Class In Session: Coinstar is Free. . . Sometimes

Most of you are probably aware of Coinstar machines–those green giants found in supermarkets nationwide. They let you pour in your change, and in return you get a nice, neat receipt that you can exchange at the cashier for real money.

The problem? Coinstar charges a whopping 9¢ (well, 8.9 to be exact) per dollar. That may not seem like much, but even if you’re only cashing in, say, $20 of coins, that’s $1.78 of money spent on absolutely nothing. That’s, like, 1.78 items on Wendy’s $1 menu, down the drain.

But Coinstar has partnered with various businesses to eliminate the fee for coin-counting. All you have to do is take your money in the form of a gift card or e-certificate, and the fee is waived. Availability varies by location, but some of the bigger-name participants include Amazon.com, iTunes, Circuit City, Borders, and Old Navy.

Use the cards to buy gifts or simply give them away as gifts (although, since the card’s value is equal to that of your spare change, your gift card might end up being for some strange amount, like, $35.21.)

You can also go to CoinstarisFreegame.com, where each day you can enter to win prizes such as gift cards and cash.

Cha-ching!