Say Buddy, Can You Spare a Euro?

December 2nd, 2007

Anyone who’s ever traveled to Europe knows that you cannot help but to come home with a mountain of loose change — of the “Euro” persuasion. I hate having change rattling around in my pocket, so every time I return to our home away from home I dump the day’s accumulated coins in my overnight bag. Sometimes it gets used up, but more often than not it comes back to the U.S. of A. with me.

When I get home, I’m always dismayed to see how much cash I’ve stashed in pants, jackets, various bags, etc. No matter how scrupulous I am about putting it all in one place and spending it before I get on the plane, somewhere between €20 and €100 always manage to stow away amongst my belongings.

Then I have to put it someplace so I’ll remember to bring it with me on my next trip (as if I really want to take it — this is the same change I didn’t want on the last trip!)

Of course, I can’t spend it at home. And neither my bank nor anyone else stateside wants Euro coins.

This is why I was thrilled to learn about Euro Coin Exchange. These folks will buy your Euro coins, from the €1 and €2 coins all the way down to the pennies. All you do is put your leftover change in a bubble envelope and drop it into the mail to Euro Coin Exchange. A few days later a check — payable in dollars drawn on a U.S. bank – arrives in your mailbox. 

Euro Coin Exchange doesn’t charge any fees for their service; since they trade your coins at $1 per euro, they apparently make their money on the exchange rate spread. But what do I care? I’d rather be out a couple bucks on the exchange than to see a pile of Euro coins smiling up at me every time I open my dresser drawer.  And it’s not like there’s anyone else out there offering a better deal! For what it’s worth, if you’ve got a Euro note or two left, just waiting to get lost or forgotten but still not worth a special trip to the bank, send it along and Euro Coin Exchange will buy it on the same terms.

No fuss. No bother. And $50 in Yankee Dollars spends a whole lot easier here at home than €50 in foreign coins!

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