This little idea could either be a brilliant stroke of marketing genius or an invitation to complete, utter bedlam for Taco Bell. Either way, I hope it happens ’cause I want a free taco. Taco Bell always reminds me of being in college and being SO dirt poor that I would be digging and digging in my change basket, hoping and praying that I could amass enough dimes and nickels to get myself a soft taco and a beef burrito and put off hunger for another 3-4 hours. All it took was 15-20 dimes, really, and you could get both. I hope I never again have to wish that hard for anything silver in a sea of copper pennies. And holy crap, if you ever were digging and you came across a quarter? Well, that was like finding eternal happiness, like discovering oil…..or passing a test.

Anyway, about three years ago I finally cashed in all that change I had amassed – from about 10th grade on I kept a relatively large change basket, and while in college it was mostly pennies, it grew ok after that. When I did cash it in, I ended up with $250 or so. Not bad!