Author Topic: A dollar is a dollar, right?  (Read 7488 times)

happy

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A dollar is a dollar, right?
« on: July 10, 2014, 04:12:33 AM »
This is pretty minor badassity,  but here goes.
I read somewhere about someone who was always on the look out for money fallen on the ground: they reckoned they did pretty well picking up coins.

Our shopping centre has shopping trolleys that you have to put either $1 or $2 coins in, in order to use then, then take the coin out when you are finished.  I keep my eyes open and not infrequently there's a vacant trolley still with a coin in it. I guess its a bit like dumpster diving - no-one wants to be seen taking the money out.

I scored $1 coin for the last three consecutive grocery shops :).

Mountains mama

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2014, 05:34:30 AM »
Indeed. My 8 year old has already worked that one out and actively looks for trolleys on our walk to town.

EarlyRetirementGuy

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2014, 05:35:13 AM »
$1 for 5 seconds of work? Sounds awesome to me!

AlanStache

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #3 on: July 10, 2014, 05:50:40 AM »
David Sedaris writes about trying to make a living right after college by looking for money and things of value on the ground in public.  Did not work out.  But no reason this could not add a few extra bucks to your pocket. 

ltt

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #4 on: July 10, 2014, 06:54:31 AM »
Yes, it will add up in the long run.  We've always kept loose change and then cashed it in later.  You'd be surprised at the amount of money one can save up this way.

MgoSam

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #5 on: July 10, 2014, 08:51:36 AM »
To tweak a favorite Ben Franklin quote, A dollar found is a dollar saved!

EarlyRetirementGuy

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #6 on: July 10, 2014, 09:22:33 AM »
This reminds me of a great story I remember reading, cant remember where it was though. Essentially it was a girl talking to her friend and her friend asked why she bothered picking up loose change she found on the floor when she had a well paying job?

The lady replied with 'imagine how i'd feel if I lost my job and became homeless knowing that i'd literally ignored free money before'.

runfromwork

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #7 on: July 10, 2014, 12:51:29 PM »
I've been picking up change/bills of the ground forever, but starting tracking it in 2008 (yes, very nerdy).  The lowest amount I have found in a given year was $63 and the highest was $118.  I take all the coins/bills I find and put them into a jar at home, once a year I empty the jar and deposit into a bank account earmarked for this purpose.  There is currently $517 in the account and about $30 in the jar for 2014.  Not sure what I'll do with this, but it is a fun game.

FYI - I walk/run/bike almost everywhere I go and live in a big city.  I also take public transportation a lot.  I am confronted with money on the ground every day because of this.

AH013

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #8 on: July 10, 2014, 02:07:29 PM »
This reminded me of a badass event of a similar nature at the airport.  I forget what country I was in, but they had a similar return value for bringing back a luggage cart.  I found an abandoned one on my way into the customs line, and was bringing it to the cart return for what I thought was maybe 0.25 euro, my wife being embarrassed that I would do this for "a few cents".

In front of me was an airport employee who had also had to gather up like 8 carts to bring back to the cart machine as well.  He put his 8 in, with a whole euro popping into the coin return slot for each one, then looked at me with a smile and said he wasn't allowed to actually take the money (since he was already being paid to collect the carts I guess).  So I jammed my cart in, and pick up 9 euro for my troubles!  At the time worth like $15, and very much an awesome return on my 2 minutes of trouble.

I remember walking back to my wife jingling the 9 euro in her face, her in amazement.  She's never said anything since about me grabbing stray carts, picking up change off the ground, looking in coinstars (find some silver coins every once in a while), etc.

southern granny

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #9 on: July 10, 2014, 06:59:40 PM »
I pick up change and also discarded scratch off  tickets and gift cards.  I have found winning lottery tickets for $1, $3, and $20 dollars.  Last week, I picked up a movie gift card and when I got home, looked it up on-line, it still has $5.50 cents on it.  My daughter enters the losing scratch offs on line for rewards, but I don't think she has gotten anything yet.

happy

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #10 on: July 10, 2014, 11:42:04 PM »
To tweak a favorite Ben Franklin quote, A dollar found is a dollar saved!

Not directly related  to this quote but for some reason it made me realise a dollar found is better than dollar earned. I'd have to earn $1.39 to get a dollar.

lexie2000

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #11 on: July 11, 2014, 10:58:41 AM »
To tweak a favorite Ben Franklin quote, A dollar found is a dollar saved!

Not directly related  to this quote but for some reason it made me realise a dollar found is better than dollar earned. I'd have to earn $1.39 to get a dollar.

That's what I've always said about the value of using manufacturer's coupons.  I can clip a $1 coupon and use it just as I would a $1 bill that we had to earn way more than a dollar to earn. 

4alpacas

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #12 on: July 11, 2014, 12:16:30 PM »
To tweak a favorite Ben Franklin quote, A dollar found is a dollar saved!

Not directly related  to this quote but for some reason it made me realise a dollar found is better than dollar earned. I'd have to earn $1.39 to get a dollar.
This is a good reminder about the value of finding a dollar.  I'm going to be more diligent in my coin hunting.

seanc0x0

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #13 on: July 11, 2014, 02:32:45 PM »
Apparently you can make good money (in certain places) picking stuff off the ground.  Of course, this is from the Daily Mail, so there's no chance there's any exaggeration in the article from such a trusted news source (/s)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2005817/New-York-man-makes-500-week-gold-pavement-cracks.html

socaso

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #14 on: July 12, 2014, 12:11:43 PM »
I find coin change all over my workplace and I put it in my kid's piggybank. I figure when he gets old enough to care about money he'll have a tiny little 'stache to work with.

theconcierge

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #15 on: July 12, 2014, 07:51:19 PM »
I bought a $149 metal detector and usually take it with me when the kids go to the park. I usually will nab about $20 in coins while they play :)


marty998

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #16 on: July 12, 2014, 08:09:39 PM »
I bought a $149 metal detector and usually take it with me when the kids go to the park. I usually will nab about $20 in coins while they play :)

Pretty decent return on investment for you :)

I found $2 on the train yesterday. Used to think "how could you not hear the clink as it hits the ground" but in this day and age with everyone using headphones I can see how it happens.

Wile E. Coyote

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #17 on: July 12, 2014, 08:50:01 PM »
To tweak a favorite Ben Franklin quote, A dollar found is a dollar saved!

Not directly related  to this quote but for some reason it made me realise a dollar found is better than dollar earned. I'd have to earn $1.39 to get a dollar.

Technically, the dollar found is taxable, so you still need to find $1.39.:)

Michael792

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #18 on: July 12, 2014, 10:00:11 PM »
To tweak a favorite Ben Franklin quote, A dollar found is a dollar saved!

Not directly related  to this quote but for some reason it made me realise a dollar found is better than dollar earned. I'd have to earn $1.39 to get a dollar.

Technically, the dollar found is taxable, so you still need to find $1.39.:)

Depends how much you make. At least in the US, there's a threshold at which you have to report side income. That way, if you pick up a penny on the ground, you don't have to report it.

happy

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Re: A dollar is a dollar, right?
« Reply #19 on: July 12, 2014, 11:06:46 PM »

[/quote]

Technically, the dollar found is taxable, so you still need to find $1.39.:)
[/quote]

I don't think that it is Down Under.