To prepare for my current column at Get Rich Slowly, “25 ways to give (without breaking the bank),” I counted my found money collection. From last December through yesterday, I’ve picked up $13.24 in singles and coins.
Here’s the surprising part: $5.60 of that amount was in dimes. As many as 56 people didn’t bother picking up the 10-cent pieces they dropped. I routinely see dimes in those “need a penny, take a penny” cups at cash registers, too.
Maybe some shoppers added the dimes by mistake, and maybe those who dropped coins didn’t always realize it.
Maybe they just didn’t consider it a big deal — or maybe they were too embarrassed to pick the money back up.