I bought Piggy at Pier One when I was in high school. He lived in my bedroom, and I filled him with quarters.
For the last twenty years or so, Piggy has resided on a bookcase in our upstairs hall. Cliff’s been feeding him loose change.This piggy bank is loaded! There’s no way to open him up to retrieve the money.
How tempting to take a hammer and liberate all those coins. I could treat Cliff to a beer or two at one of Hillsborough’s watering holes or buy myself a few bars of elegant soap. Maybe both! Better yet, I could donate the coins to our church’s collection for the hungry.
I’m fond of my piggy bank, but he’s not on my Keep Until I Die List. I’ve got other mementos from high school. The downsizing project continues! So smash and retrieve the coins? Or give Piggy away? Let someone else make that difficult decision?
I’ve finally got my answer (I think), but I’d love to hear your suggestions.
Anyone else have a similar downsizing dilemma?
Friend For The Ride 
Try the “Does it spark joy?” test recommended in the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
I am getting good results following her advice…you should see my sock drawer! Of course it’s easier to get rid of unloved socks than a decades old pig.
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I’ve got a post coming up on the book! Love it! It’s helped me enormously. Piggy sparks partial joy, so he’s a tricky one. (But I bet not major joy or I wouldn’t be considering giving him away.) Of course all those quarters inside complicates it a bit!
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Keep it forever! After you are gone, everyone can wonder what you were saving for….could make some good stories!
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Fun idea and close to my actual plan…
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Give it to a grandchild : )
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You guessed it! But I’m going to wait until he’s old enough and let him take on the depth of the dilemma.
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Does the pig still have coins from 40 years ago? A piggy bank that has never been raided? If yes it is a keeper. Sorry not to lighten your load but save the pig!
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No way to raid him. Even if you turn him upside down, the coins just won’t come out.
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What a beautiful, Pig! Why don’t you wrap him up in tissue paper and save him for your beautiful Grandson. He can be the one to break it open when he’s old enough to use a hammer, with parental supervision, of course. Sort of like breaking open a piñata…
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You guessed it. But if he does decide to smash him, I don’t want to be there to watch!
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I like this plan! 🙂
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Give the money to your favorite charity. Give away the pig on this blog!
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Carol, I can’t get the money out. I would have to smash him.
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I’d be tempted to gently tap a pinhole in the bottom with a needle and then try to enlarge it with small nicks and finally get the change out. It would probably work if you taped the entire pig surface, except for the circle you want to open. Maybe I’m dreaming but… Oh, the dilemma.
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Interesting! Just might work!
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Take the money and run!! 🙂
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Piggy, says, “Hey. That’s not nice, Aunt Judy!”
On Mon, May 18, 2015 at 5:52 PM, Friend For The Ride wrote:
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I always used the “Stick a thin knife blade in the slot and guide the coins out” method with my piggy banks. (Obviously, I never amassed much money in them!) Maybe you could keep the money and give the bank to Mazen to fill again himself??
Fondly, Janet
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Good idea. I need to try the knife trick. I did that years ago and I remember it working. Maze would like the bank. He is deep into pigs since he loves Peppa Pig so much.
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Give away intact. I downsized from a one acre yard and a 3200 sq. ft. house to a bus. Document and move on. http://www.mightybus.wordpress.com
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Wow. Amazing! Love to have you write us a post about it!
I am giving more and more away. Just donated some of my old doll items to a charity auction. It gets easier the more you give away. So freeing!
On Thu, May 21, 2015 at 10:08 PM, Friend For The Ride wrote:
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You have so many good ideas here. Your dilemma reminds of the taco bell commercial about Clementine, the piggy bank who fears for her life! (but she had a rubber plug). Your new home looks beautiful.
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I haven’t seen that ad! Thanks on the house!
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