A Dime for your Thoughts

Did you hear they’re thinking of getting rid of the penny? Apparently it costs more to make the copper coin than it’s worth.

Congress says it’s just as easy to round things up to the nearest nickel. But can you imagine how our kids’ lives will be different without pennies?

Common phrases will change. For instance, we’d have to say, “See a nickel pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck.” Good luck? A nickel is FIVE cents! You best put that thing in your piggy bank and start investing! Don’t just carry it around for luck. Dance around if you find that much money just lying on the ground!

“A quarter saved is a quarter earned.” That’ll never work. Nobody can save quarters. They’re so useful in vending machines and toll ways and car washes. We have a mayonnaise jar here where I scoop up all Frank’s loose change (he leaves it lying around everywhere) and whenever we need a quarter, I go into that jar. It’s supposed to be some sort of savings for a big vacation one day. So far I think we have about $1.29…in, you guessed it, pennies.

And speaking of future generations, I already had my kids’ allowance planned out and it involved mostly pennies. In fact, I was just gonna give them this mayonnaise jar and say “go to town.” Now they’ll say, “What are these, Mom? Pesos?”

We’re totally screwed come tooth fairy time. I was gonna stick pennies under their pillows. Now don’t tell me people are giving quarters for that now! A quarter for a measly tooth? That’s like half of a Coke.

So even though I’ve been known to almost throw pennies in the garbage can (on moving day when you just don’t have anymore room in the boxes), I would still miss the little guy. And what’s Abe supposed to do? I say he should get the nickel. I’d rather have a bunch of Abes floating around in my mayonnaise jar than Tommy J’s.

Although I’m still not sure what to do with the term penny “pinchers”…nickel natchers? I’ll keep working on it.