Here's my morning cup of joe!

The ordinary Jane might go to the local coffee barista and pick up an average cup of joe. It might mean that this person goes 15 minutes out of their way for their morning fix. It could also be that this person might go in the afternoon for a second run-which calculates to shelling out some dough. We all get a set amount of time in a day-and how we use that time is precious. Here's what I'm getting at. I don't like coffee and I'm not much of a time waster. The time that I waste really doesn't feel like lost time.

Our family recently got on the money finding kick. Here's the scoop.... Lost change, coins, bills are everywhere. We are not putting a lot of time into hunting, searching, looking...etc., but we are finding. It's amazing. It's not a lot of money, but it's still incredible to come across a find of any kind. Why do people throw their money away? We are baffled. Are you?

What would you do if you found lost change on your errands? Our plan is to keep some for a rainy day fund or Disney fund, but also give back to a charity of our choice. We have considered the backpack program for hungry kids, a food lifeline program through Washington State or to cancer research. Granted it's not a lot of money yet, but each week we add to the pot.

We are spending less than 15 minutes a day on our quest for the coin, and it's not everyday that we are able to search. This equates to $1.00 per hour.....Can we raise this hourly rate? How about averaging more than a quarter a day. Come back to see how we are doing. We welcome you!

Daily total find: $.85

Grand total to date:$26.37

106 finding days averages out to $.25 per day.

This could equate to $91.25 per year.

Costco, Bowling and Car Wash

Hunt, find and post. It was our mission for the day. Max had a football game on Saturday afternoon. The parking lot and bleachers left us penniless. We had some hunger pains-so Costco came a calling. Hot dogs were on the menu-with some gellato ice cream for dessert. Andrea spotted the first coin. It was a Lincoln-of course-tilted on its side where the floor and wall met to buy the dogs. The diners were four deep-waiting to buy their grub. Not a soul picked up the lonely copper item-that is-until Andrea bent down to pick up her prize. While we were waiting in line-Steve toured the vending machines and spotted a coin. The first Canadian cent was found. Max was number three-another Lincoln find.

The family decided to take in some bowling for the evening. The place was packed. Andrea was on a mission. She scored both in finds and with the pins. Andrea found $.26 and a cool, blue toy elephant. Claire found the fake ring-and Erich found a token for a video game that he used. Andrea ends up beating all of us with a score of 115 for bowling. Erich gets the ultimate strike by coming up to the lane facing backwards and bowls through his legs and gets a strike. Each person ended up with a couple of strikes and spares.....cool!

The final stop was a late night car wash. We used the car wash in a different way. Max and Andrea spot the pennies and Steve gets the Roosevelt Dime. We were hunting in the dark. There was limited light from the car wash alleys. Someone washing their truck asked us if we needed a flashlight. We told him that our family does strange scavenger hunts and we were fine.

Total daily find: $.41

Grand Total to date: $15.60

83 finding days averages out to $.18 a day

Could average out to $65.70 per year.

Will the real Mr. Lincoln please stand?

Fool me once-shame on me! Claire and I went on a couple of errands; Blockbuster Video and to QFC for groceries. Let the games begin. Since I already found $1.02 earlier in the day, she said that she would find something first. She was determined to win.

Nothing at Blockbuster for either of us. Then it was QFC. The first couple of aisles produced zilch. The potato chip aisle produced the find-a Lincoln trapped where the floor and the wall meet. A small gap allowed the penny to go under the shelving. I used my fingernail to pry it loose. As soon as I held the copper coin, it turned into plastic immediately. An imposter! I was duped, robbed and left speechless. Claire bursted out laughing.

We proceeded to the produce section. There she spotted the real Lincoln coin. She bent down, reached for it and scooped up the prize. Claire won!!

Total find for the day: $1.03

Grand total: $15.19

82 finding days averages out to $.18 per day

After all of my US Post Office visits-I finally found something!

Before we started hunting for coins-I would see a couple of pennies here and there at the post office. When the hunt was on, money finding was scarce until today! I normally pick up our business mail a few times a week and do my normal ground scanning like a metal detector would. Of course my eyes are searching high places too. My first stop is the parking lot with a quick look. Next I come upon the newspapers. To my surprise-the US Today had 4 Washington Quarters just waiting for me. Right place at the right time-indeed!

Keep your eyes on the prize!

Happy Hunting!

Early morning find - $1.00 (4 quarters)

Enjoy the photos from our early summer trip to D.C. This is George Washington's home in Mt. Vernon. General George Washington/President Washington deservedly belongs on coins and bills.

I can't come up with good titles....

