Bank accounts, savings and investments need to have specific functions.  For example, an account for holiday spending is best kept separate from savings for a rainy day.  Likewise, saving for larger purchases or treats can be done with cash in a nice jar at home, rather than lumped together with the holiday money.  And, a jar of loose change is not as inspiring as a jar of $10 bills that is designated for family meals in a restaurant.

Why? Money can become like clutter if it’s left lying around or tossed in a jar.  The smaller amounts of change are still real currency and need to be treated respectfully.  You can keep all your smaller change together then have a young person roll it and keep the money, or you can dedicate a particular type of coin or bill to be used for a specific purpose – perhaps for something you wouldn’t normally spend money on or feel guilty about spending.  A great example is the often-abused café latte.  What if you saved your nickels and dimes for that purpose?  It’s not hard to imagine handing over $3.50 made up of thirty dimes and ten nickels and sitting back to enjoy guilt-free coffee that didn’t create a money mess down the road.