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Laundry money

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Explorer
We don't have a washing machine in our TT, so we plan on doing laundry if we are out for a week or longer. The only problem is, we have to use coin operated machines, either at the park we may be at or a public laundry mat. When the kids were still little and we had a pop-up, laundry was a much bigger issue.

We don't mind doing laundry at all, but a few times in our past when the kids were still little and we had a pop-up, laundry was a much bigger issue. A couple times, in our early camping experience, we came up short on change to feed the machines. It only took a time or two and then we started planning ahead.

Fast forward years later. Kids are all grown and gone now and it's just the MRS and me. As we get home from work every night, for years now, we've been dropping our pocket change into a bucket and it accumulates fast. Sometimes, the pocket change has paid for several nights of camping.

Well, when the son and grandson moved back home, the grandson just loves playing with the change bucket. So, a new change bucket got started in the camper.

Then the little rascal found the bucket in the camper. So, last Summer when we were in South Dakota, we bought a buffalo (piggy bank) and we started putting only quarters in it. The rest of the change went to the bucket for the grandson to play with (By the way, he's 5 years old now).

Well, a couple days ago I decided to empty the buffalo and count the currency. I was pleasantly surprised to find we had over $100, all in Quarters!

I guess the next time we do laundry on the road, we won't be short of change!

It makes me wonder how much in coin the grandson has stashed in his bucket in his bed room now? He doesn't spend it, he love to just play with it.

It adds up. Try it. You'll be surprised! Next time we take the trailer out (this week-end actually), we may take the buffalo and go out to eat one night!
20 REPLIES 20

hokeypokey
Explorer
Explorer
In the AZ park we used, we bought $5.00 laundry card. We could load money on it and thatโ€™s how we paid for machine operation. She cautioned us to not load it up near the end of our stay because there were no refunds. We turned in the card when leaving and got the $5 deposit back. Worked good for them and us, I think.

johnwalkerpa1
Explorer
Explorer
2oldman wrote:
rv2go wrote:
I guess I am one of the odd one's. I use a credit card for ever purchase I make. I can't remember the last time I paid a bill with cash.
I can't remember the last time I saw a laundry machine that takes credit cards.

.


I've seen them once or twice at campground laundry rooms.

I got the credit card to work fine but trying to start the washer was a challenge...the controls looked like the cockpit of a small jet...

valhalla360
Nomad
Nomad
ddndoug wrote:
When we are headed out on vacation, I grab an old Rx bottle and a roll of quarters from the bank. I throw the quarters in the prescription bottle and call it good. (you can see the amount of quarters you have left, also)

Doug


That's what we do also.

As far as the other random change, our credit union has a free machine (not like the ones at the front of big box stores that take 10%) that we can dump the change into and it will deposit the money into our account.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV

2oldman
Explorer
Explorer
rv2go wrote:


Don't use the laundry machines.
OK. Then I guess you wanted to change the subject.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

dblr
Explorer
Explorer
We were also one that used old r/x bottles, held almost if not $10 plus easy to carry to the laundry, now have a w/d in our unit, but still save all the chage in a jar.
2017 River Stone Legacy 38MB
2001 Kenworth T2000
2009 Smart on the deck.

bigorange
Explorer
Explorer
rv2go wrote:
2oldman wrote:
rv2go wrote:
I guess I am one of the odd one's. I use a credit card for ever purchase I make. I can't remember the last time I paid a bill with cash.
I can't remember the last time I saw a laundry machine that takes credit cards.

You must be a big hit at the truck stop when you get a coffee and donut and pay with a cc.


Don't use the laundry machines. I don't fell bad paying for a cup of coffee, a donut and leaving a tip with my CC.
I have never got a bad reaction using my CC.

I tend to tip better on a cc than cash...especially on cups of coffee.
Not all those who wander are lost. - Tolkien

2018 Cherokee 235B 5W
2011 Ram 2500 CC SWB SLT 4WD 6.7 CTD 3.73
B&W Turnover Ball + Companion Slider hitch
2003 Sierra T22 TT - Sold

bigorange
Explorer
Explorer
My kids keep raiding my change buckets for vending machine change. LoL

I do keep a roll of quarters in my go bag for laundry on deployments...maybe I should add a roll to the trailer.
Not all those who wander are lost. - Tolkien

2018 Cherokee 235B 5W
2011 Ram 2500 CC SWB SLT 4WD 6.7 CTD 3.73
B&W Turnover Ball + Companion Slider hitch
2003 Sierra T22 TT - Sold

newman_fulltime
Explorer
Explorer
romore wrote:
CC's don't work in laundromats lol. I keep quarters in the ashtray, I don't smoke, for parking meters along with a loonie, Canadian 1 dollar coin, for supermarket shopping carts. I used to dump my pocket change in a cardboard tube that originally contained a bottle of whiskey.There were no quarters, they had all gone to the laundry, and we didn't yet have 1$ or $2 coins. I rolled $156 in dimes, nickels and pennies! It adds up fast.


They do around here

rv2go
Explorer
Explorer
2oldman wrote:
rv2go wrote:
I guess I am one of the odd one's. I use a credit card for ever purchase I make. I can't remember the last time I paid a bill with cash.
I can't remember the last time I saw a laundry machine that takes credit cards.

You must be a big hit at the truck stop when you get a coffee and donut and pay with a cc.


Don't use the laundry machines. I don't fell bad paying for a cup of coffee, a donut and leaving a tip with my CC.
I have never got a bad reaction using my CC.
Winnebago Journey
TN Lic. RV 2 GO
Jeep Cherokee 4x4
I'm here #4335
Blog

ddndoug
Explorer
Explorer
When we are headed out on vacation, I grab an old Rx bottle and a roll of quarters from the bank. I throw the quarters in the prescription bottle and call it good. (you can see the amount of quarters you have left, also)

Doug
2009 Four Winds Hurricane 33T
F53 Ford Chassis w/Triton V-10

2oldman
Explorer
Explorer
rv2go wrote:
I guess I am one of the odd one's. I use a credit card for ever purchase I make. I can't remember the last time I paid a bill with cash.
I can't remember the last time I saw a laundry machine that takes credit cards.

You must be a big hit at the truck stop when you get a coffee and donut and pay with a cc.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

romore
Explorer II
Explorer II
CC's don't work in laundromats lol. I keep quarters in the ashtray, I don't smoke, for parking meters along with a loonie, Canadian 1 dollar coin, for supermarket shopping carts. I used to dump my pocket change in a cardboard tube that originally contained a bottle of whiskey.There were no quarters, they had all gone to the laundry, and we didn't yet have 1$ or $2 coins. I rolled $156 in dimes, nickels and pennies! It adds up fast.

rv2go
Explorer
Explorer
I guess I am one of the odd one's. I use a credit card for ever purchase I make. I can't remember the last time I paid a bill with cash.
Winnebago Journey
TN Lic. RV 2 GO
Jeep Cherokee 4x4
I'm here #4335
Blog

KCFDCapt
Explorer
Explorer
When we married 10 years ago, the wife and I started putting all coin into cigar boxes. I also save $1 dollar bills I get back for change. Last year we had solar installed on the motor home. We rolled over $3,000.00 in coin and had over $1,000.00 in singles.

I never missed the money as it was small amounts each time. It sure helped pay for the solar array.