As regular readers know, I’m always on the lookout for lost change. All year long I save what I find, and the following January I count the found money, round up the total and donate the funds to a food charity.
This wound up being a decent year. In addition to the specie, I found a $10 bill and DF contributed $8 from his occasional survey-taking with the Nielsen* Company. His theory is that as a retiree, he isn’t looking for work. But occasionally work looks for him, in the form of surveys. Therefore, it is “found” money.
Whatever works. I just want to plump up the total, because it’s getting really scary out there, food-wise. As all of you already know.
For years I’ve donated the found money to Feeding America or to the Food Bank of Alaska. More recently I’ve been sending the dough to the church I grew up in. That’s because the Fairton United Methodist Church, like so many other houses of worship, is making food baskets for locals who have more month than money.
It makes my heart hurt to know that these (mostly) elder parishioners are struggling. I sent money last November, and the woman who runs the project told me she used it for oatmeal, spaghetti, sauces, peanut butter, jelly, tuna, soups and sloppy Joe mix.
This current found money probably won’t go as far, due to price increases. But it’s something.
Found money: The totals
In 2022 I found $18.04, which was much better than the previous year’s take of just $5.88. In 2023, the take amounted to $23.27. Here’s how that broke down:
Greenbacks: One $10 bill and eight $1 bills (Nielsen pays in actual greenbacks vs. checks)
Quarters: 10
Dimes: 16
Nickels: 10
Pennies: 67
I’m rounding that up to $100. While not princely, it will help a little. I hate to think of people having to choose between heating and eating.
Drama in the found-money world
A couple of months ago, while trying to put the rice sock back on the dresser in the dark, I knocked over the vase. The resulting crash did not sound promising. When I turned on the light I saw that the vase now looked like this:
And yep, I cried a few real tears. That vase means something to me. My daughter got it for me when she was a little girl, after I gave her permission to visit a neighbor’s yard sale. It was in the free box, and she was so proud of her find. For years now I’ve been using it for my found funds.
Fortunately DF had some ceramic glue in his workshop, because of course he did. While a couple of chips couldn’t be fixed, the vase as a whole is whole.
Now that it’s empty once more, I’ll be watching for coins on floors, sidewalks, vending machines and the return slots of Coinstar kiosks. That penny or dime might not matter to everyone, but it matters to the hungry.
Readers: Who still picks up loose change? And what do you do with it?
*Radio, not television. We don’t own a TV.
Related reading:
Just counted it up last wk.
$1.99. Then found a penny. It’s mostly pennies and dimes this year. It will go to one of our local food banks this year, either for food
or shampoo.
I didn’t do so well last year, found money-wise: only $1.54. (In 2022, it was $2.32 — still awful.) Compounded by seeing change while we were using the drive-thru at fast food (I couldn’t get out in time, and Husband refused) and during TSA security at the airport. (The guard was standing on several coins!) Frustrating…
I add misc money from the washing machine and other sidelines to the ‘found’ money to get ‘angel’ giftcards (usually grocery stores). At Christmas time, I’ll mail these anonymously to people we know who need a little encouragement — and help.
Katy at Nonconsumer Advocates is a big change picker-upper:
https://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/the-found-change-challenge-total-for-2023-was/
Thanks for the link. I’ll go check it out.
As recently noted at both The Frugal Girl and The Non-Consumer Advocate, my 2023 “underground economy” totals were $428.20 in NY State bottle/can deposits and $24.86 in found change, both personal bests.
Finding $9 in bills and a lot of Canadian coins–usually accepted at U.S. face value here–definitely helped with the found change total. And if NY State ever gets around to raising the container deposit from 5 to 10 cents, I will definitely have me a side hustle!
I tend to treat my “underground economy” money as my thrifting hoard. But I do make an annual donation to my local food bank as one of my charitable donations from my IRA. I’m well aware of the hunger problem.
Using found money at a thrift shop is SUPER-frugal. Hat tip!
Oh yeah I do! Just yesterday while my husband was pumping gas I jumped out of the car and retrieved a penny I spotted. I have my husband picking up change now too. I haven’t been totaling it for the year but I think I will start. I just checked and I have 21 cents for the month so far.
Sorry about your vase but glad it’s repaired. I so cherish my items like that one. I would have cried too
I do. But I don’t segregate it. This past year I donated a pretty good amount to a local church who feeds and closed those struggling in our community. I did several high paying focus groups and secret shops. Like your partner I no longer look for work sometimes it finds me. I donated about what I earned this year.
You’re very kind. To those of you who didn’t see this the first time it ran, here’s a “Meet A Reader” about Ro:
https://donnafreedman.com/meet-a-reader-roinrocketcity/
I seldom find change and too often it is welded to the ice, so summer is about the only time I score. I do, however, find weird clothing items on the snowy sidewalks of our neighborhood. Underpants, a sock, a mitten, a sneaker…all have appeared near my house in the winter. At Safeway I have found food on the bottom shelf of grocery carts, like apples and potatoes. None of those do any good for the hungry or homeless (although I did make applesauce from the frozen apples and mashed potatoes). I do donate to our food bank, but as you may remember from past comments, I give toilet paper because that is something public assistance won’t cover and food banks seldom have.
I no longer pick up change because of mobility issues. When I first had to stop the bending and stooping, I pictured a small child finding it and feeling rich. But nowadays I always hope that it is picked up by someone who can use it for their own needs or saves it as you do. However, I do donate very regularly to one or two of our local free pantries in town (They call them Blessing Boxes here.) and I add to the grocery budget of a family member who is having a tough time right now. I hate to think of anyone at all going to bed hungry. They don’t have to be full of steak and caviar, but everyone deserves to have food to eat.
I pick up spare change, too. It usually just kind of goes into the general fund. However, we have a line item in our budget for charitable donations, and our local food bank gets a few bucks from us every month. Once you’ve been food-insecure (or just plain hungry), you never forget.
I love this yearly article! So cheerful/uplifting, I can’t find the right word….
And everyone is so creative with their finds/funding and donations.
I was late to the counting party on this one, as I lost my job due to companywide workforce reductions early December – but, thankfully, due to my healthy emergency fund, did not have to use my “found” money to live off of while I was out of work for 7 weeks – which included Christmas! My found monies came to $15.43 last year – and will use it on the local Humane Society wish list items.
I have since found work, and very thankful for that as well; as this only turned out to be a “speed bump” in my retirement goals!!
Yikes! Glad you’re gainfully employed once more.
And Cheryl is another example of “Meet A Reader”:
https://donnafreedman.com/meet-a-reader-cheryl-from-florida/
Um, I’m not sure how to phrase this, but something about this post and the responses is really nagging at me, so I’m going to try. Do y’all give other money to the Food Banks as well? As honorable as your intentions may be, these tiny amounts don’t offer much balm for those in need.
According to Feeding America, as little as $1 can provide materials for five meals. So I think even tiny amounts can make a difference — especially when LOTS of people are donating tiny amounts.