Stretching the Back-to-School Budget with Coinstar

Almost every house has one. Maybe you spontaneously fill it up with loose pocket change after a day out…or have your spouse put a dollar in when they lose their temper. It’s the household coin jar or dish, and it may be the key to an affordable back-to-school season.

The average American household has as much as $90 in change sitting idle in their homes. In fact, Americans have roughly $10 billion in coins in all US households combined. Consumers can find out how much money they may have sitting in their change jar by using Coinstar’s Change Calculator.

As the back-to-school season kicks into full gear, Coinstar can help stretch the family budget. With Coinstar, you can turn change and cash into eCertificates or gift cards to many top retail stores – like JC Penney, Amazon, Old Navy, Toys R Us and Gap – to help kids get ready for back-to-school with new clothes, books, and supplies. Parents can even treat themselves to a Starbucks gift card to get that much-earned caffeine fix after working so hard to send the kids off to their first day of school.

The best part about Coinstar’s Coin to Card function is that there is no fee on any transaction for gift cards and eCertificates. In addition to a fee-free transaction, it’s a perfect opportunity to teach kids the importance of saving and why every penny counts. With more than 19,000 locations across the country, chances are there’s a Coinstar kiosk nearby. Parents and students can find the nearest Coinstar kiosk by visiting www.coinstar.com.