Fri, April 10, 2009 - 7:00:02

Take a Penny, Leave a Penny

Now that we’ve examined how little changes to your spending routines can make a huge difference in your overall personal finances, we wanted to end our week-long celebration of Financial Literacy Month with a look at small change in the literal sense.  While we often ignore the value of the nickel, dime, and humble little penny, these tossed out coins can slowly but surely add up to significant sums.

In our new book, THE POWER OF SMALL: Why Little Things Make All the Difference, we tell the story of Paul Brandt, who in a little over a decade has saved $63,000 just by emptying his pockets of spare change every night.  And it’s not just individuals like Paul who have put this simple technique to work.  The Penny Harvest, an initiative started by the New York-based non-profit organization, Common Cents, uses what many people consider worthless currency, the one-cent coin, to help children around the world overcome hunger.

The Penny Harvest begins each autumn, when schoolchildren ages four-14 collect donations of pennies from friends, neighbors, and family members. After working with Common Cents to select qualified grant recipients, the children who collected the pennies make the final donation to their charity of choice.  Not only does the program make a huge difference in the lives of the children involved in the fundraising, it has done a world of good to better the lives of the needy.  Penny by penny, everyday kids have raised over $6 million dollars to combat hunger worldwide. So, if, with a little determination and a whole lot of heart, regular kids can make a big difference with small change, what can you do?  The possibilities are endless.  It all starts with just one penny.

Want to share your two cents about this great cause or have a small story you would like to share?  Hit us up with a comment, tweet with us @ThePowerOfSmall, or send us an email.

Posted by Linda and Robin