Exercise pays (literally)!

One year when I was running the NYC marathon I found 20.00 around the 23rd mile mark.... I was joking that I was a "money winner" at NYC! :D

During high school, we would "flick" pennies at each other, so the ground was always littered with them. My senior year, I decided to pick up every coin I found and put it in a jar. I had $82 at the end of the school year. Not bad, eh?

On my way to work one day I was turning to get onto the onramp of the 5 freeway in my VW bus, and thought I saw a paper bill. Turned out it was several paper bills that amounted to $63. I took it easy that day at work!

Since these two experiences, I always pick up every grungy piece of money I see.

Brenda

I was riding along one day when I saw a $20, then another, and another....

then a credit card, a medical card, another credit card, a starbucks card... eventually pretty much the contents on some poor guys wallet. Lucky for him he also had a good stash of his own business cards in there too. I got in contact with his secretary and dropped off all his stuff. He even went back to the spot where it all was and managed to find his drivers license. He'd left the wallet on top of his car after getting gas - never did see the wallet itself, just most of the stuff that was inside.

I found another wallet once before - sadder story there. It had been stolen and tossed out of a car no doubt. I found it and called a phone number that I found inside (turned out to be his daughter's boyfriend) before he even knew that he'd been robbed. At least he got all of his medical cards and stuff back.

Back when I was in college I used to work in the darkrooms (I'm a photographer). If you worked the last shift one of the things you did was turn on all the lights and check all of the rooms for cleanliness and thing that might have been left. I found lots of small change that way - and we did a really good clean down/inventory once a quarter, that would also yield a good change dividend. I seem to remember putting in all in a jar and having about $50 at the end of the year.

If I am riding by myself, I always stop and pick up the change, never have found any dollar bills.. My sister and her DH got me started on doing that when we used to have time to walk once a week. I do see lots of pop/beer cans that could be turned into change. My mom who grew up during the depression picks up any change and you would thought she just won the lottery..and she also will pick up all the above mentioned cans on her walks.

Our found walking and riding money goes in my son's piggy bank. It's about half full now, mostly with pennies but every so often we find bigger stuff.

Thanks for sharing! It's nice to know that I'm not the only one out there.
I, too, find it silly that in our country people pass up money on the road. What we've picked up in discarded/lost change is the monthly or yearly salary for some in third world countries. Oh, what we take for granted here. Mimitabby, I'm with you about how sad it is all the things we throw away here. Others in poor countries would love to have our trash. I haven't bought a new item of clothing in a long time. I'll only buy from the Salvation Army, Goodwill, or resale shops. I just feel too guilty for having new things when my money could be given to others who might need it more (and why buy new when used things can be just as nice).

Let's see, I've found $20 bills on two separate occasions, one $50, some fives and ones, lots of junk jewelry which I intend to make into art "someday" and more drug paraphernalia than I would expect, since I don't use illegal drugs so aren't tuned into that stuff. Oh, and a small bag of pot. Two pocketknives, one in good condition and one ran over. A zippo lighter, many disposable lighters that still work. Dogtags and leashes. A CD case containing somebody's works, :eek:

My best haul was an old lady type wedding band, with many diamonds, which I turned in to a flight attendant immediately. That was somewhere over the Atlantic, going to Europe. I'm good at finding stuff. Unfortunately to have a finding talent you have to have a losing talent, they just go together.

The only thing I have found out on a ride was someone's ATM card. I called the number on the back to report it. It had already been reported lost and they asked me to cut it up and throw it out.

A couple of months ago I found $20 in a snowbank while walking my friend's dogs.

BF once found a $10 floating by in the ocean, then some more bills. Someone must have forgotten to empty their pocket!

When I lived in NYC, I had a window box, and someone left me a painted rock in it, that was really cute. I also found a crack pipe in their, so it really ran the gamut!

Spring is the best time to find money on the street, at least here where the snow covers everything all winter.

I used to go for money walks, and not let myself go home until I'd found a certain amount of change. Now I just pick up every cent I find. I keep the "lucky" money in a special little cedar box from the Grotto of the Redemption, and use some of it whenever I want to do a money spell. Found money is supposed to work better for those.

I did find 20 bucks in Target a few weeks ago, that went into my emergency cash hiding place in my purse, rather than the cedar box. Unfortunately, when I need it, I always forget I have the emergency cash, so I've yet to use it.

Incidentally, I'd picked up a penny earlier in the day before I went to Target. I believe you have to send out the signal that you want money, and then you'll get more. I feel like if the universe gives me a penny and I act like I don't need it, then I am turning down future wealth possibilities.

My friends are amazed when I can find a coin on the sidewalk in the dark. I've trained my eye to see them, just like some people do with four leaf clovers. Once you learn how to see, you can find them anywhere.

:)