ' this idea after my shoulder bag was so heavy it was pulling down on my left shoulder and making my artificial joint hurt like crazy. Change is really heavy. soon I was seeing that glass almost full so I got some quarter wrappers, dime and nickel and penny wrappers, and filled them, took them to my bank, and gave my bank account a lovely boost. does not take long once you get some quarters in there. Wow for a kid the challenge of making seventy dollars by simply filling it with dimes would be really thrilling .what a novel idea you came up with .wow. Dont have any little kids anymore but heck Im just a big old kid at heart. ha hahappylolthumbdown [Hatley]
hatley, your're so cute. You always make me smile. So what you need to do is just relax and have a cold one tonite. When you are done, rinse the bottle and just start saving those dimes. Don't touch them until it's full. happy [sid556]
dear sid, what a way to teach the children how to save! mine is a fish bowl where i put the coins every time i get them. i deposit it there every night.rolleyes its a nice habit i think. thank you for this discussion. annhappy [tigeraunt]
Hi tigeraunt, Yes, it has been real incentive for the kids to save. It's kind of fun to watch and listen to them as they keep track of how much they have. [sid556]
Now that is a good idea. But how do they get the dimes out to cash them in? [gitfiddleplayer]
Hi there gitfiddleplayer, Trust me, I tested it all out. They just pour right out. A little slow at first but once you get the first few dollars out they pour out really easily. Try it at home!happy [sid556]
hiya Sid Making them sounds more fun and we don't miss those wee pennies/dimes which can mount up quite quickly. We can but ready made plastic savings bottles and they are HUGE! lol, but they take a long time to fill. I'll stick with the piggy bank I have for my granddaughters. I could use 70.00 Alice happy [Aliceinwebland]
Awww that's so sweet lol I must say it gives a sense of satisfaction to see it full [Aliceinwebland]
Hiya sid, Now that is really a great idea and an incentive to save a little something and at least when you know itīs full to the top what you have got in money more or less. These beer bottles what is the size of them by the way? Do they hold a litre of Beer or half or what? Anyhow what a really good thing much better than looking at a Piggy Bank for me. The idea of incense burners is really good too. [lovinangelsinstead21]
I just use a regular 12oz beer bottle. I usually use Miller High LIfe because it is clear and there is no logo on it once you remove the label. They are easy to paint up. You should try it. happy [sid556]
Hiya sid, I once saved 16 Euros in small change and I can tell you one Day it saved my Day because I had no money at all not in the Bank or anywhere. I took them down to the Shop on the Corner and spent them there as most Cashiers will get annoyed logically annoyed if you try to pay for things with just cents. I cannot tell anyone how relieved I was that all that heavy plastic bag of cents came to resolve my actual situation. Most People are very grumpy when it comes to cashing in these cents so now I have made it a resolve to actually count them properly and put them separate the one cents, the two cents and the five cents and save them for me just for me. I cried tears of relief that Day she took the cents off me and I was able to buy Food but because we know each other well the woman in the Shop was trying to make me laugh instead by saying I hope you donīt do this every Day this memory will stay with me for a long time as to being thankful for what I have got now. Saving those small cents can go a long way you never know what for. Hugs Sue.xxx [lovinangelsinstead21]
Hiya sid, Yes I will not tell anyone where Iīm going to put them they will not think of bothering just for that whereas if I had a Bottle right under their noses then they might just decide to dip in their little fingers. Money goes like water through their fingers. Have a great Day Sid. [lovinangelsinstead21]
I have several piggy banks but it seems these days they are filling much slower b/c money is so tight right now. I'm hoping things will eventually loosen up but who knows. It's great that you are encouraging kids to save their money too, it's a lesson hopefully they will take with them as they grow up. ~~AT PEACE WITHIN~~ **STANDING STRONG IN MY BELIEFS** [twoey68]
hi twoeye, Ya, they are so cute. Some of them give me weekly reports at their progress. I hope that it stays with them. I know my kids have seen the benefits of saving change and even tho they are grown, they all have their little banks or jugs that they toss it all into. happy [sid556]
Hi Sid, NOW I know who was responsible for that 2 hour holdup in the supermarket when someone was paying for a full trollies worth of groceries in small change.lol [thea09]
Hiya thea, Sure wasīnt me I never take small change to the Supermarket (grin) I was on about something different way down this page. I dislike the ones with never ending credit cards to try out and the ones that put the Shopping into the Carrier Bags right on top of the Counter and holds everyone up my stuff goes straight into the Trolley and then into the Bags. [lovinangelsinstead21]
Hi sid, you are very creative indeed. I have hundreds of beer bottles which I am thinking of ways to dispose them. You see I am running a pub and I have accumulated many bottles in my store and it would take me days to clear them up. I am interested to learn how you make incense burners out of beer bottles. [zandi458]
HI zandi, These little dime catchers are easy easy easy to make. You just paint them up and maybe Decoupage a picture on them and them seal them with a sealer you can get in the craft store and your good to go. The incense burners are done the same way but there is a little bit more to it. [sid556]
WOw thats amazing dude, are you selling the bottles or just giving it to them? anyways good luck i hope the best for you and happy mylotting [Shatila90]
