The new year is upon us, which means it's time add up my found change for the previous year. I've been doing this Found Change Challenge since 2011, a year that filled my jar with an extra $23.77. Sadly, times have changed. (Yes, pun intended.) People carry less cash with every passing year, plus there's the issue of shopping less at brick and mortar stores, which all results in few coins falling to the ground.
My jar for 2025 added up to a paltry $4.37, which included zero "folding money." Not as much as 2014 when I found $37.90, but still better than a swift kick to the tuchus. Either way, it's free money and that's always welcome.
The grand total for all found money is $291.25, which is kind of an impressive number. Not enough to overthrow a foreign nation, but still might get you a weekend at the Oregon coast. Free money is worth the effort.
Have you been saving your found change?
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."
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Your overall total is impressive! I found $21.15 last year but that included a $20 bill found in the summer. Not really a cash society here near Berkeley, CA nor do I shop much as DH does the grocery shopping. I have low expectations for this year
That is some fun, diligent record-keeping. I found most of my change this year in the washer or dryer, as my husband forgets to check his pockets. Only a few pennies were found on the ground this year.
When I look at the way my teens spend their money (absolutely zero cash of any kind), I get it. They are all debit or cash transfers apps between friends (e.g. if someone covers the bill, you Venmo them, etc). Both teens get paid in cash for tips at work on occasion, and even then, they ask me to drop that off at the bank & put it in their account so "they can spend it". 😉 I don't even carry cash, so I can relate.
Found three pennies yesterday in the Target checkout and I thought of you! 🙂 It's interesting seeing the numbers of your found change challenge over the years. WOW to 2016!!!!! That was an impressive haul for sure.
I definitely keep an eye out for spare change when we go shopping or for an outing, but unfortunately it yields very little for me. I'd be very curious to see how much my total would be! We usually drop our change into a purse or onto a desk where it gets mixed up with change from a rare cash purchase. Every so often I'll gather up what I can find and use it towards a grocery purchase. Last week when I used a Christmas gift card for our groceries I started with "can we do... $1.19 in cash? And then the rest on a card?" I have an old hard shell glasses case that was laying around and holds small amounts of change perfectly so I think I'll keep using it for rounding up my change!
Along with K D, I posted mine in a comment to the previous post--but here they are again anyway: $40.08 in found change (the $20 and $10 bills I found in the middle of a street in May definitely helped here) and $304.90 in NY State deposit container returns. (For the record, I don't count the deposits on soda and beer I buy for myself. These are all "found objects.")
And the neighbor on the other side of NDN1 gave me a bag full of containers that came to $5.35. This gave the anemic January total to date (can't go bottlepicking with 2 feet of snow on the ground!) a considerable boost.
When I used to walk with my dad in the early mornings when visiting, they lived off of a very busy street with a lot of fast food restaurants. Some of them didn't open until later in the morning, so I'd always detour through the drive-thru and I think I found coins every single time. I just would come home and put them in his garage coin jar. A good memory. Now I still pick up coins of course, and used to say this is luck for a good chemo day for my brother when I'd find a dime (what I considered a sign for some reason). I'd take a pic and send it his way. Damn pancreatic cancer. Now I just say this is for a good chemo day for someone... Not sure why I always consider it a sign, but I do. And a sign of what?
I walk 4 miles a day. I take a detour & often find coins in the drive thru lane also at fast food places. I found 3 dimes on the floor at Walmart today. Sometimes I find coins on the pavement when I walk. Sometimes I find change on ground at gas pumps when I go to fill up. I found around 20 dollars in change for 2025. While I am walking I might as well look for money.
I don't track my found change. It's likely less than $1.00 per year. More than anything, I find elastic hair bands and empty poop bags. I use the hair bands in place of rubber bands.
Mine was $6.82 thanks to a $5 bill I found under a picnic table. No quarters were among the coins I picked up either. Mostly pennies, then dimes and a few nickels. It's not much but it's money I wouldn't have had I not bothered to pick it up so I'm pretty happy about it.
