The ELEMENTS of money

Ode to Pennies

They fill massive jars… they hide between couch cushions… they line sidewalks and wishing fountains… and on occasion, they stir up a little controversy. But what we don’t know about the common penny is what makes them so uncommon.

Now, I know I am getting all nerdy about the penny, but hey, it’s the little things… So with that, here are some interesting facts about pennies. If anything, you might gain some serious bragging rights after winning a trivia game on account of your knowledge of obscure penny facts… you can thank me later!

• It costs 1.4 cents to produce each penny. So next time some says “penny for your thoughts,” they actually owe you 1.4 cents.

• Some vendors are starting to refuse to accept the penny as a form of payment. That doesn’t seem right, but then again, I’m not the one who has to count all those pennies.

• The penny has been a target for counterfeiters? Who would spend their time counterfeiting measly pennies? Seriously guys, aim a little higher.

• There’s a battle to ditch the penny altogether. Some people think it’s pointless to produce pennies at a loss, especially if stores stop accepting them. So will the nickel now be the new penny? I think the penny will be around for awhile.

-Nayla

Just in case that scholarship isn’t coming through …

Okay, so maybe this is a stretch – but with all this talk lately about finding new ways to make some extra cash, I couldn’t believe it when I came across this article: Making money from video games? It's child's play!

Talk about extra cash … the boys (and KIDS) in this article are making enough money to fully fund their college educations!  Just goes to show that you never know how you may be able to work your income angle.

Yeah, so maybe we won’t be making $60K for our high scores on Rock Band. But, don’t underestimate your cash-making abilities! Hone into those special talents and interests of yours and have a brainstorming session with a few friends to see if you can combine efforts to rake in some dough.  You just never know!

Kim

App-mania!

I got the chance to check out Kim’s iPhone and it’s pretty sweet! In honor of her new purchase, check out the list of the top 20 all-time free and paid applications.

Although some applications can cost you a little bit of cash (starting at $0.99 and topping out at $5.99 per application), you will find there are tons of free apps you can use. In fact, some are even available to help you save money. Here are a few to check out:

Cheap Gas lets users know where they can find the cheapest gas in their area; also, map the route to the gas station.

My Budget Money Management lets you track your budget on a regular basis and keeps you updated with all your budget needs.

Wi-Fi Finder has a list of more than 200,000 locations across 135 countries. All of these locations are verified hotspot locations that are available on iPhone and iPod touch.

Save Benjis is a free price comparison app that supports over 15 million products.

SnapTell lets you take a picture of a product's cover and within seconds, you'll see the lowest price offered online and you'll also see the closest location with a cheaper price.

Coupon Sherpa is a program filled with coupons and you can create a list of favorite stores, email coupons to friends, and coupons can even be scanned by optical scanners.

Now, if only these apps could help me save enough money to buy an iPhone…

Happy searching!

-Nayla