Keep the Change

I rolled up to the ATM the other day and BofA had an ad for their “Keep the Change” program. I rolled my eyes. Then I thought, “Why does that ‘keep the change’ deal bug me?”

Then I figured it out: It’s because people sign up for it and then pat themselves on the back and say, “Good for me! I’m saving!”

It’s just like when people park their car far away and walk up the stairs instead of the elevator. Those are both great things to do but not worthy of logging in your exercise journal. It's supposed to be supplemental to your "real" exercise.

I mean, how much money are you really gonna save with that “KTC” system? Let’s say you made 50 transactions in a month and your average “change” was $.50. That’s $25. Big whoop. Sure, that’s better than spending $25 but it may actually prevent you from saving more because you say, “I don’t need to PUT any money into my savings because the bank does it for me.” And don’t count on any interest accruing. I mean, maybe like some pennies.

And same goes for the keep-the-change-style exercise programs. I bet there are people who park far away at a restaurant and then order an extra dessert because they “earned it.”

So really, you could actually gain weight and lose money by participating in such pseudo responsible practices.

My recommendation? Keep your own change in a jar. When you fill it up, take a walk to the bank and cash it out. Then keep walking and get some ice cream. You earned it.