I was 8 so the presents were much cooler to see then the return of my parents. They got my sister a hula outfit, some macadamia chocolates and other trinkets I can’t remember. For me, they brought back real shark teeth, trinkets of every tourist destination and a bank. Unfortunately, this was just a piggy bank. However, not your normal piggy bank. This was a Dole Pineapple Can piggy bank. All it really was was an empty Dole Pineapple can with a slit in the top where I could insert money into without opening unless I had a can opener. Budgets may be sexy, but I think this was and still is probably the brightest invention for a savings account EVER.

Mind you, I was your average run of the mill kid. I don’t think I quite understood how my parents popped the Corona bottles open with that piece of metal called a bottle opener and I don’t think I had the hang of the can opener down yet either. Pretty much, I was no boy scout or MacGyver when it came to random household tools which was probably a good thing with the Coronas. But I digress. This Dole Pineapple can piggy bank was exactly the thing I needed to learn how awesome it was to save money.

With all of the mumbo-jumbo adults were throwing around about saving my $5 weekly allowance, I became lost and uninterested in the value of saving. There were just too many baseball cards to be purchased and candy to be eaten. However, for some odd reason, I caught on to this piggy bank idea. I was able to here the change and feel the weight of my money “growing” within the can. I started seeing the results of hard work and saving a small bit here and there. The can took a hold of my financial mindset and started building all of these ideas of what it could become. My financial plans were able to be significant rather than just a small weekly sum.

The piggy bank can became the greatest financial tool to me and, to this day, I think it is one of the most capable finance changing options out there. Why you ask? Let me explain…

4 Kick A** Reasons for Owning a Dole Pineapple Can Piggy Bank

1. You can’t open it. Well, you obviously can open it with a can opener. However, it is somewhat like the freeze-your-credit-cards idea. You are more likely to not pull from the can if you have some sort of restraint of easy access.
2. It’s dark in there. How much is in my can? Who cares. Just keep filling it until you can’t put another dime in the darn thing. You can’t spend what you don’t know you have (P.S. DON’T USE CREDIT CARDS)
3. Emergency Fund – My Way. Who is to say an emergency fund needs to sit in a bank. What if I just to it my way? How about that.
4. I can feel it. Personally, having physical connections to things makes it more real. The same goes for money. If I feel the weight of the can not growing, I will focus more on it. I can’t do that with my online bank account.

The Dole Pineapple Can piggy bank may sound childish to you. However, I think $20,000 in credit card debt is stupid (Here we go with the name calling…). At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how you get to be financially free. It is just that you do it.

P.S. If anyone can find me a new (clean!) Dole Pineapple Piggy Bank online, I will reward you greatly. Not sure how yet, but I will do so.

David Damron
LifeExcursion