Showing posts with label Counting Money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Counting Money. Show all posts

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Money Back From Money Already Spent - Paribus


Does it drive you crazy when you buy something online and then you find out that it went on sale for less? What about that sweet coupon or discount code that you didn't get? What if there was actually a better deal and you didn't know about it? Do you find yourself checking back at the same store you bought your item to see whether or not the price has dropped? And if it has, do you say oh well, too much hassle, I'll do better next time. Or do you go back to the store, receipt/coupon in hand, ready to throw down if you don't receive the sale price? I love this refund program - Paribus. It eliminates all of that worry and hassle!

Stores guarantee that you get money back if prices fall. But the catch is you have to ask for it and know when to do so. My life is busy enough without trying to stay up on every price drop the stores I shopped at are doing. That's the beautiful thing. Paribus will do it for me! For free! Watch this fun video to get the picture.
If you're an online shopper this is the best service ever! They are still quite new so they are working with more and more merchants. Here are some stores that they already work with--Target, Amazon.com, Walmart, Staples, Gap, Old Navy, JCrew, NewEgg.com, Zappos, Macy's, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Banana Republic, Athleta and Piperlime! Just sign up with your e-mail and let Paribus do the rest. If you shop a lot online, you'll save a lot online! They do retain a 25% commission from money they obtain for you, but you're getting 75% of free money, so it's better than 100% of no money!

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

M Is For Money #AToZChallenge


The coins spill out over the table, they clink loudly, glinting under the fluorescent lights in the classroom. The boy knows the drill. Separate the quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies into groups. Start with the largest, working down to the pennies. This time it's different though. I walk away. No help will be given today. He has been working practically all school year to be able to do this. 


Some days have been better than others. Shifting from dimes to nickels seems to be particularly hard. He just can't seem to get it. But each day we work on it, each day using the same coins, that together total about $6.50. Sometimes he says, "I'm sorry, I'm such an idiot." I tell him, "No you're not! Don't apologize.You're going to get this!" And we start again.
The boy is 18, and has been with us for 3 school years. I have come to be so fond of him. I want the best for him. Last year it seemed as if he was never going to have the money-counting skill. It was very frustrating for most of the people who worked with him. They just didn't have the patience or time to go over and over and over a skill or format, so that he would finally understand something. 

This year has been different. Maybe it's because he is maturing and has more patience at working on things. Maybe it's because I was determined that yes, we could work with money all year. We were given this time, and it would be used well. 
So the coins cascade out again and I walk away. When I come back, he has written an amount on some paper. I count the coins, wondering if it will be right this time. My eyes widen with delight. It's correct! Is this a fluke? Let's do it again. I put more coins on the table. This time the amount will be bigger. I leave again. 10 minutes later, he has written another total on the paper. Again, I am pleased to see the total is correct! "Good job! Let's do this again." So more coins are put on the table, and I mix up the coins that have already been organized. He willingly starts his task. Once again he is right! I am so ecstatic! 

If the boy learns how to count money, without help from anyone, he will have a skill set that he can use throughout his life. It will give him the self-confidence to help him know that he's not the idiot that he thought he was.

The 4th try didn't go so well. He was off by a dollar and some cents. But by that time the piles of quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies had grown significantly. Today was a major milestone for money. We will have several more weeks before school is done to work on his skill. Then he will move on to another placement. Maybe a job training site, or a group work experience. But whatever he does, he will always be able to count money!