Almost Two Months into 2020: Found Money Status

Well, I've dragged my feet for almost two months before updating my found money blog. It seems like this year is flying by, and each time I think of writing a blog post, I get distracted by something or other (like a cup of coffee or an episode of American Greed or something else equally important). 

So, here we go. My first blog post of this year.

I've been finding plenty of money lately. In fact, I've found two $1 bills. Sometimes it takes me well into the year before I find paper money so this is starting out as a good year for finding money. 

I found one of the bills in line at the grocery store. I watched two people stand there and pay for their stuff until it was my turn. Neither of them picked it up so score! I snapped it right up.

Today I found 15 cents (a nickel and a dime) in a water vending machine. Pretty much every day lately when I go somewhere, I find a few coins.

In all, since the first of the year I've found $9.44! Woo hoo. I also found a Mexican coin.

Mister Tom begged me for some new treats the other day, so I got him some of those stick style deals. Kinda like these. He really likes them.

What about you? Have you found any money recently? Please let us know!

Facts About This Found Money

Denomination:  92 pennies, 80 nickels, 22 dimes, 14 quarters, 2 $1 bills, 1 Mexican coin

Year:  too many to mess with

U.S. Mint:  same

Condition:  shiny to tarnished

Total Found Money in 2020 to Date:  $9.44

Tourist Found Money

Lately I've been finding a lot of quarters and more change lying around on the floor of stores. I think it's from tourists in a hurry to beat the heat and go camping or hiking or whatever they're doing as they drive through town.

I've found several quarters  in various vending machines:  water vending machines and newspaper vending machines mostly. I've also found money on the floor of stores and in parking lots, etc. The usual places. 

So, since I last posted, I've found a bunch of change. $3.44 worth! That's pretty good for a couple of weeks' worth. I also found a Rwanda coin marked 50. Cool! This is the first time I've found a coin from that country.

Have you found any coins or bills recently? Do tell!

Facts About This Found Money
Denomination:  9 pennies, 3 nickels, 6 dimes, 10 quarters, 1 Rwanda coin (50)
Year:  too many to mess with
U.S. Mint:  same
Condition:  shiny to tarnished 

Total Found Money in 2016 to Date:  $23.13

Found Money Blog: $1.20 Found

The past week I found $1.20 in change. The big whoop was finding two quarters in the change return tray of a water machine. They were stuck way at the back. Score!

I think it's funny that I've already passed up my found money total for 2011, when I only found $4.91 all year. Weird. I must have had my eyes closed that year.

Facts About This Found Money
Denomination:  15 pennies, 1 nickel, 5 dimes, 2 quarters
Year:  too many to mess with
U.S. Mint:  same
Condition:  shiny to tarnished 

Total Found Money in 2016 to Date:  $5.91

Found $100+ in a Purse... But I Didn't Keep It

Tonight on my walk, I found a purse. Well, this was unusual, let me tell you! I have found a couple of wallets before but never an entire purse. It was near a bank in some rocks. Being nosy, I opened it to see if there was an ID inside. I didn't find one but I did see that the wallet had more than $100 in it! Boy, was that tempting!

I didn't keep it though. As I was walking home, I saw a sheriff's car in a shopping center parking lot. So I took the purse to the deputy. She took my information and said she'd try to locate the owner. We had the little "if it were my purse, I'd want someone to turn it in" conversation.

So, I'm back home and just got a call from the deputy who told me that the woman's purse was stolen earlier today and the thief had taken a few things from it but obviously not everything! Like the money! Very strange.

I'm glad I returned it because frankly it was eating at me just walking around with it for the 20 minutes or so I had it. 

I would make a terrible criminal.

But I did find a quarter in a change tray of a water machine on my walk. My reward! In the past week I've found a total of 75 cents. 

The moral of the story:  Just turn in the damned purse (or wallet) and sleep better at night.

Facts About This Found Money
Denomination:  5 pennies, 1 nickel, 4 dimes, 1 quarter
Year:  too many to mess with
U.S. Mint:  same
Condition:  shiny to tarnished
Total Found Money in 2015 to Date:  $96.59

Jackpot! Found $1.92 Today

Today I ran some errands and found $1.38:

• 4 quarters
• 3 dimes
• 1 nickel
• 3 pennies

Then this evening I braved the heat and took a walk. I found another 54 cents! That makes $1.92 that I found today. 

I found these coins all over the place:

• in the street
• in two change trays (a water machine and a soda machine)
• in some rocks near a Starbucks
• in several parking lots, a fast food place and a shopping center
• at a gas station

So, this windfall puts me over the $35 mark for 2015 so far! 

Have you found any money recently? Let us know!

Facts About This Found Money
Denomination:  7 pennies, 1 nickel, 3 dimes, 6 quarters
Year:  too many to mess with
U.S. Mint:  same
Condition:  shiny to tarnished, one quarter is beat up pretty good
Total Found Money in 2015 to Date:  $35.36

Found a Token and 21 Cents

Today I rode my bike and found a token that has MC on it and 21 cents! I'm not sure what the MC stands for, but I saw it in the street so stopped and picked it up. I thought it was a quarter. Oh well.