My neighborhood has a lot of retail and foot traffic, but, you’re correct, that fewer people have cash to drop on the ground. I managed to find $4.72 in coins, a $20 bill in the Fred Meyer parking lot, and $275 in bills in a sock at the bins. The folding money happened in the last month of the year. Before that, I was excited to find anything bigger than a dime!
The only change I find on occasion is when I clean out my purse.
So not exactly found money
I was out of town last week and the to go coffee shop was cashless.
My found change total for 2025 was $3.34. That's better than 2024, when I found $2.34. I started keeping track of found money totals in 2015. My highest total was in 2019 when I somehow found $48.22.
It was a bumper year for me -- $11.85 plus 4 coins from Uganda, which according to friends who visited, are pretty much worthless in US dollars. But they are interesting!
The two bills and quite a few coins all came out of my washing machine or dryer. They are from my husband's work pants pockets, which I refuse to stick my hands into prior to them going through the washing machine.
$1.25 found change for the first three months of 2025 and it appears I stopped keeping track after that even thought I did find a bit more here and there. I mostly find quarters left in Aldi shopping cards or on the ground outside one of our local grocery stores, not sure why.
Love your work. My best find was during 2020 lockdown when I found a $20 note in my backyard. I think it came from the neighbour I can't stand who spends his life on his balcony, loudly running his business by phone while hanging over the rail, dropping cigarette ends onto my property, overlooking & upsetting my dogs. Best 2026 news he's moving out next week.
Impressed at your record keeping! Curious about why three coins were rejected in your total for this year.
Your overall total is impressive! I found $21.15 last year but that included a $20 bill found in the summer. Not really a cash society here near Berkeley, CA nor do I shop much as DH does the grocery shopping. I have low expectations for this year
That is some fun, diligent record-keeping. I found most of my change this year in the washer or dryer, as my husband forgets to check his pockets. Only a few pennies were found on the ground this year.
When I look at the way my teens spend their money (absolutely zero cash of any kind), I get it. They are all debit or cash transfers apps between friends (e.g. if someone covers the bill, you Venmo them, etc). Both teens get paid in cash for tips at work on occasion, and even then, they ask me to drop that off at the bank & put it in their account so "they can spend it". 😉 I don't even carry cash, so I can relate.
Found three pennies yesterday in the Target checkout and I thought of you! 🙂 It's interesting seeing the numbers of your found change challenge over the years. WOW to 2016!!!!! That was an impressive haul for sure.
Our household found change for 2025 is $16.99. So I’m adding the penny to make it an even $17.
I definitely keep an eye out for spare change when we go shopping or for an outing, but unfortunately it yields very little for me. I'd be very curious to see how much my total would be! We usually drop our change into a purse or onto a desk where it gets mixed up with change from a rare cash purchase. Every so often I'll gather up what I can find and use it towards a grocery purchase. Last week when I used a Christmas gift card for our groceries I started with "can we do... $1.19 in cash? And then the rest on a card?" I have an old hard shell glasses case that was laying around and holds small amounts of change perfectly so I think I'll keep using it for rounding up my change!
I have been picking up change since 2011 -- well, earlier than that, but that's when I started keeping track. My grand total so far is $156.85.
I didn't start saving monthly totals until 2020.
2020: $2.12
2021: $1.47
2022: $3.30
2023: $4.31
2024: $4.74
2025: $26.62 -- Woo hoo! That $20 bill sure made a difference!
I posted mine in the previous post.
I did find a $15 McDonald's gift card in the street a few weeks ago. It listed a $15 balance when I checked online. We don't generally eat there.
Along with K D, I posted mine in a comment to the previous post--but here they are again anyway: $40.08 in found change (the $20 and $10 bills I found in the middle of a street in May definitely helped here) and $304.90 in NY State deposit container returns. (For the record, I don't count the deposits on soda and beer I buy for myself. These are all "found objects.")
And the neighbor on the other side of NDN1 gave me a bag full of containers that came to $5.35. This gave the anemic January total to date (can't go bottlepicking with 2 feet of snow on the ground!) a considerable boost.
