Every so often the question comes up. Do you pick up change from the street?
And the pros and cons come up which boil down to this. Pro: the money's risk free; con: my time is precious, and by G*d, I'm not the type of person who picks up pennies from the street. In case you couldn't tell by the subject line, I'm a pro change picker upper. I know I won't convert a con change picker upper people but I do want to provide a little food for thought.
First of all, you have to be in the right position to even pick up change from the street. If you are already in the right position, you're already un-American. You can't be in a car. You have to be on a sidewalk or in a lobby, walking. You can't be on a cellphone. You shouldn't be pacing and staring off into middle distance, listening. You have to be on a sidewalk, & basically unproductive - not doing deals, not selling something, not ordering someone around. If you're just walking, so much for your time being precious; might just as well train your eye searching for little metal circles.
Second of all, do you pick up change in other aspects of your life? Change that collects in the bottom of the washer/dryer when it fell out of your pants? You pick that up. Change on the carpet of your car that you tossed in your hurry pulling out of the drive thru? You'll pick that up, sure, especially if there's a toll involved. Change that you sucked up in the vacuum bag? Nasty, but you'd rescue it. Change between the couch cushions? You'd pick that up. Matter of fact, isn't that the first place you look for pizza and laundry money?
Here's a news flash. Picking up change from any of those sources, some even nastier than the sidewalk, doesn't change your net worth one iota. Its money you already have that you've moved into your pants pocket from an alternate pocket. Sidewalk change is new money.
Lastly, there's the I-make x-dollars-per-second-its-not-worth-it argument. That only works if your pay is docked when you pick up change. Otherwise, if you find change at night or on the weekend, your pay that hour is $0. Picking up the coin means your pay is $0 plus coin. If you find the coin during lunch and you are making a salary, you pay that hour is $salary plus coin. Think of it as a tip for being alert.
I don't have any reason to convert a non-change picker upper into a change picker upper. Why make competition? Change that you pick up means change I won't. All I ask of you is this: if you see sidewalk money, point it out to me. I'll pick it up.
Pick up the money already, putz
April 1st, 2008 at 04:44 am
April 1st, 2008 at 04:46 am 1207025200
April 1st, 2008 at 06:50 am 1207032640
April 1st, 2008 at 01:14 pm 1207055653
April 1st, 2008 at 03:23 pm 1207063382
April 1st, 2008 at 03:27 pm 1207063643
I almost never find it parking lots walking into stores although I do look.
April 1st, 2008 at 04:40 pm 1207068026
So happy hunting grounds are: sidewalks near curbs, the curb itself, near bus stops, near the gas station (!), lobbies esp bank lobbies, in the intersection. Change also seems to be near cigarette butts. (I know - cigarette butts everywhere! But the 10 ft from the door rule means 10-15 ft from the door is a good spot to hunt for change.) Parking lots not so much - change is too spread out.
The forest is slim pickings on so many levels.
April 1st, 2008 at 11:36 pm 1207092988
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:16 am 1207095365
25 cents compounded at 8% monthly after 40 years = $6.07
25 cents compounded at 8% monthly after 40 years IF you add one quarter each year = $79.28
Pick up enough of them and you're talking real money!