A Coin on the Pavement-Do You Pick It Up?

Joe

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I saw a penny on the pavement of a parking lot next to the post office, and picked it up and put it in my pocket. I was taught to do so as a child. It was part of thrift.

But I can recall getting into a big debate on a discussion board with a woman who was the daughter of a doctor. She was carefully taught not to pick up coins lest she pick up germs and bacteria on the coins.

So what do you do? And why?

And does the denomination of the coin matter? Yes, for dimes, but no for pennies?
 
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If You See a Coin on the Pavement, Do You Pick It Up?

You betcha.

I don't worry about germs and bacteria unless the coin is sitting in a pool of blood, urine, poop or vomit, which is not usually the case when I see an abandoned coin. I tend to wash my hands a lot anyway, and I certainly do it as soon as I can after picking up coins.

And no, the denomination doesn't matter to me. A penny saved is a penny earned. Everything adds up. A couple of years ago I took three jars of coins to a Coinstar machine inside a CVS drugstore and dumped everything in. Most of those coins were pennies, and most of those I picked up off the ground or the floor. The coins were worth about $36 total, and I requested an Amazon voucher code, which allowed me to get the full value without paying a fee, which I would have had to pay had I asked for a CVS voucher. The next time I bought some stuff from Amazon, I entered the voucher code at checkout. So picking up all those pennies was totally worth it; they translated into $36 I spent on stuff from Amazon.

I have another jar on my dresser which is slowly filling up with pennies. When I fill two or three jars, I'll go back to that Coinstar machine for another voucher.
 
I wouldn't pick up a penny, 2pence, 5pence.....maybe I start at 10p or 20p....I've got enough small change in jars.
 
I will pick up loose change as well. It's part of how I was raised. The exception would be as Amy SF said, if the coin was in an unsanitary location. I think it's a bit excessive to be obsessed over "money germs" from spare coins, unless you are equally as paranoid with the paper money and coins already in your wallet, which are likely to be just as germy for the amount of times they change hands. People like that pay with plastic, haha.
 
Canada got rid of pennies, now all change is worth picking up :p

Plus my girlfriend likes to check dates and see if it's part of a unique production and things like that. Since she's more of a germaphobe than me (I really don't care, even being covered in poop would only slightly bother me), I do clean it off before handing it over for inspection.
 
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I don't often see money lying on the ground as some other quick person has probably taken it already. I wouldn't pick up coppers but I would anything over 10p, actually I probably would pick up 5p. I'm sure I read that most money notes have been contaminated with cocaine.o_O

I think it's a bit excessive to be obsessed over "money germs" from spare coins, unless you are equally as paranoid with the paper money and coins already in your wallet, which are likely to be just as germy for the amount of times they change hands.

Yes, exactly.:D
 
It depends on if I'm in a hurry, and how bad my back is hurting. The amount doesn't matter, but I will make a little more effort for anything over a penny. :p
 
This has given me the idea (not a new one) to glue coins to the pavement and film people who try to pick them up.
Someone's done that outside a pub in Richmond. You do often see people trying to pick them up, they've been there years now.

But yes I pick money up. I wouldnt bother with 1/2/5/10p but more, yeah. Money is dirty anyway regardless of being on the floor or not.
 
If You See a Coin on the Pavement, Do You Pick It Up?

You betcha.
...
And no, the denomination doesn't matter to me. A penny saved is a penny earned. Everything adds up. A couple of years ago I took three jars of coins to a Coinstar machine inside a CVS drugstore and dumped everything in. Most of those coins were pennies, and most of those I picked up off the ground or the floor. The coins were worth about $36 total, and I requested an Amazon voucher code, which allowed me to get the full value without paying a fee, which I would have had to pay had I asked for a CVS voucher.

Very smart of you, Amy. And thoroughly modern, like Millie! :)

Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) - IMDb

I've never used the Coinstar machines, due to the fees. But the Amazon tie-in sounds intriguing.

Amazon has a program called Smiles, where part of the funds from what you purchase goes to a charity you designate.
I wonder whether the voucher can also be used with the Smiles program.

I still use the paper coin rolls, and take them to the bank. Probably just like Ozzie and Harriet did in the 1950s.


The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet (TV Series 1952–1966) - IMDb

The next time I bought some stuff from Amazon, I entered the voucher code at checkout. So picking up all those pennies was totally worth it; they translated into $36 I spent on stuff from Amazon.

I have another jar on my dresser which is slowly filling up with pennies. When I fill two or three jars, I'll go back to that Coinstar machine for another voucher.



Sounds great!
 
When you request Amazon (or another retailer), the voucher prints out with a promotional code that you enter at the time of checkout, and the amount is deducted from your total. So I don't see a problem with the Smiles program.

If you decide to use a Coinstar machine, you can select a retailer that gives you the full value without charging fee. If you get confused, you can always ask a store employee for help. :p

I put off using those machines for years because everyone said they charged a fee just for counting your coins, but once I realized that there were other options, it was full steam ahead. :p
 
When you request Amazon (or another retailer), the voucher prints out with a promotional code that you enter at the time of checkout, and the amount is deducted from your total. So I don't see a problem with the Smiles program.

If you decide to use a Coinstar machine, you can select a retailer that gives you the full value without charging fee. If you get confused, you can always ask a store employee for help. :p

I put off using those machines for years because everyone said they charged a fee just for counting your coins, but once I realized that there were other options, it was full steam ahead. :p

This sounds very good. I'll have to try it.

P.S. I just found another penny in the parking lot. :)
 
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