That’s amazing! I’m in the $250ish range on bottles and cans (with an 10 cent redemption value) and feel humbled!
These days at their prices, $15 MIGHT get you a Happy Meal.
When I used to walk with my dad in the early mornings when visiting, they lived off of a very busy street with a lot of fast food restaurants. Some of them didn't open until later in the morning, so I'd always detour through the drive-thru and I think I found coins every single time. I just would come home and put them in his garage coin jar. A good memory. Now I still pick up coins of course, and used to say this is luck for a good chemo day for my brother when I'd find a dime (what I considered a sign for some reason). I'd take a pic and send it his way. Damn pancreatic cancer. Now I just say this is for a good chemo day for someone... Not sure why I always consider it a sign, but I do. And a sign of what?
It's nickels for me, Bonnie. Not sure why, either...
I'd LOVE to find $275 "in a sock at the bins!"
I also believe dimes are special.
I walk 4 miles a day. I take a detour & often find coins in the drive thru lane also at fast food places. I found 3 dimes on the floor at Walmart today. Sometimes I find coins on the pavement when I walk. Sometimes I find change on ground at gas pumps when I go to fill up. I found around 20 dollars in change for 2025. While I am walking I might as well look for money.
I don't track my found change. It's likely less than $1.00 per year. More than anything, I find elastic hair bands and empty poop bags. I use the hair bands in place of rubber bands.
I find quite a few unused poop bags too! I pick them up to clean up the ground and use for our dog. Found one this morning lol.
Mine was $6.82 thanks to a $5 bill I found under a picnic table. No quarters were among the coins I picked up either. Mostly pennies, then dimes and a few nickels. It's not much but it's money I wouldn't have had I not bothered to pick it up so I'm pretty happy about it.
'Not enough to overthrow a foreign nation' (Thank you) or help run a live genocide. Phew!!!
My neighborhood has a lot of retail and foot traffic, but, you’re correct, that fewer people have cash to drop on the ground. I managed to find $4.72 in coins, a $20 bill in the Fred Meyer parking lot, and $275 in bills in a sock at the bins. The folding money happened in the last month of the year. Before that, I was excited to find anything bigger than a dime!
So
Total score at the bins! I would've been elated!!!
I’m still elated.
Cash still used here bc several stores charge for use of cards. Although it has declined, especially with the younger folks. I do a combo.
240 euro's. Some found change, mostly deposit container returns. 1582 cans to be precise. I find them as i walk the dog or while biking.
I did the currency exchange. 240 euros = $280.32 in US dollars. Pretty impressive I'd say!
Oh yeah, I keep track of this! More than your total for 2025 -- but you usually beat me, moneywise.
https://cindybrick.blogspot.com/2026/01/found-money.html
The only change I find on occasion is when I clean out my purse.
So not exactly found money
I was out of town last week and the to go coffee shop was cashless.
Here in Nevada cash is still king because of gaming. Still need that folding money to play the slots.
My found change total for 2025 was $3.34. That's better than 2024, when I found $2.34. I started keeping track of found money totals in 2015. My highest total was in 2019 when I somehow found $48.22.
It was a bumper year for me -- $11.85 plus 4 coins from Uganda, which according to friends who visited, are pretty much worthless in US dollars. But they are interesting!
The two bills and quite a few coins all came out of my washing machine or dryer. They are from my husband's work pants pockets, which I refuse to stick my hands into prior to them going through the washing machine.
$1.25 found change for the first three months of 2025 and it appears I stopped keeping track after that even thought I did find a bit more here and there. I mostly find quarters left in Aldi shopping cards or on the ground outside one of our local grocery stores, not sure why.
Love your work. My best find was during 2020 lockdown when I found a $20 note in my backyard. I think it came from the neighbour I can't stand who spends his life on his balcony, loudly running his business by phone while hanging over the rail, dropping cigarette ends onto my property, overlooking & upsetting my dogs. Best 2026 news he's moving out next week.