Chip

Caitlin H.

March 13, 2010 - 6:13 PM

I'm not afraid to admit it, I pay out of state tuition - I'm a college student, and yes, I'm "broke" enough to fit the "poor college kid" stereotype. I too pick up loose change off the ground. I too appreciate the deal of a good coupon. In fact, just this weekend I found a dozen eggs on sale for 39 cents at Fred Meyer. That's close to three cents per egg! I recycle cans, scramble for scholarships, revel in a good deal, and of course, remember to feed Chip.

People who save coins are perhaps either obsessive compulsive or genius with their finances. I have often had discussions over the usefulness of the penny. Some people think it is worthless, some people think it is brilliant. I happen to fall into the latter category. One of the biggest thrills I can have while walking through a parking lot is to stumble upon loose change. I prey off the people who throw away loose coins for its insignificance and awkward bulkiness filling up their ashtrays or center consoles in their vehicle. I'm starting to sound more and more like a bum, but the change is important to help me feed Chip.

I'll admit, I don't like counting out change when I go through the checkout line. It always makes me feel uncomfortable, and in this fast-paced society, like I'm holding up the line and people are irritated with me. I'd rather break a dollar and have a handful of change in my pocket. The coins add up and accumulate - in the bottom of my backpack, on top of the washing machine, on the entry table by my keys, and a jar labeled "food for Chip" on my dresser. Even though I never plan to spend the money, I deposit it at the end of the day - in Chip, my clearance sale dinosaur ‘piggy' bank. When I found the dinosaur bank it was on sale at a reduced price, presumably for the small chip in his ceramic tail. If you ask me, that adds personality. Or at the very least, it gave the bank a name. Chip is my savings effort in three parts, the food jar with coins to ‘feed' Chip, Chip the storage container, and the eventual bank account where I can invest Chip's earnings.

I'm not sure what the savings are for yet. Maybe a trip, maybe a house, maybe my first dog. Chip is my small-scale investment effort for the future. Prospective students often wonder how affordable college is. With the state of the economy at present, the cost of attendance (http://admissions.uoregon.edu/expense/estexp.htm) seems like one of the most commonly talked about topics in college searches these days. And maybe Chip isn't going to be a down payment on a house tomorrow or buying me my first around the world plane ticket any time soon, but he stands for my belief that money shouldn't stand between your dreams for the future.