HERNDON, Va. – Spare change adds up as Northwest Federal Credit Union member Jeff Knight discovered. A member since 1998, Knight who has been collecting coins in five-gallon water bottles for the past nine years has deposited $8,801.31 in change at the credit union's branch here. The record-breaking deposit brought in: 10,416 pennies, 1,851 nickels, 2,861 dimes, 4,828 quarters, 7,639 half dollars and 3,292 silver dollar coins. "I had no idea how much money was actually there," said Knight. "But I was never tempted to use any of it – I just wanted to keep saving, saving." A local news story about a devastating house fire prompted him to bring the coins to his credit union. "I knew it was a lot of money and I wanted to make sure it was safe," he said. The father of two did not immediately know how he would spend the money. He commented that he'd like to take a long weekend from his job as an electrician for a bike ride. "I'd like to pack a duffle bag, get on my bike and ride west." Redeeming the coins took almost two hours and several NWFCU employees stayed late to hear the final total. "We were very excited for Jeff," said Branch Manager Kerry Cavallaro. "He's proof that saving a little each day can be a solid long-term strategy." NWFCU's coin machines are free to members, saving Knight some $792 in fees when compared to other coin counting service kiosks which impose transaction fees of up to 9% of the total deposit.