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Change is good – and profitable

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AUTHOR: R Quinn on 4/12/2025

For more years than I remember I have saved my pocket change. Every day I put it in a tray on my dresser. When it overflows, Connie bags it and eventually rolls it for deposit. That happens at around $80.00.

I never pass a penny on the ground. In fact, on occasion I dig one out of the soft tar. Some coins are so mangled it’s hard to tell what they are at first. Sometimes people stare at me, but I don’t care, I’ve got the cash. When I’m wearing jeans and suspenders and an old jacket I look like a pauper – according to Connie – so bending over to pick up a coin fits well. It’s the rare occasion when a passerby asks if I need help getting up that hurts my ego. 

If they eliminate the penny, I will do a lot less picking up from the sidewalk.

These accumulated coins have a designated purpose.They go into our travel savings although that’s overflowing as we haven’t traveled much and unlikely to do so soon. 

My drive to save coins goes back to when I was a kid, we collected soda bottles and redeemed for the two cents or a nickel. Back then two nickel bottles got you an ice cream cone and three a slice of pizza. 

Why not save your coins, why let one lay on the ground? Who cares what people think?😎

I’m trying for the old method of saving a penny a day and doubling it each day for 30 days. It’s like a snowball rolling down a hill and getting larger as it rolls. 🤑

On day 1, you start with just $0.01.
On day 2, you double it to $0.02.
By day 10, you’re at $5.12

etc. 

Keep that up for 30 days and you have $5,368,709.12.

Good luck. ‼️

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baldscreen
4 months ago

Thanks for the laughs, everyone, this post was great to read after our hard 2 weeks. Chris

PS, Spouse still saves change. LOL!

quan nguyen
4 months ago

Some penny worths a lot more than 1 cent (how about $408K?). check out this site
25 Most Valuable Pennies (Updated 2025) | CoinTrackers.com

That was the reason for the auction of 1 million copper pennies found by John and Elizabeth Reyes in the house previously owned by Elizabeth’s father.

Family sells one million pennies found in relative’s home

I recalled a rumor that they got an offer for over $20K (twice the face values of the 1 million coins.

William Perry
4 months ago

I am now trying to spend the pennies I have accumulated over decades. I hope to save the federal government a small fortune (very small) by not having to mint new pennies. A word to the wise – spend your accumulated pennies in small quantities when there is no one behind you in line.

Rick Connor
4 months ago
Reply to  William Perry

When my father-in-law passed away we found over $900 in accumulated change. Luckily a local bank branch had a change machine and let me use it. We used the funds to pay for a nice luncheon for all who attended the funeral.

Last edited 4 months ago by Rick Connor
Robert Wright
4 months ago

I figure my time on Earth, at 71, is worth about $50 an hour to me. If I bend over to pick up a penny it takes about 30 seconds. That translates to about 42 cents of my valuable life’s energy. So that endeavor puts me 41 cents in the hole. But if it works for you who am I to quibble……

B Carr
4 months ago

One of the best pieces of advice I received over the years: “Don’t look rich.”

Edmund Marsh
4 months ago

Dick, you reminded me of this article:

https://humbledollar.com/2023/01/walking-around-money/

Rick Connor
5 months ago

Dick, I believe that the $5,368,709.12 is the amount you would save (or find) on the 30th day. The sum of all 30 days savings (or findings) would be $8,053,063.08. Per Dan’s comment below, at the marginal tax rate of 37%, the tax on that portion of your income, after you self-reported it of course, would be $2,979,633.56. You would still net over $5M.

DAN SMITH
5 months ago
Reply to  Rick Connor

Rick, should we do the right thing and report Dick’s activity to the IRS?

Rick Connor
4 months ago
Reply to  R Quinn

A tax return with $2.9M due would get a swift reaction.

Scott Dichter
5 months ago

I used to pick up change all the time, can’t remember the last time I actually saw any. I’m sure it’s there, my vision is just less acute.

DAN SMITH
5 months ago

And if you claim it on your taxes, you can probably get the bureau of workers compensation to pick up the cost of the chiropractor.

Rick Connor
5 months ago
Reply to  DAN SMITH

Dan, great point. I was amazed to learn that “found money” is considered ordinary income and subject to taxes. I’m sure ll the honest members of the HD community would self report the income.

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