The Coin Habit

Today I found something that I did not know CT kept.  It was tucked behind some other things in a cabinet.

I found this really cute tin with coins (complete with a separate plastic baggie with coins.)  My first response when I saw this was, "WHAT THE HELL!",  but then I remembered the first time I found this tin, and it made me smile.  Ok, so now here is the story.

When I met CT, we were both established in our careers and we each owned our own home.  So, after a few months of dating, we got engaged and decided to sell his house before we got married.  The house sold quickly, and we were rushed to try to combine two complete households, which is EXTREMELY challenging.  (Boy, I've got to write a post on that topic!)

So, as we went from room to room packing CT's house, I discovered CT's little habit of stashing away loose coins.  You know the kind - just spare change.  Silver dollars and half dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels, pennies.   I found coins EVERYWHERE!  In drawers, closets, cabinets, in lunch bags, tool boxes, shoe boxes, plastic bags, and containers of every imaginable type and size. You name it, he stored coins in it.  As we packed, I continued to find more loose coin.  After a while, I strongly suggested to CT that he pick just one container and one place for his loose coin at his new home. 

But then something else happened.  I started finding loose dollar bills.  I found a stack of brand new $2 bills (remember those?)  Well, I stopped counting that stack at $200.  Oh, and then there were a couple of $50 bills that he received as gifts over the years, and just "forgot" he stashed away for safe keeping.   I finally said to CT, "Enough already.  You cannot continue to hide cash everywhere!  And these coins - what are you going to do with them?  Can you please take them to the bank?"  I think CT was even surprised to see the volume of loose coins he had accumulated, so he quickly agreed.  "Yeah, I'll take those to the bank," he said. 

Moving day came and went, and as promised, CT took his loose coins to the bank.  When he came home, I asked him, "Well, how much coin did you have?"  And he reluctantly mumbled something so inaudible, that I knew something was up.  "How much did you say?"  I repeated the question again, and this time, CT replied, "A little over $800."  What?!?  Yes, CT had over $800 in spare change. 

So until today, I thought CT only had one large glass container that he kept his loose pocket change.  Nope.  He's still hiding coins in this tin.  I guess old habits die hard.  After I took the picture, I returned the tin back to CT's hiding place in the cabinet, and just smiled to myself.  There are certainly worse habits a guy can have, so hiding some loose spare change isn't so bad.

CT still has his stack of $2 bills (this time tucked away in our fireproof safe).  Oh, and my reply to his $800 of coins he took to the bank:  "Hot dog, honey!  I'm upgrading the flowers for the wedding!"  And I did.