Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Small Change

Eliminating the need for nickles and Dimes
 
(+1, -1)
  [vote for,
against]

After being stuck behind people at the checkout line counting out exact change, I propose that retailers offer that for every cash purchase over $10, the store will round the total down to the nearest dollar. Credit and ATM purchases will remain the same.
Socalwhite, Feb 03 2003

'No Pennies' sales gimmick http://www.halfbake...7_20sales_20gimmick
Same idea. [phoenix, Oct 17 2004]

Get rid of the penny http://www.halfbake..._20of_20the_20penny
Same idea. Again. [phoenix, Oct 17 2004]

[link]






       If I had a pile of small change for every time we've done this...
snarfyguy, Feb 03 2003
  

       In Spain they used to have such a stupid currency and couldn't make coins work properly, so if you got a really small number of pesetas in your change they didn't give it to you. Some problem with it being a waste of time I think.   

       I suggest people stop being fooled by offers of $3.99 looking cheaper than $4.00, and retailers wont bother doing it any more...
joesinc, Feb 04 2003
  

       In Australia the 1 and 2c coins have been taken out of currency. Everything is rounded to the nearest 5c although stores still mark things $3.99 etc.   

       It works pretty well.
madradish, Feb 04 2003
  

       A lot of smaller shops in the UK now have some sort of charity box next to the till. I'd rather dump my small change in there than have the inconvenience of emptying it out of my pockets every night. I guess in some places they'd have to be nailed down, though.
egbert, Feb 04 2003
  

       I could see rounding up or down to the nearest dollar on a case-by-case basis, but wouldn't people eventually realize that those small increments of change eventually total into amounts much larger. I know after a month of emptying my pocket change into a jar, I have about $20 in change laying around. For people who are just scraping by (like myself), that $20 can mean quite a bit.
Underdrunk, Feb 04 2003
  

       oz has the right idea, as [madradish] says. i've spent months there, and i never had more than a dollar in change in my pocket. hang on... i have holes in my pockets. damn levis.
sambwiches, Feb 04 2003
  

       I'll have to disagree with madradish and sambwiches. I lived in Australia for a long while and I always had small change on me. Lots of it. I think it's all about each person's consuming habits. I am mexican, and it doesn't mean we don't have small change here. The difference is that in México things are cheap, so you can buy lots of things with small change, while in places like Australia, things are more expensive and require big money.   

       I may add that I wish someone could explain to me how Vegemite was ever created. I mean, no offense, I love australia, but I'm telling you, if someone posted here, on the halfbakery, the idea of spreading a layer of black, thick, smelly yeast extract on toast (and pancakes, and EVERYTHING), it would have gotten nothing but fishbones.
Pericles, Feb 10 2003
  

       //while in places like Australia, things are more expensive and require big money.//   

       That really depend what you are buying [Pericles].   

       Vegemite is wonderful once you get used to it. I find it hard to live without, I have to take stocks along when I go overseas.
madradish, Feb 10 2003
  

       Not only is this already HalfBaked, but Business:Supermarket? Come on...
phoenix, Apr 10 2003
  
      
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