TOONIE TRUST

Canadian $2 Coin

In my efforts to save money I have come to realize something: I like to see money grow in various ways. For me, it is not entirely about just putting money aside in the bank. That is the biggest part, budgeting and planning being the stronghold of that area. However, there is a flip side to the coin, so to speak, in that I like to see what I can do in small ways. The Cold Hard Cash has been proving itself well. I have purchased two major items on my RTW Packing List and am saving for some other needs. I have tangible results. Those results spur me onward. 

Onward with the jingle of toonies. For those of you not familiar with the Canadian monetary system "toonie" is a nickname for the $2 coin. To explain this I will give you some history. In 1987 The Royal Canadian Mint and the Canadian Government introduced into circulation the $1 coin, which would replace the $1 bill. These gold coloured coins were minted on the reverse with the image of the loon, a prevalent bird in Canada. As a result, the name "Loonie" came to mean a $1 coin. In 1996 the $2 coin was introduced and the nickname "Toonie" (or "Twoonie") fell into place. And yes, it is part of the Canadian-English vernacular. That is where my Toonie Trust comes in to play. 

Not long ago, I was making a small purchase and paid for it, in its entirety, with toonies. The cost was approximately $8 yet I handed over $10 worth of the coins and received my change. That made me realize how much toonies are used AND how easily they add up. Adding up so easily that I could have a jar of change worth more than the quickly forgotten penny (which is no longer used in Canada). My TOONIE TRUST has begun. Since I try to pay for many purchases with cash I can use toonies to my advantage. When I am given toonies as change I will attempt to not use them throughout the day. I will not make a point of using them and at the end of the day I will transfer them to a jar to watch the sum grow. As it grows I will deposit them into my RTW account and see my balance rise. I know some may see this a silly way to save but for me, money not seen is money saved. A toonie here and a toonie there does add up. Five toonies equals ten dollars and twenty-five equals fifty. That is $50 in my bank account and can be one day on the road (as proposed by Matt Kepnes in How to Travel the World on $50 a Day). You do the math. 

Here's to the small steps resulting in big ones!

Photo credit: Wikipedia (Photo owned by The Royal Canadian Mint)