What Can You Buy for a Penny?
By
Bowen Family Homes wants to know what you can buy for a penny. You know, the zinc and copper plated coin that sits in your pocket until it makes its way into your car’s console, escapes onto the ground or into a little round tray at the cash register at your local convenience store. If you are like most of us, your answer will be not much.
You might feel differently about this Lincoln faced currency if you lived in another time and place. In the 16th Century, a half of a penny could get you a loaf of bread. Quite expensive, mind you, if you consider a farm laborer at that time only made four pennies a day. Fast forward to the 19th century and a penny could buy you a loaf of bread, which was a little more cost effective considering men driving horse drawn streetcars in New York were making upwards of $1.75 a day for 14 to 16 hours of work. Now as we find ourselves in the 21st century, we are left wondering what if anything a penny can get us.
We want you to share with us what you can do with a penny. Many people assume that penny is no longer good for anything. Do you agree? Disagree? Surely there is something out there you can still buy. Tell us what you think. We want to hear from you, so please comment on this post!
20 Comments
August 25th, 2009 at 11:07 am
A penny is still valuable in my mind! Here’s my favorite example: Publix penny item of the week! You never know what it’s going to be - in the past few weeks it’s been frozen pizza, paper towels, sweet tea, potato chips and bottled water.
August 25th, 2009 at 11:32 am
The coin’s demise is evident at convenience stores where you can take one or leave one in the penny tray.
You can pay the .009 a gallon that gas stations tack on to the end of their prices.
Some people save pennies until they have enough to purchase something that they wouldn’t ordinarily buy.
Watch your pennies and the dollars take care of themselves is what my Grandmother used to say.
These times while not good are a “wake up” call for many people who live beyond their means. Many people are watching their pennies now…
August 25th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
You can still buy a wish in a well with a penny or a 1 minute call to your Uncle Earl. Heck, you can’t even imprint a penny at Disney these days without spending $1.50 to do so!
August 25th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Hello, Bowen Family staff please consider letting my family buy one of your homes for a penny. Please make an exception. I am 38 years old. My Birthday is October 25th. Please answer us. I am begging you and I am not going to breath until you answer me………………………………….SMILE. This is my ultimate dream please help my family. If you would like to contact me my home # is 770-786-0722 and my cell# is 321-684-8339 and my mailing address is 50 Springlake Terrace, Covington GA 30016 and my email address is greenmist1025@yahoo.com.
Please Help,
Dormina Davis
August 25th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Without a penny, you will be left with 4 more penny’s to pay your tax.
August 26th, 2009 at 8:51 am
I can’t think of anything I can buy for a penny, but they sure come in handy when my children lock doors inside the house. A penny always comes to the rescue!
August 26th, 2009 at 8:58 am
I think today would be a good day to buy a lottery card and use a penny to scratch to see if I win!
August 26th, 2009 at 9:16 am
I gave my 3 year old a penny at the zoo to put in the donation “thingy” in the retile house. it’s one of those “vortex” types ones where the coin goes around and around for nearly 2 minutes!? Pure joy on her face.. then I gave her a dime, because “they go faster.”
August 26th, 2009 at 9:34 am
I have enough in my car concole to by a car wash!
August 26th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Penny is great for laying on the railrod tracks and smashing! I love doing that…is it legal?
August 27th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Pennies in an empty medicine bottle are very handy for Brady to shake and entertain himself!
August 27th, 2009 at 9:55 am
I love pennies! I pick them up all the time. Old habit I learned in the 80s. You never know when you’ll need change…
August 27th, 2009 at 10:11 am
can be used as a flat head screw driver for not so tight screws.lol
August 27th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Pennies are small reminders that you’re noticed and loved by the Universe. At least, whenever we found them it was like finding a bit of luck…
This might be an obvious answer, but penny candy is still available in some places for .01.
August 27th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Coming from a Greek background, we always placed a penny over the front doorway of a new home for good luck!
August 29th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
“Find a penny pick it up…all day long you’ll have good luck!”
August 31st, 2009 at 12:45 pm
I still use pennies to check the tread on my tires. My 3 year old loves to put them in the machine that presses them into souvenirs at the zoo and theme parks we go to.(as long as you add 2 quarters as well!)
September 1st, 2009 at 12:12 pm
38,000 of them would spay/neuter a pet.
One or more pennies can be donated at participating Red Bandanna stores in their coin bank that goes to PAWS Atlanta.
September 1st, 2009 at 12:14 pm
A penny can stop a toddler meltdown. “If you stop crying, I’ll give you a penny for your piggybank.” While my wife feels this is a bad precedent to set-it works.
Pennies- the worlds answer to temper tantrums.
September 6th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
The last time I used a penny for something other than trying to avoid getting another one, I used it like a flathead screw driver. There’s lots that a penny is good for. My other favorite is to put them in the the little slots you find in a pair of penny loafers…. Yes, they still make those!