I found the coins (6 pennies, a nickel, and a dime) in these places:

• in the street
• in a parking lot
• in a change tray of a water vending machine
• in a coffee drive through

Facts About This Found Money
Denomination:  6 pennies, 1 nickel, 1 dime
Year:  pennies:  too many to mess with; nickel:  2013; quarter:  2007
U.S. Mint:  pennies:  ditto; nickel and dime:  both D
Condition:  range from tarnished to shiny and some pennies are dinged up
Total Found Money in 2015 to Date:  $9.54

Found Money Blog: 27 Cents!

Today I took a walk and found 27 cents! First I found a penny under a water vending machine then a quarter in the same vending machine change tray. Then I found a penny in a parking lot.

Facts About This Found Money
Denomination:  2 pennies, 1 quarter
Year:  pennies:  1995, 2013; quarter:  2006
U.S. Mint:  D, D, D
Condition:  tarnished, shiny
Total Found Money in 2015 to Date:  $8.94

Found 4 Pennies While Running Errands

Today I was out all afternoon running errands. I found 4 pennies. Here's where:

• First I found a penny in the parking lot of the post office. 

• Then I found a penny in the gutter of the street. 

• Next I found a penny at a gas station under a water vending machine.

• I spotted the last penny out my car window while I was stopped at a red light. I unbuckled my seatbelt and hopped out and got it in plenty of time. I was all buckled back in by the time the light turned green. Yay!

I posed them next to some patches I bought today.

Facts About This Found Money
Denomination:  4 pennies
Year:  pennies:  ?, 1999, 2014, 2014
U.S. Mint:  ?, all the rest D
Condition:  2 are very shiny, 2 from the street are dinged up
Total Found Money in 2015 to Date:  $1.27

Found 11 Cents Today on a Bike Ride

Today was a gorgeous day, nice and sunny. The air was brisk but warm with the sun shining. So, I took a bike ride on my new bike.

To add to my found money jar, I found 11 cents!

First I found a penny in a shopping center parking lot then I found a dime on a sidewalk next to a water vending machine. I rode twice as far as I usually walk, so I think I got in about 4 or 5 miles. It was great!

Are you planning a new year's eve or day get together? Here are some ideas for cheese and fruit pairings that are light and delicious!

Golden State Fruit Cheese and Nuts Delight Fruit Basket, 5 Pound

Update:  This evening I went to Fresh and Easy and found two pennies on the floor of the store. Yay! That brings today's found money total to 13 cents.

Facts About This Found Money
Denomination:  3 pennies, 1 dime
Year:  pennies:  1969, 1990, 2004; dime:  2006
U.S. Mint:  D, none, D, D
Condition:  penny tarnished, dime shiny
Total Found Money in 2014 to Date:  $46.59

Found 4 Pennies Today at a Water Vending Machine

Today I was at a shopping center and spotted four pennies in the area where you put your water bottle in one of those water vending machines. I personally use a water filter pitcher but was happy someone used this machine and left me some  coins to find!

How about you? Have you found any money to tell us about?

Facts About This Found Money
Denomination:  4 pennies
Year:  1982, 1992, 2007, 2014
U.S. Mint:  D, none, D, D
Condition:  shiny, tarnished
Total Found Money in 2014 to Date:  $36.16

I am Two Dimes and a Penny Richer

This morning I went "big grocery shopping." All that means is I actually made a list and bought enough stuff that I had to actually use a cart instead of one of those tote thingies as I shopped. 

Anyway, I found a penny on the floor by a checkout lane and as I was leaving the store I found a dime on the floor and then I found another dime in a water dispensing machine. Yay!

Facts About This Found Money

Denomination:  1 penny, 2 dimes
Year:  penny:  2014; dimes:  1997, 2006
U.S. Mint:  D, D, D
Condition:  all are nice and shiny
Total Found Money in 2014 to Date:  $25.85

Happy Mother's Day and Found 52 Cents

Today two of my grandkids came to see me for mother's day. It was great! We just goofed off, watching cartoons, playing on the iPad, then we took a short walk. They each found two cents! Since they found it and took it home, that four cents doesn't count for my found money blog. 

But later, I took a walk and found all of this change! 52 cents!

Here's where:

• a gas station
• a drive through
• on a sidewalk
• in a water vending machine
• in the street

Hope you all had a happy mother's day!

This Found Money Facts:

Denomination:  12 pennies, 1 nickel, 1 dime, 1 quarter
Year:  too lazy to check
U.S. Mint:  ditto
Condition:  range from shiny to tarnished
Total Found Money to Date in 2014:  $19.16

Found 21 Cents Today on a Walk

Today the weather was wonderful--cool and breezy. I took a sort of long walk and on the way to the grocery store, I found a penny in a bank drive through (yes, I take lots of detours on my walks!). 

Then at the store I went ahead and bought one of the small watermelons that were on sale for a dollar each. I had to carry the sucker home so tried to pick one of the smallest ones. It wasn't bad carrying it though. Gotta love weight-bearing exercise!

As I left the store I checked two vending machines that dispense water (I don't get that! Just buy a water pitcher and do it at home!), and I found two dimes! So, I found 21 cents today!

This Found Money Facts:

Denomination:  1 penny, 2 dimes
Year:  2003, 1999, 2003
U.S. Mint:  D, D, D
Condition:  shiny to tarnished
Total Found Money to Date in 2014:  $17.81