Hi there Shatila, Welcome to mylot and just for future reference....not a dude. I'm a dudette.happy Well, I do sell the incense burners and I also sell the dime catchers for a little less if the parents come in requesting one for a gift or whatever. Most of the time, the kid is bugging the parents to get them a burner and I just make them a dime catcher and give it to them. I've been working in this store for years so I know most of the kids in town and I kind of know what they are into...sponge bob, etc. I just get a kick out of seeing them actually trying to save. I think the key to this as opposed to throwing change in a jar at least from a kid's perspective is that there is a real goal to it. Fill that bottle and you have 70.00. That is a lot of money to a kid.happy [sid556]
That's a much better idea for kids than incense burners. It also would teach them the value of saving money and make it fun at the same time. [cerebellum]
I live in a small community. I know everyone. I can't help but care about these things. [sid556]
Hi Sid That is a great Idea you had there and it is good that the Children are taking the chance to learn that it is best to save then spend it on money I love that Idea and it is great that you thought of it [gabs8513]
Hi Gabs, It is a great idea and it works because there is a real goal at the end. You know when you get that little bottle full that you will have 70.00. They are fun to decorate up and it is recycling. Hard to believe that such a small container can hold so much but it does. You should try it and see for yourself. You'll be 70.00 richer. happy [sid556]
i think that you should add the the dimes you cant do any thing with them now but if you add them youll get a bout 20 bux a month and if you add for a year youladd up like 300 dollers [ameer100]
Hi ameer and welcome to Mylot!happy Actually it takes very little time to fill these little bottles. These kids take their quarters that they would normally use for the gum machine and come in for change so they can put the dimes in. Their goal is to fill it as quickly as possible. If they have money and get change back, they ask for it in dimes. They also have the parents and other relatives donating all their dimes to them so they fill them up pretty quick. This is all money they'd normally spend on junk stuff. 70.00 is a lot to a little kid. 140.00 is a real lot. Heck, it's a lot to me.rolleyes [sid556]
Hi Sid, Hope all is well with you and hoping the New year is treating you good. That is a great idea to encourage kids to save, I am sure you are an inspiration to many. The gift you sent to me is on my desk right now and is in use, thanks so muchhappy [thezone]
I don;t drink so I wouldn't have a bottle to use. I have an over full change purse. I need to find another place to put the change. I doubt have $70 worth but atleast $15 I am sure. I usually use a coffee cup and it works pretty well. I don't know what else to do with it. I think it is silly to buy a bank when you are trying to save the money! [celticeagle]
Ya, I need to put it in a jar cause the cup is my favorite. [celticeagle]
I do think any kind of saving of coins does really add up after a long while. I have been collecting dropped coins that other people have dropped on the ground and forgot about. But once my piggy bank was full and I had to roll them up. I was surprised with how much money I made. [nijolechu]
They do add up don't they? Where I work, I am just amazed at how many people will throw all their change into the penny dish because they "hate" change. I get after them and tell them to throw it in a jar or something and let it pile up. They just shrug and continue to toss it in there every day. Really puzzling are the ones that come in and count out a pile of change to buy their items and then toss what is left in the penny dish. Did they not just see what their saved change bought them? [sid556]
Thats a great idea. I never used to save change that way, and when I started I was surprised how it adds up. So I started doing it and taking it to the bank when I had enough. As others have said, I don't have a lot of dimes going spare - been unemployed for a while, but I still recommend it as having that little stash makes me feel I am doing something positive! [EnglishTeaDuck]
I work and I don't have much to spare either these days but I do try to leave the change alone and there is always the security of knowing that if I really really needed it, it's there. Kind of a back up plan but if I don't use it during the year then my daughter and I use it when summer comes around to do something special. [sid556]
...Hi sid, Happy 2010. Well kudos to you for such a great idea. You have started these youngsters on a fun trip that will probably last them into their adulthood, because they are proud of what they are doing. They are acheiving a goal, and showing it off and telling everyone about their accomplishment. You are certainly to be commended for such a feat. Keep up the good work. Excellent idea. [artistry]
Hi artistry, Happy New Year to you too! I enjoy listening to them getting excited as their money grows and I do think it will be a habit that lasts into their adulthood. Thanks for the kind words, Artistry.happy [sid556]
I am going to try this one out. Not with a beer bottle though. With something made of plastic I prefer. I am saving pennies in a water cooler jug. I plan to fill it to the brim. I know that the dollar store piggy bank holds. $500.00 in quarters I had saved those before and bought plane tickets with it. [giftsandbagscom]
Hi giftsandbags, Really? 500.00 worth? wow...now that is a lot of money. I don't think it matters what kind of bottle you use. The beer bottle I use is 12 oz. if you use a different container, it may hold even more than 70.00. happy [sid556]
sid,, you have gotten me thinking.. what a great idea. I have not really done it for ever it seems, other than the coin and paper from other countries I use when I travel there. THAT gets put away in a box till the time comes.. but... it seems like every 'cent' gets spent. I wonder if I just took one and started to collect them out of view of myself even, if I could manage without it and thus build a little nest-egg for a treat some time for us..sounds like a try doesn't it?? [fjaril]
Good! do it! I'm trying to help turn the economy around one coin at a time!happy Seriously though...it does work. I save every bit of change that I can in a jug all year long and then come summer, I turn it in to the bank. My daughter and I vote on how to spend it. I'm telling you...it adds up like you would not believe. One year when all my girls were home, we ended up with over 600.00!!! We went on a beach adventure and stayed in a motel...it was a great time. [sid556]