Pinching Pennies in the Post-Penny Era
It feels like the stakes are getting higher for everything, and the constantly increasing prices only add to the stress. In the old days, if you wanted to go to the movies, you could read the showtime listings in the newspaper, count the money in your wallet, make up the difference by searching for spare change in your wallet, and then walk to the movie theater, pay for your ticket at the box office, and watch the show. Now, you have to download an app, and everything costs so much that you usually just close the app and go back to doomscrolling. Getting enough money to afford fun stuff seems more daunting than ever. The fact that money is just numbers on a screen contributes to this sense of dread. Gone are the piggy banks and the pocket change. We rarely use cash at all. It was easy to calculate amounts of money when we could move banknotes and coins into separate piles, representing how much money we spent and how much was left in our possession. Now that the United States has stopped minting pennies, penny pinchers are left in the lurch. If you are struggling to get your bearings without the help of your favorite copper tokens of frugality, contact a Boca Raton debt lawyer.
Is a World Without Pennies Cheaper or Less Expensive for Consumers?
If you traveled to Canada when we had pennies and they didn’t, you could see the handwriting on the wall. Cash transactions had to be in amounts that were multiples of five cents, so the merchants would round the prices up or down. Things generally evened out. If you wanted your kids to get really good at math, you could have them choose items so everything would add up to an amount that would round down.
The lack of pennies doesn’t affect prices when you pay by cards or online transactions, except when it does. The U.S. has yet to pass a federal law regulating this, so now it is up to individual states and individual vendors how to address this. The status quo is that it is a Wild West of credit card surcharges, another way for big corporations to nickel and dime us, now that nickels are the smallest denomination of currency. It is enough to wish that Honest Abe and his little discs of chump change were still here to keep them honest.
Meanwhile, your debts keep piling up. It is time to contact a debt relief lawyer to help you navigate this penny-free economy that is keeping you penniless. With or without copper pennies, you have the right to file for bankruptcy protection, and you may be able to consolidate your debts.
Work With a Debt Lawyer About Getting Out of Debt When You Can’t Save a Penny
A South Florida debt lawyer can help you if you are feeling overwhelmed where there are no pennies and no affordable prices, and hidden fees and surcharges are everywhere. Contact Nowack & Olson, PLLC in Plantation, Florida to discuss your case.
Source:
cnbc.com/2026/08/26/cash-rounding-credit-card-surcharges-penny-production-ends.html
