This piece is a reprint from an earlier blog. It is dedicated to my ten-year-old son, whom I am training to be my trust sidekick — Coin-Boy. (He did find 23 cents at our grocery store last week, so his future is promising.)
I possess a secret talent. And no, it’s not the juggling of flaming chainsaws while whistling the Star Spangled Banner. (I’m actually a pretty poor whistler.)
I find coins on the ground.
Wherever. Whenever. Always have and always will.
My parents joke about how I exhibited this talent from the time I was first walking.
On the bus and at the store. Everywhere my little legs took me. Coins. Coins. Coins.
Their theory was that I was low to the ground, and was physically closer to all the riches of dropped money.
But I’m 5’8″ tall now, so that explanation doesn’t exactly hold water. It’s simply part of my nature.
My eyes constantly scan the ground. I’m like a cross between a Marvel super-hero and a secret government robo-something. (Coin-Girl to the rescue!)
I once saw a nurse at work throw a handful of pennies into the garbage. The garbage, people! I was shocked, and surprised that no one else shared my flabbergasted reaction. Unfortunately for me, I have a hard and fast rule that I do not dig through hospital garbage. (If you knew my job, you’d understand.)
What does this have to do with being a Non-Consumer?
Everything.
Some people feel it’s not worth the trouble to bend over for small change.
Wrong. It is so worth it.
All money is precious. Valuing small amounts of money is directly connected to paying attention to life’s small expenditures. And it’s the small outlays of money that you have the most control over.
It matters. It all matters.
Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves.
I think that might have to be the official motto for Coin-girl.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve tagged you I’m afraid – only take part if you want to, but I’d love to read your answers 🙂
http://myzerowaste.com/2008/12/ive-been-tagged-again/
Oooh, I can be your sidekick. I pick up coins all the time too!
My motto can be, “A penny found is a penny earned.”
😉
Every time we help a friend move I make money, ‘cuz I pick up all the loose change I find around the house or apartment when we move the furniture. Tee hee. (Yes I offer it to the person and always get a funny look back.) –Mary
I too always pick up change on the ground. My son is 11 now & if we see it at the same time we will race for it! He has surpassed me though…he finds paper money. Last August we were at an amusement park celebrating his birthday. It was close to closing time & was dark & he started to squeal with delight….he had found a $20 bill laying on the ground…Happy Birthday!
I found $20 twice at the university! My husband called me eagle-eye. I considered the money a gift from God, because we were so poor at the time. When I did laundry for a house full of people, I told them that if I found change in the washer or dryer, it was mine, and no one said anything until one girl left a ten dollar bill in her jeans pocket – which re-emerged in the dry cycle. They were less careless about leaving stuff intheir pockets after that.
I find coins every where (often right off my front porch because there are parking meters in front of the house and they are good for dimes, nickels and the occasional quarter). I think they are “pennies from heaven” tossed down by my mother, who was a thrifty soul.
I’m the same way. I always have a knack for finding quarters, dimes, pennies.. esp at airport securities 😛
My youngest daughter finds money all the time too. I’ll park, she’ll open her door and wham – there’ll be money right there by her. We even opened a special savings account just for the found money (she’s also a real saver) and has accumulated over $250 in about 3 years, which I think is tremendous since this is just found money and all in small coins.
I found a dollar on the ground today and splurged on a 99cent (plus tax, total cost $1.08) chocolate dipped Frosty Freeze at Weinerschniztel. Does that make me a bad person for not saving it?