Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated with picking up coins (and sometimes even dollar bills) from the ground. I remember my brother and I would go down every aisle in a supermarket looking for coins to pay for a pack or two of baseball cards. Now that I am 32, I have certainly outgrown hunting for lost change, right? Nope. Since acceptance is the best stage to live in, I have an admission to make–My name is Kevin and I pick up pennies–even if they are dirty or in a gross location.
How much money can you really find out there? For me, almost $27/year, but I am always looking and have learned to look in “target rich” environments. The best place to look for spare change–in between cars in a parking lot. Coins tend to fall out of your pocket when you sit (especially in a car) and when you get out of your car you sometimes lose a little change. When I go for my fitness walks, my rule is that I will not end my walk until I find at least one penny. All I have to do is check out the nearby apartment complex parking lot if I want to end my walk.
How far have I gone to pick up a coin? I have mortified my family, friends and ex-girlfriend (hey, maybe that is why I am single again 
) by stopping to pick up a penny in puddles, on a boardwalk full of people, and even in a pile of trash. Am I the only crazy one out there? Apparently not. One of the first blogs I came to read (and still is one of my favorites) is written by another coin hunter. My Good Cents keeps a running tab of how much money she has found (I think she is up to about $13) and even tells her readers where she found her loot.
So, am I urging everyone out there to be sure to pick up that penny the next time you pass one by. Absolutely not!! The more pennies you pass by, the more there will be for me to pick up. So, why do I still pick up coins? I do believe that every penny counts and that they all do (sometimes very slowly) add up. Maybe I will be able to retire 3 days earlier due to my coin hunting. Perhaps I will save my found treasure and treat myself to a new toy. Better yet, could my collected coins buy me that elusive winning lottery ticket?
I would like to hear if there are any other penny hunters out there and I urge you to leave a comment with your stories.
This post was featured in the 132nd Festival of Frugality
This post reminds me of an old joke.
A guy walks into a public toilet and sees a dime in toilet. He wants to retrieve the dime but doesn’t want to reach into the nasty toilet. Finally, after a few moments of consideration, he pulls a quarter from his pocket and drops it into the toilet and thinks, “For 10 cents, no, but for 35 cents yes.”
Frank Cs last blog post..
Yah, i don’t pick up pennies, but I really should….. i should be picking up cans and recycling them…. anyhow, i love your theme….. “m m m my stapler.”
“Michael Bolton…is that your real name?”
“I hear you’ve been missing a lot of work lately.” “I wouldn’t say I’ve been missing it Bob!”
haha, love it!
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Thanks for the mention
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I never see pennies on the ground anymore. I heard they are now worth more to keep and melt than to use as currency.
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True, the government loses money by making pennies and nickels.
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Great post! I also pick up change and dollar bills when I find them in the street. I started my blog (the Changepot) three years ago and now we’re over $1022.00 in found money. I personally believe those pennies attract other pennies and denominations- the key is to let go of the social stigma
Congrats on your finds