I've noticed since I started working (and now living) in a big city I find a lot more change on the ground. In fact, I pick up spare change almost every day. Even though it is halfway through the year, I have decided to keep track of how much I find each day.

I don't really know how much I have found up until now, but if this second half of '08 is as good as the first half, I could have a few substancial finds. Besides a bunch of change (including quarters), we found $22 in bills already this year. The big find was a $20 in bush in a parking lot! All the spare change we find goes into our Cash in the Bag.

Here is this week, so far.

Mon: sick, didn't leave the house
Tues: sick, didn't leave the house
Wed: 2 pennies, 1 dime (12 cents)
Thurs: 1 penny, 1 dime (23 cents)
Fri: 1 penny (so far) (24 cents)

Today I rolled up my spare change and took it to the bank. $25.50 I also had a refund check from our cable company to deposit. When we moved, they never cancelled the old account, and without looking at it, I paid the bill for a month we weren't even there. Luckily, they checked their records, saw that it was supposed to be cancleed, and gave me a refund. Decided to add that to the $20 challenge as well. $56.20. I figure if I hadn't spent it last month, it would have been in our leftovers at the end of the month and gone in here anyways.

$20 Old Balance: $516.72
Deposit 4/21: $81.70
-------------------------------------
$20 New Balance: $598.42

GOt a check in the mail for doing surveys, for $10. yay! I love that. Also have a roll of quarters to deposit at the bank from CITB, so that is another $20 for the Taxes!

$20 Tax Old Balance: $134.34
Survey check: $10.00
CITB:$10.00
----------------------------
$20 Tax New Balance: $154.34

I love having a full roll of quarters. Added to the $20/UF account.

$20/UF Old Balance: $10.22
Quarter Roll: $10
----------------------------
$20/UF Balance: $20.22

BF had a jar of change he brought home with him from Vegas last week. Whoo-hoo!

Quarters $8.50
Dimes $.60
Nickels $1.00
Pennies $.26

and I already rolled $9.50 which I am taking to the bank today.

Old Vegas Total: $628.86
Cash In The Bag Deposit: $21.50
------------------------------
New Vegas Total: $650.36

Bills: $1.00
Quarters: $5.25
Nickels: $1.55
Dimes: $4.00
Pennies: $1.39
-------------------
TOTAL: $13.19

Been slow going with the CITB lately. Mums donated a handfull of change the other day (Thanks Mums!) but other than that no much has been going in. we haven't been using cash so we aren't getting change back. We need to do that more (but not spend more...)

CITB Update:

Quarters: $2.25 (but I think we need those for laundry today)
Nickels: $1.05
Dimes: $2.80
Pennies: $1.25

Total: $7.35

CITB Totals:

Bills: $6.00
Dimes: $1.20
Nickels: $.50
Pennies: $.78
Quarters: $7.00

Total: $15.48

Still a bit aways from doing any major rolling and depositing...

Took $5.50 I had in there and deposited it into the Vegas account yesterday. But I have some spare change from my purse to put in, and when I was cleaning yesterday, I found a dollar bill. I'm really starting to like this cleaing and finding money thing! It's like I'm being paid to clean my own house!

CITB
Dollars $1.00
Quarters: $2.25
Dimes: $.50
Nickels: $.35
Pennies: $.42

Total: $4.52

Got my big freelance check in the mail yesterday: $350! YAY! That is going into the Vegas fund (which, is also my $20 Challenge fund), along wth $5.50 that I took out of Cash In The Bag. Whoo-hoo!

Vegas Prev. Balance: $130.50
Freelance check: $350.00
Cash In The Bag: $5.50
---------------------------
New Vegas Total: $486.00

Cashed in some of my CITB this past weekend ($8 in rolled change). On top of that, we had $10 in quarters, but we did laundry here this week. When we go visit Mums and Dad, we do it there, but we haven't been up there in a couple of weeks and the clean clothes were getting sparse.

I did find some spare change in my wallet and in my shorts from this past weekend. And, there was $5 in bills in the jeans, too! So it's all getting out into CITB for the next deposit.

CITB Totals:
Dollars $5.00
Quarters $.50
Dimes $.20
Nickels $.25
Pennies: $.32
Total: $6.27

Made a deposit today for the Vegas trip. Topped $100. Great start for me!

Vegas Prev. Balance: $65.00
Cash In The Bag: $8
Survey check: $10
Donation from the fam: $25
B/C I wanted to deposit an even amount: $7
(Total New Deposits $50)
---------------------------
New Vegas Total: $115.00

Been a while since I posted a CITB report. Just counted up all the change in the Bag. Here are the totals:

Pennies: $1.17 ($1 rolled!)
Dimes: $4.70 (only 3 more til I can roll it!)
Nickels: $2.00 (rolled!)
Quarters: $9.75 (ooooh, so close!)

Total CITB: $17.62

Today was a great money day. As I mentioned, I took today out o work to get some things done. And I got some things done, let me tell you!!

