Does spare change really matter? It can, if you take it seriously! Around our house, we use it as a sort of alternate emergency fund. Having large jugs of change sitting around is entertaining and fun when you go to cash it in. It’s a conversation piece, and a great way to teach kids to count if you have young ones at home. Five benefits of all that spare change: 1)     If someone breaks in a heavy jug full of change is an effective weapon! It’s also an effective solution to an empty gas tank. 2)     It’s a surprise night out to dinner without feeling guilty. 3)     It’s the kid’s lunch money when you forgot to pull it out of the bank. 4)     It’s the popcorn or extra snack at the movies, or a DVD that you’ve wanted but haven’t purchased. 5)     You won’t keep getting holes in your pant pockets from carrying around a ton of extra coin. Even a small amount of spare change can be a huge comfort if you find yourself stressing between paychecks. But how do you build up that spare change in the first place?