What's my secret? I'm a pick-up artist. I pick up change... From the ground, even!
Honestly, it doesn't matter where I find it, either: Around the self check-out at the grocery, walking down streets or hallways. I nearly always find change when I'm outside. It used to be a contest between myself & the other ladies I walked with, to see who could find the most on our treks.
Financial Guy is not always amused by my obsession. Once, when we were running, I found a pile of pennies near a community college. They had either been carrying out a science experiment or playing some weird adult beverage consumption game... not that I would know anything about such madness. That said, I stopped and picked up every last one of those pennies. With no less than 50 pennies in my pocket (no exaggerations here), I sounded more like Santa's reindeer in full harness regalia, than an effortless runner.
I kid you not that if I find a quarter in a public toilet, I'm going in after it. Right after fishing said quarter out of the john, however, I'm washing my hands like I'm a lead surgeon and I'm using hand sanitizer. My germophobe friends will never touch anything I touch, again.
Go ahead, gag if you must. However, in my opinion, the money on the ground is no more or less dirty than the money you were just given from the cash register. My latest way to score change is to look for it in the drive thru of fast food restaurants. Do you know how many people drop their change and LEAVE IT?! What the heck?! Recently, I found 87 cents in the drive-thru, which prompted this joke at my school: When I go to a fast food restaurant, after coupons and finding money in the drive-thru, they pay ME-- which is the way it oughta be, ain't it?!
If you really have issues with picking it up and keeping it, don't! Leave it for me or pick it up and drop it in the charity collection buckets at the window. I promise places like The Ronald McDonald House don't give a rip where your change has been-- it spends just the same. Have fun, get your hands dirty, & save on friends
Posts
I used to put my "Dirty Money" in a wine jug. I started doing this sometime during high school. I would dip into it sometimes for gas money, but I emptied it while preparing for my wedding. I had saved enough money over the years to pay for all of my bridesmaids gifts.
ReplyDeleteWOW!! Such a great idea! That's fantastic! I've had a 'penny jar' over the years, but LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the idea of saving change for something bigger! When I was in college, a sorority collected enough pennies so that when placed end-to-end, they'd stretch a mile. That's $844.80, if you're doing the math, by the way (which --for the record-- I did not). :) Save on!!
ReplyDeleteWe pick up change also and clean out pockets and change purse nearly daily and then when we go on vacation we have spending money. It is amazing how fast it can add up.
ReplyDeleteI really should stay committed to doing that more often! However, I do have an old coffee can that I throw coins in-- especially when I find "tips" in the washer or dryer. :)
ReplyDelete