Here's a sure-fire way to save money.

• Take an opaque jar or tube.
• Put a hole in the top.
• Put the jar somewhere where you are often. Ours is right by our desk.
• When you empty your pockets, put the spare change in the jar.
• When the jar gets full, take it to a change machine, like they have by the checkout in some supermarkets or to Commerce Bank's "Penny Arcade."
• Convert the change to cash.
• Deposit the cash in your back account.

Wow! Genius! Sometimes life's solutions are hidden in plain view. We dismiss them out of hand saying, oh, that's simple.

Well, there's a difference between saying, "Oh that's simple," and actually doing it. You may understand how to do it, but have you done it? Do it, smartypants! — BEN POPKEN