I was at volleyball practice last Friday night when I came across my first find of the day, well week actually. It was a shiny new dime-sitting right on the floor of the gym! Sadly it was the middle of a drill when I saw it so I had to wait......I had my eye on that dime the whole practice and as soon as practice was over I ran over and scooped it up!

IT WAS MIIIINEEE! hahaha

The adventure doesn't stop there! We went to our high school's away football game yet again, vs. LW.
As soon as I stepped out of my friend's car, I heard a "clink!" in the gravel (yes the gravel yet again!) and I looked down, but didn't see anything-so I closed my door and decided maybe there was something down there.....and guess what there was! A SHINY QUARTER!!
I was pumped the whole way to the game!

Then it was game time, this game was well.....not as exciting as it could have been...we smashed them 60-0, it was 40-0 in the first half of the game, so we all got bored.

At half time most of the students in our section left-so my best friend, myself and couple of other seniors moved up to the front of the section and got to lead all the cheers. It was pretty exciting... for a very lame game of course, but we had a blast. When we moved down, I felt something hit my leg. I thought to my self,

"who the heck would be throwing things at me!"

so I looked down and there it was...
a peanut... that's what hit my leg. Then I felt something else hit my leg again not 2 min later and there it was....this time-a shiny face of President Lincoln staring right up at me!! I picked it up as fast as I possibly could!

[sorry no pictures! My camera was stolen out of my car, so I dont have any! New camera on the way though!]

Total daily find: $.36
Grand total to date: $13.22
78 Finding Days averages out to $.17 per day.

Finds of the day!

My first find came when I went to my favorite Shell Station/Convenience Center for my Mt. Dew and Take 5 bar. I handed the clerk $2.65-and my change should have been $.02, but I opted to give it to him. He always gives me more change, so this time I let him keep the difference. On my way out of the store to my truck, I found 2 pennies. The next stop at the Shell Station was the air/water stop for automobiles. Sitting by the fire lane was a Roosevelt Dime tails up.

My next two stops for the day were also profitable. The lunch stop was Round Table Pizza. A lady next to me was finishing her food and grabbed for her keys. I heard some change drop-which hit the metal leg of the table. She stooped down to pick something up. On my way out, I noticed that she left $.26 for me.

My final find of the day was at Albertsons. I bought a newspaper after lunch-and I used the personal scan counter. A George Washington one dollar bill was waiting for me in the bill return. Thanks Joe!

Total find for the day: $1.35

Total tally: $12.86

75 Finding Days

A non-employee gets a Pay Day from Top Foods

If you know me, I've got a sweet tooth and a hankering for a Mt. Dew. After I dropped off a proposal in the afternoon, I hit the Top Foods grocery store for a treat. I went through a "you scan your own item" section and noticed a Washington quarter tails up. I fumbled for my keys-playing like I dropped them, and scooped up the prize. The other four pennies were right at the same check out line. Hard to believe that people don't pick these up. Ripe for the pickin!

Albertsons was an earlier shopping trip. This one happened to be a pick up in the parking lot. People must litter pennies on the pavement. Pennies are the easiest to come by....If these were dimes, would people be passing them by?

Daily total: $.41

Grand total: $11.51

74 Finding Days

Avg daily find: $.15

What is the going exchange rate for a Pilipinas Piso from Home Depot?

News Flash: Contractor finds second foreign coin at the local Home Depot!

The exchange rate for a Phillipines 5 pesos is $.11. I'm not sure that I would go to a bank to trade in this unique coin.

My other finds at the Home Depot consisted of a nickel and penny on the pavement. One penny was imbedded in the ground. I asked myself, "how long has this penny been here-a few days, a couple of months?" It's not there anymore, but I'm sure another is waiting.

Morning find $.07

Local Jack In The Box and 7/11 giving back rebates!

I got one of those cheap, nutritional lunches at Jack in the Box today and got a dime kicked back to me for selecting Jack's diner. Why someone leaves a dime visibly under their seat waiting for me to pick up is pretty cool. Thanks Jack!

My diet Mountain Dew stop is normally a 7/11 or other convenience store. When I parked my truck in the 24 hour pit-stop, Honest Abe was looking right up at me. Cool! The floor at the counter is an ideal spot for spare change to be scooped up. Another Mr. Lincoln was barely visible for the right finder to be spotted-and there I was. Perfect!

Happy Finding!

Daily total: $.13

Grand total: $11.07

73 Finding Days

Another job site-another penny!

It's just like panning for gold. If you don't pan, you won't find! Here is another penny added to the bottom line. Is it really this easy? Should we keep it a secret? Nah......

