Take a Penny/Leave a Penny Day (August 8th)

Quick facts
When is it?	Every August 8th
Tagged as:	Helping Others Life & Living Money & Finance
What's the hashtag?	#TakeaPenny/LeaveaPennyDay
We first published this page on:	Jun 25th, 2025
We last updated this page:	Jun 25th, 2025

Contents

At many convenience stores, you’ll spot a little tray marked “Take a Penny, Leave a Penny.” This clever setup helps people avoid breaking larger bills just for a cent or two.

Some folks drop in their extra pennies; others take one when they’re short. Take a Penny/Leave a Penny Day honors this small but helpful habit that turns spare change into shared good.

The day reminds us how even tiny gestures can lift daily stress. One person adds a penny without a second thought.

Later, someone else saves time or effort by using it. No one keeps track, but it works because people trust each other. It’s a quiet, everyday way to give without fuss or fanfare—and that’s what makes it stick.

How to Celebrate Take a Penny/Leave a Penny Day

Honoring this day means celebrating everyday kindness through spare coins at checkout counters.

Add a Few Coins

Visit any store with a penny tray. Drop in one or two spare cents. You make someone’s change smoother without a thought.

Every cent left might save the next customer from breaking a big bill. It’s a fast way to offer help without saying a word.

Organize a Coin Drive

Ask friends or colleagues to collect pennies this week. Deliver them to local businesses to refill empty trays.

You’d be surprised how many coins people forget in jars. When gathered, they create a ripple of small, helpful moments.

Make Penny Art

Gather cents and glue them into shapes or phrases on cardboard. Display your work in a shop or community board to raise awareness.

It turns spare change into conversation. Even a simple heart or smiley face can grab attention.

Share on Social Media

Snap a tray with added cents and post it online. Use a friendly message to inspire followers to do the same. Mention the day in your post to spread the word.

Little actions become habits when they get noticed.

Teach a Kid the Habit

Take a child shopping. Show them how to drop pennies in a tray. They learn to give without being asked. Later, they may pass it along to someone else.

Carry a Pocket Jar

Keep extra pennies in your bag. Whenever you see a tray with a few coins, add some. That habit can help dozens of strangers. You stay ready to give in the smallest way.

History of Take a Penny/Leave a Penny Day

Take a Penny/Leave a Penny Day celebrates the quiet kindness found in the smallest corners of everyday life.

Long before debit cards and apps ruled checkout counters, people used penny trays to help each other make exact change.

These trays popped up in local stores across the U.S. during the early 1900s, when pennies still held more value. Shopkeepers or cashiers would leave a few extra cents near the register.

If a customer came up short by a penny or two, they could take what they needed. If someone had a few cents to spare, they’d drop them in.

This simple habit made transactions smoother and spread a sense of shared help, without any fuss or thanks required.

The official day to honor this practice was added to the calendar much later. August 8 became known as Take a Penny/Leave a Penny Day, although no single group or person claims to have started it.

Over time, the day gained attention through websites and community efforts that promoted small acts of generosity. The focus isn’t on the money itself, but what it represents—quiet cooperation among strangers.

Even now, in a world filled with quick swipes and self-checkouts, that little dish of pennies still reminds people to give just a little when they can.