How to Find Money
When you spot cash on the ground or find money in your coat pocket you forgot about, it’s a pretty great feeling. Even if it was money you found in your own home, it feels like free money. Money you didn’t have to work your butt off for and can be used for anything.
My kids get a kick out of finding coins on the street and saving money. I’d say we easily find $1+ each week in coins on the street. If you are looking for loose change, here are 11 ways to find it.
Within The Home
You will be amazed how much can be found laying around the home. Money slips out of pockets, purses and jackets easily. It rolls under furniture and slips into the lounge. Often when I have done a search throughout my house I have found more than I expected.
1. Between Lounge Cushions
Pull out all your lounge cushions to check under and between them for loose change. Often we sit down and money slips out of our pockets into the abyss that is our lounge.
As a kid, this was one of the first places I looked for money when I was saving for something. I often found 50c and 20c coins there.
2. In Clothing
Check every pocket of every item of clothing you own. It’s not uncommon for me to find money in the washing machine (I don’t check my family’s pockets), or to find a note in a jacket the next time I wear it. Check your clothes.
3. Under Furniture
Go on a hunt under beds, lounges, desks and appliances like your fridge. Once, when I was a teenager I moved my stereo and found $70. It had been missing for over a month, I thought I had lost it then there it was. Maybe if I kept my desk clean back then it wouldn’t have been pushed under the desk by all the other junk on it? I was a teen, my desk was never going to be clean.
4. Purses Or Bags
Go through every pocket and section of every wallet, purse and bag you own. Check the lining for holes and see if any money has slipped through to get stuck between the outer layer of the bag and the lining. Every little pocket, nook and cranny in them needs to be checked.
5. Key Tray or Bowl
If you have somewhere you throw your keys such as a key tray, chances are coins have been thrown in at some point too. Or if there is a spot in your home things such as keys, mail and similar get dumped, clean it up and check for money. I found $6.50 in mine this morning.
6. Clean Out Your Car
Every time I clean my car I find coins. In my house, if I am doing the cleaning and I find money, I keep it (unless it’s a large amount or I know exactly who it belongs to.) Currently, this money is going in a little jar in my bedside table drawer for a holiday for the family.
As a kid, my parents once said I could keep any money I found from cleaning out the car. In our Toyota Tarago, we had a mini-fridge between the front seats.
It had stuff spilt in it and needed a good clean. When I lifted the bottom tray, underneath were coins that had slipped down.
I scooped them all out, cleaned them up and when I counted how much I had, I was ecstatic. All up I had over $10, which for a kid in the 90s felt like $100!
Outside the home
The feeling of finding cash in a random place is pretty amazing. Remember though, if you find large amounts or items such as wallets, hand them into police. Or if you find a wallet or similar, hand it in.
7. Footpaths And Gutters
Most of the coins we find are on the footpath and in the gutter. It’s simply a matter of keeping an eye out for them. When I spot the money if it is over $2, it gets split between my kids. If it is under $2 they take it in turns to be the one who gets the money.
They always ask me to transfer the money straight to their bank account anyway. 5c pieces and $2 coins have been the most common coins we’ve found.
Don’t be ashamed to pick up coins. When I was younger, I was embarrassed to pick up small coins then I started adding up how much money I was walking past or leaving on the ground and it was much more than I anticipated.
8. Pay Phones
Yes, they still exist! Although, they are rarely used now and harder to find. Check the returned coin slot, plus around the phone box. I remember as a kid one of our friends was checking every phone box we saw.
She was so focused on the coin slot, she didn’t realise she stepped on money on the ground. It was my Mum who spotted the coins next to the pay phone. Look everywhere.
9. Vending Machines
Like pay phones, check the change slot but also look underneath and on top of the machines for coins. Locations such as these people are likely to drop the money and sometimes people put things on top of machines while they get everything sorted and forget to grab it all.
10. Checkouts
Many people drop money around checkouts. If you look on the ground or nearby you’ll often find coins. In general, if I see coins here I give them to the cashier.
I’d hate their register to be short and during busy times if money gets dropped, they often take the change out of the register and will look for the dropped change later. In fast food places, staff are made to go out to the drive-through and pick up any coins too.
So while this is a way to get money, the ethics or legalities can vary.
11. Metal detecting
I have never done this but people I know make $20 on average doing metal detecting. You mostly find up bottle caps and there is the initial outlay of the metal detector first, but it can be a family hobby, metal detecting at the beach or park.
Where do you find loose change?
For more ways to make and save money follow us on social media:
TheThrifty Issue Facebook Page
The Thrifty Issue Facebook Group
