Many is the time I've been tempted to show up at a particularly annoying dentist's office or cable company with buckets of pennies to pay my bill and say sayonara. Hey, I may just be dropping off my last deposit at Bank of America this Friday...

Bravo to Charlie Sheen (setting aside, for the moment, his relationship skills and sobriety) for protesting a bill he didn't care to pay -- the $380 his children's pediatrician charged for vaccinations -- by paying in nickels. Sheen was peeved with the doctor for proceeding with immunizing his kids at the behest of ex-wife Denise Richards, and against Sheen's wishes. (The doctor says he'll donate the money to charity, which somehow makes me angry, it's co-opting Sheen's PR stunt.)

As a statement of protest, I think paying in small change is a fantastic way to thumb your nose at the bill while still avoiding collections charges, especially if the person responsible for handling said change has something to do with having stuck you with the bill in the first place. (Showing up at a Verizon store in the mall with 2,000 dimes may not be the best way to protest those exorbitant extra-minute fees.) And if you can get some TV crew or newspaper reporter willing to commit the act to photos? Hey, all the better.

Have you ever paid a bill in small change? Would you?

Inspired by two other Walletpop bloggers who wrote; Mad about gas prices? Light your car on fire! and Mad about gas prices? Go to a dunking booth, I thought I'd weigh in on the subject with my idea. If you're mad about gas prices, stop mowing your lawn!

Although your local municipality might take exception to your sparing the blade, in addition to making a passive gas pricing protest, not cutting your lawn could save you a bundle of money. Consumer Reports states that lawn maintenance costs about $700 per acre, per year. Your grass roots protest might put some green back in your pocket.

If sowing your seeds of discontent puts furrows into the brows of your neighbors, when your grass gets too long you could just get a goat. Although they smell bad, attract flies, and have little regard for what vegetation they eat or don't eat, I can tell you personally that goats manicure a lawn very nicely. The biggest problem with goats though, is that they tend to roam if not well fenced. Be prepared to replace your neighbor's rhododendrons often. Hence the reason our household is now goat-less.