If you’ve got a stash of pennies, you have several practical paths you can choose from depending on your goals (casual, creative, or financial). Here’s a concise guide to help you decide. What to do now

• Cash them in: Many banks and credit unions will exchange pennies for cash or place them on a Coinstar-like machine (fees may apply if you choose cash rather than a gift card). If you want to maximize convenience, call ahead to confirm requirements (rolled vs unrolled) and any fees.
• Save for a purpose: Allocate a single jar or labeled container for pennies toward a specific goal (a small purchase, a trip, or a donation). This makes it easier to see progress and stay motivated.
• Look for value: Some pennies (especially older copper cents) can be worth more than face value to collectors or for copper content. If you’re curious, you can research mint dates and varieties to determine whether any of your coins are valuable.

Creative and fun uses

• DIY projects: Use pennies to create a penny floor/tabletop, wall art, mosaics, or decorative items like photo frames and magnets.
• Educational activities: Use pennies to teach kids about saving, counting, and rounding. You can set challenges (e.g., how many pennies to save in a month) and practice basic arithmetic.
• Community or gift ideas: Leave pennies with encouraging notes in public places, or use them in a small kindness project (pennies in envelopes or jars for neighbors).

What to keep or store

• Preserve keepsakes: A few special pennies with meaningful dates can become memorabilia or part of a family time capsule.
• Sort and roll if needed: If your bank or local post office requires rolled coins, you can sort pennies by denomination and roll them for easier handling when depositing.

Tips to decide quickly

• If you want money now: Use a bank or Coinstar-style machine for immediate cash or a gift-card option, mindful of potential fees.
• If you enjoy crafts: Gather a handful of pennies with interesting dates and start a DIY project or wall art.
• If you’re curious about value: Check pennies from pre-1982 (mostly copper) and rare varieties; those could be worth more to collectors.

If you’d like, tell me your goal (cash in, craft project, or research for potential valuable coins), your location, and whether you want to roll coins or convert them at a machine. I can tailor a step-by-step plan and potential price ranges or project ideas for you.