Happy Hunting!

Big Find of the day!

The earlier blog mentioned the three keys. One of the keys stated where you least expect to find something you will. I met a sub-contractor at the Sammamish River Park in Bothell to get some samples of a product. When we finished business, I took a walk around the perimeter edge just for kicks. I didn't expect to see what I saw next-a $5.00 bill staring back at me.

When you least expect it.........

Happy Finding!

Total find for today:

$5.00

$.10

$.03

Grand total today: $5.13

Grand total to date: $10.94

72 Finding Days averages out to $.15 per day. This could equate to $54.75 in a year.

We just added $.03 to our bottom line!

Check this out! I was working at a job site this morning and found 3 pennies. Another cool item that I found was a key. This got me thinking about the "3 Keys To Finding Money!"

1. Keep your eyes on the prize:

The most probable place for money (the prize) to be found is on the ground, duh! Or does it really grow on trees? Some people do place loose change at eye level too...so keep a watch.

2. The most obvious place to find lost change or bucks-if you are lucky-is a place with heavy foot traffic: Parking lots at grocery stores, malls, movie theaters, arenas, etc. First come first serve. The key is to be at the right place and right time for the find. Remember to keep your eye on the prize.

3. Where you least expect the prize to be is where you will find it. Did that come from Yogi Berra?

Good luck hunting!

Wash your car or truck and receive change back

Check out your local car wash during the summer, and the chance of finding stray change is pretty good. We haven't been unlucky yet. I picked up an extra $.43 in change today.

Did anyone know that Wal Mart is giving change away?

I stopped by the Everett Wal-Mart to scoop up some cold water for my guys. The soda machine caught my eye as I walked by-and someone left us 2 pennies! On the way back to my truck I took a different route (of course) and spotted $.11 sitting in the bark just waiting for me....incredible. Thanks for the extra goodies Sam!

Breakdown of finds

Is anyone curious of how many pennies vs. dimes, nickels, etc. that we have recovered from the lost? Here it is anyways! Take a gander...........

Dollar Bills-1=$1.00

Quarters-5=$1.25

Dimes-17=$1.70+1 Canadian Dime=$1.80

Nickels-9=$.45

Pennies-75=$.75

Year to date finds (since July 12th)........big drum roll please! $5.25

This equates to $.075 per day. That's a venti mocha (for those of you that appreciate coffee) plus a New York Times paper. I'll take the paper and leave the mocha. That daily sum would feed the piggy bank $27.38 per year. Not bad....Check back later for another breakdown. Does anyone think we can average more than $.075 per day? We do!

Woodinville Costco find

While we were shopping, our eyes were peeled for some metallic objects. The shopping trip was almost complete-and here we thought we came up empty. Claire spots the find-a quarter sitting under the Costco ice cream cart. Steve jumps quickly to the rescue and gets in a push-up position to scoop up the find. A penny was also spotted nearby. Don't you hate when you have the video button on when snapping a photo??

Do the Puyallup

Scones, Elephant Ears, Gyros, Roasted Corn, games, rides and fun! We did the Puyallup on a perfect, sunny Sunday afternoon. Steve found $.26, Andrea found $.06, Claire found $.05 and Erich found $.03. It was a great afternoon. Andrea had the best find of the day-a difficult nickel find near the sidewalk in some grass. Claire was the runner up for best find....she found an anchored bolt in the concrete that she wasn't able to pull out of the ground.

Leavenworth and Wenatchee bound

Claire and I decided to take a quick day trip east of the mountains. Our first stop was Leavenworth-Wilkommen! The day was toasty and the bratwursts tasted great. We thought for sure that we would spot some shiny finds on the ground, but only came up with one penny. Wie schade-too bad. We were pumped that we found something. On a whim-we cruised even farther-to hit the town of Wenatchee.

Thirty plus years ago, my mom and I would drive over the pass to stay with my dad at a trailer park in Wenatchee. As Claire and I drove through the town of Wenatchee-my recollection of where we were came back to me. We went over a bridge across the Wenatchee River and spotted where we bowled. When I stayed with my dad for parts of the summer while he worked on the east side of the mountains, I would work at a place called Eddie Mays Inn. I would do laundry work-cleaning the linens in all of the rooms. We drove around to find the Inn. The location of where I thought it was stood a Fred Meyer. We went inside the store and asked a few people if they knew what was here before the store. Sure enough it was Eddie Mays Inn. I was so pumped to be standing in the same place 30+ years later-thinking about my dad and being with him during those times. We walked the parking lot to take a couple of photos and found a shiny nickel. Thanks Dad!