5 ms·

I work at a convenience store. We have a penny jar. Except about four months ago people starting leaving dimes, nickels and quarters. It was not a gradual chang

I work at a convenience store. We have a penny jar. Except about four months ago people starting leaving dimes, nickels and quarters. It was not a gradual change, people hardly ever left more than pennies. And it is not just one or two people. My take is that nothing less than a dollar bill is worth much anymore. Part of this is could be the issue of cash vs card, but my uneven sample says that ratio is not really changing. And what can you buy for $0.25? Nothing. $0.50? Nothing. Not a cheap drink, not a cup of coffee. For a dollar? Still nothing.

throwaway44444d 3y ago
Really, that's a real shame if it is. I havent been back the US since late 2014. I remember walking around Manhattan near Times Square I think, just exploring and seen so many signs for $1 slice of Pizza, I think it tad more with some sales tax thing applied when I had one, another breakfast time I got bagel with cream cheese from one of the vans I think near one of the big banks near wall street I think $1.50-$2.00. I was staying in a top-end hotel courtesy of a company I was interviewing with but unsure of expense policy I just got the food around and about myself and found it extremely cheap if you were a little careful. How much has this changed? My memory of facts could be a little off, but I always had US down for cheap plates of mountains of food, and takeaways that were next to nothing price wise.
- eloisant 3y ago
  It didn't really got more expensive because salaries have increased as well. Maybe for a tourist coming from a country that hasn't seen that much inflation (Japan?)
- jraby3 3y ago
  There are still plenty of $1 slices in NYC. Same with $1 coffee and inexpensive bagels.
  - snake42 3y ago
    This is not true in my experience. Every pizza spot is at least up to $1.50 a slice. I have only lived here 2 years, but I never see a $1 coffee. https://www.today.com/food/news/nycs-2-bros-dollar-pizza-slices-rcna77180 https://citylimits.org/2022/07/28/how-much-does-a-bagel-cost-in-your-nyc-neighborhood/
    - jraby3 3y ago
      Here’s a map of 99 cent pizza places: https://www.seriouseats.com/where-to-get-99-cent-slices-2-bros-dollar-pizza-in-nyc-with-map https://www.seriouseats.com/where-to-get-99-cent-slices-2-br... I believe all McDonald’s have 99 cent coffee but I’m not sure.
      - chermanowicz 3y ago
        This is a list from 2018
winwang 3y ago
Over the past ~20+ years, the milk tea at NYC Chinese bakeries has gone from $1 to $1.10 to $1.25 to now $1.40.
- throwaway44444d 3y ago
  That's still a good price. I found a similar thing in Spain for the staple drink of coffee was e1-e1.50 everywhere you went in the Valencia region, didn't matter if high-so or not, arty farty restaurant or workmans cafe, if you wanted a black coffee with a little biscuit on the side it would be under $2 anywhere you went.
pests 3y ago
I too have noticed more silver in the penny tray lately. The other day it had to be close to $1 total including the 20 some odd pennies sitting there.
hotpotamus 3y ago
The US used to have a half penny but it was eliminated when it had more purchasing power than a modern dime. There’s been talk of getting rid of the penny my entire adult life, but we don’t really seem to make improvements anymore, so I imagine it will remain.
- bitcurious 3y ago
  My long-held theory on this is that low denomination currency acts as a slight break on inflation.
  - hotpotamus 3y ago
    I believe the (plausible) conspiracy theory is that the zinc industry lobbies to keep them going. Somewhat ironically, it's long cost more than one penny to make a penny. I believe 1982 was the last year they were made entirely from copper, but eventually even the cost of zinc (often known as "pot metal") outpaced the value of the penny.
- ghaff 3y ago
  The US seems to have entered a stasis of coinage (and bill) denomination since before I was born (a long time ago). Besides getting rid of the penny, pretty much every attempt to introduce new currency (like $1 coins) have failed. And I wouldn't count on being able to use anything bigger than a $20 bill at a random location. And, at this point, cash use is in sufficient decline that I can't imagine any serious effort to make changes.
- talkingtab 3y ago
  Canada no longer has pennies. Canadians now seem a little surprised that we still have them. Comically, US banks accept Canadian pennies so people are using them up as much as possible.
maxerickson 3y ago
Have you tried taking the non-pennies out to see if having a seed changes behavior?
- talkingtab 3y ago
  Yes, I often take the non-pennies out. Not for that reason, but because when someone comes in and doesn't have enough to pay for something basic - like milk, I can use some of the two or three dollars in quarters, dimes and nickels to make up the difference.
ghaff 3y ago
I'm almost surprised that many people carry coins any longer. I have a few bills in my mini-wallet but any coins I end up with get tossed in the coin bucket at home to maybe get redeemed someday. Even quarters aren't generally useful for tolls or parking meters any longer.
mywittyname 3y ago
Do you all still hand out pennies? I found that pennies were effectively killed off in the COVID coin shortages. I've noticed that some smaller places don't hand out coin change at all.
fatherzine 3y ago
There is a coffee shop in SE Alaska that was still selling $0.50 coffee as of Aug 2023. God bless their hearts. -- total anecdote, your point is overwhelmingly true.

