Loose change turns into lovely Marriott meal

If you’re like me, loose change starts to pile up quickly…especially those pesky pennies. I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to do is spend time rolling up that change and taking it to the bank to convert into more convertible papery currency. Of course, there is an alternative…

You’ve probably seen a green coinstar kiosk in popular grocery and retail stores, but if you have ever used one, you’ve also noticed the fairly hefty service fee associated. Well, I just recently discovered that coinstar has partnered with many popular companies, i.e. Marriott, Amazon, Starbucks, iTunes, Sears, Lowes and a host of other retailers to offer FREE coin-counting. In other words, if you exchange your coins for a gift card with a participating retailer, rather than converting to cash, there is absolutely no fee. This is a wonderful option to turn your static change into useful currency at one of your favorite retailers.

I recently took all my loose change to a coinstar kiosk at a local Safeway and ended up with over $76 in credit (that change adds up quickly). I was heading to Vancouver, B.C. and thought it would be nice to take a friend of mine out to dinner at a nearby Marriott. After placing my change into the coinstar counting tray and letting the machine do its thing, I then selected the “Marriott” gift card option…and voilà, I turned my loose change into a lovely meal at a Marriott. We dinned at the “American Grille,” which I found a bit amusing since we were in Canada. Of course, I didn’t have to use my Marriott gift card for a meal, I could have redeemed it for lodging, spa services or other Marriott amenities.

Note: Coinstar and Marriott have paid me to blog about their products/service. However, all opinions are my own.

I agreed to share my coinstar experience with my readers because I think the partnership they’ve made with select retailers…to make use of your loose change with no fees, is a great option. It’s because of that…and the fact that coinstar and Marriott have given me a $100 Marriott gift card to give away to my readers…to help spread the word of this no-fee service. How cool is that! So, on October 15, 2012 I will post a contest question on my Facebook Page. The 3rd person to send me an email with the correct answer, will win the $100 gift card that can be used at any Marriott around the world…for any service they choose.

5 Comments

Paul Wagoner says:

October 15, 2012 at 2:12 pm

American Grille
1. Mike's Road Trip says:
  
  October 15, 2012 at 3:01 pm
  
  Hey Paul…thanks so much for playing. I’m sorry, but you just missed winning. I posted the places on the FB post. Thanks for following “Mike’s Road Trip.” Cheers!
Rhonda says:

October 15, 2012 at 5:12 pm

Thank you to Mike’s Road Trip, Coinstar and Marriott – I look forward to a day at the spa 🙂
Nikki M. says:

November 1, 2012 at 10:30 pm

Hi Mike,
I didn’t win either 🙁

Maybe next time for both of us! 🙂

~Nikki
1. Mike's Road Trip says:
  
  November 4, 2012 at 9:34 pm
  
  Fingers crossed. 🙂