And here's the good money stuff:

1. Went to buy tp for the house. The kind we usually use is $3.49 for a 4 pack (I know, expensive, but I have a sensitive toosh). They have a new one out, better for septic tanks, same price. But, there was a $1 coupon for it! Yay! Saved $1.00 Adding that to the $20 Challenge/EF.

2. While I was at the grocery store, I turned in all our soda bottles and cans, plus cashed in 2 old soda can vouchers I had sitting around. $5.05! $5 goes into the $20 Challenge/EF and .05 into our Cash in the Bag bag.

3. Finally deposited my freelance check. Then came home and immediately transferred that same amount onto my CC as another payment.

4. Mailed out 2 of my last 3 ebay items. Still waiting for payment on one. As soon as I can get into my paypal account, I'll transfer that money straight onto the CC as well. (Having issues with the paypal account lately).

$20 CHALLENGE/EF
Old $20 Challenge Total: $60.49
ING Interest: $.09
Grocery Savngs: $1.00
Bottles and Cans: $5.00
Bills from Cash in the Bag: $14.00
--------------------------------
New $20 Challenge Total: $80.58


CASH IN THE BAG
Dollars: $0
Quarters: $8.50
Dimes: $3.30
Nickels: $1.30
Pennies: $1.05

TOTAL: $14.15


DEBT TALLY
CC Activity:
ATT Prev Balance: $3,406.83
Payment (today): $58.41
NEW BALANCE: $3,348.42


PERSONAL DEBT:
Car: $0
CS fee: $0
LB CC: $1,096.45
AT&T CC: $3,348.42
------------------
$4,444.87

STUDENT LOANS:
RWU: $26,475.41
UMD 1: $38,044.87
UMD 2: $2,435.76
-----------------
$66,956.04

Other: $15,000

TOTAL DEBT: $86,400.91

Threw $2 in the bag today because I used me AAA card at D'angelos for dinner and saved $2.

Threw in $12 (!) today because when I threw on my jeans this morning, there was $12 in the pocket! Haven't worn these in a week or so, and I forgot about the cash in them. I consider that free money! Cha-Ching!!

After the yard sale on Saturday, this will all go into our $20 Challenge / EF account.


June 6, 2006
Dollars: $14.00
Quarters: $8.50
Dimes: $3.30
Nickels: $1.30
Pennies: $1.05
Vouchers: $1.10

TOTAL: $29.25

Did some big time cleaning this past weekend, and found over $5 in spare change! Yay! Threw it all in the bag, but will do a count up later this week. Not rolling anything right now because I'll need change for the yard sale on Sat!

Well, The Boy is no longer at the job with the tips. Too bad, cuz it was some good change. Anyways, still tracking my regular change. Rolled a bunch and deposited almost $30 last weekend, so my totals are low again. But that just means more fun building them back up!

May 30, 2007
Dollars: $0.00
Quarters: $6.25
Dimes: $2.10
Nickels: $1.10
Pennies: $0.84
Vouchers: $1.10

TOTAL: $11.39

More big tips from the Boy! YAY! Was able to roll some more change. Can wait to deposit it and add it to the EF account!


May 23, 2007
Dollars: $6.00
Quarters: $11.25
Dimes: $11.20
Nickels: $2.80
Pennies: $2.04
Vouchers: $1.10

TOTAL: $34.39

The Boy came home from his first day of work with a cup FULL of change! He earned over $11 in tips (he works at a coffee shop) and over $7 of it was all change!

Plus, did more cleaning and found $2 on the floor under a pile of dirty clohtes.

Added it into the Bag!

May 23, 2007
Dollars: $6.00
Quarters: $10.00
Dimes: $8.50
Nickels: $2.15
Pennies: $1.50
Vouchers: $1.10

TOTAL: $29.25

Now that I have a bunch of coins rolled, I can take them to the bank on Friday. It will put approx. $24 into our EF.

Found $0.75 while I was cleaning. More cash in the bag!

May 21, 2007
Dollars: $4.00
Quarters: $6.50
Dimes: $5.60
Nickels: $1.45
Pennies: $1.05
Vouchers: $1.10

TOTAL: $19.70

We save all our spare change in a large manilla envelope. We have banks and jars and containers, but for some reason we throw it in there. Don't ask why. I have no idea.

Anyways, I want to start keeping track of it since I don't deposit it until I have a full coin roll. Meaning unless I have $10 in quarters in there, all those quarters sit and wait. Every once in a while we try and throw in a dollar or two. And when I recycle cans and get those vouchers slip, they go in there until I get to the customer service counter on a trip to the grocery store. When there is rolled change, it goes into my $20 Challenge account. I never really know what is in there, and I'd like to get an idea.

May 21, 2007
Dollars: $4.00
Quarters: $6.50
Dimes: $5.00
Nickels: $1.35
Pennies: $1.00
Vouchers: $1.10

TOTAL: $18.95