throwaway44444d 3y ago

Really, that's a real shame if it is. I havent been back the US since late 2014. I remember walking around Manhattan near Times Square I think, just exploring and seen so many signs for $1 slice of Pizza, I think it tad more with some sales tax thing applied when I had one, another breakfast time I got bagel with cream cheese from one of the vans I think near one of the big banks near wall street I think $1.50-$2.00. I was staying in a top-end hotel courtesy of a company I was interviewing with but unsure of expense policy I just got the food around and about myself and found it extremely cheap if you were a little careful. How much has this changed? My memory of facts could be a little off, but I always had US down for cheap plates of mountains of food, and takeaways that were next to nothing price wise.

eloisant 3y ago
It didn't really got more expensive because salaries have increased as well. Maybe for a tourist coming from a country that hasn't seen that much inflation (Japan?)
jraby3 3y ago
There are still plenty of $1 slices in NYC. Same with $1 coffee and inexpensive bagels.
- snake42 3y ago
  This is not true in my experience. Every pizza spot is at least up to $1.50 a slice. I have only lived here 2 years, but I never see a $1 coffee. https://www.today.com/food/news/nycs-2-bros-dollar-pizza-slices-rcna77180 https://citylimits.org/2022/07/28/how-much-does-a-bagel-cost-in-your-nyc-neighborhood/
  - jraby3 3y ago
    Here’s a map of 99 cent pizza places: https://www.seriouseats.com/where-to-get-99-cent-slices-2-bros-dollar-pizza-in-nyc-with-map https://www.seriouseats.com/where-to-get-99-cent-slices-2-br... I believe all McDonald’s have 99 cent coffee but I’m not sure.
    - chermanowicz 3y ago
      This is a list from 2018

winwang 3y ago

Over the past ~20+ years, the milk tea at NYC Chinese bakeries has gone from $1 to $1.10 to $1.25 to now $1.40.

throwaway44444d 3y ago
That's still a good price. I found a similar thing in Spain for the staple drink of coffee was e1-e1.50 everywhere you went in the Valencia region, didn't matter if high-so or not, arty farty restaurant or workmans cafe, if you wanted a black coffee with a little biscuit on the side it would be under $2 anywhere you went.

pests 3y ago

I too have noticed more silver in the penny tray lately. The other day it had to be close to $1 total including the 20 some odd pennies sitting there.

hotpotamus 3y ago

The US used to have a half penny but it was eliminated when it had more purchasing power than a modern dime. There’s been talk of getting rid of the penny my entire adult life, but we don’t really seem to make improvements anymore, so I imagine it will remain.

bitcurious 3y ago
My long-held theory on this is that low denomination currency acts as a slight break on inflation.
- hotpotamus 3y ago
  I believe the (plausible) conspiracy theory is that the zinc industry lobbies to keep them going. Somewhat ironically, it's long cost more than one penny to make a penny. I believe 1982 was the last year they were made entirely from copper, but eventually even the cost of zinc (often known as "pot metal") outpaced the value of the penny.
ghaff 3y ago
The US seems to have entered a stasis of coinage (and bill) denomination since before I was born (a long time ago). Besides getting rid of the penny, pretty much every attempt to introduce new currency (like $1 coins) have failed. And I wouldn't count on being able to use anything bigger than a $20 bill at a random location. And, at this point, cash use is in sufficient decline that I can't imagine any serious effort to make changes.
talkingtab 3y ago
Canada no longer has pennies. Canadians now seem a little surprised that we still have them. Comically, US banks accept Canadian pennies so people are using them up as much as possible.

maxerickson 3y ago

Have you tried taking the non-pennies out to see if having a seed changes behavior?

talkingtab 3y ago
Yes, I often take the non-pennies out. Not for that reason, but because when someone comes in and doesn't have enough to pay for something basic - like milk, I can use some of the two or three dollars in quarters, dimes and nickels to make up the difference.

ghaff 3y ago

I'm almost surprised that many people carry coins any longer. I have a few bills in my mini-wallet but any coins I end up with get tossed in the coin bucket at home to maybe get redeemed someday. Even quarters aren't generally useful for tolls or parking meters any longer.

mywittyname 3y ago

Do you all still hand out pennies? I found that pennies were effectively killed off in the COVID coin shortages. I've noticed that some smaller places don't hand out coin change at all.

fatherzine 3y ago

There is a coffee shop in SE Alaska that was still selling $0.50 coffee as of Aug 2023. God bless their hearts. -- total anecdote, your point is overwhelmingly true.