Find a penny, pick it up. All day long, have good luck. It’s a common phrase we’ve all heard and have probably taken for granted. I know I did, until last year. In the summer of 2004 I decided to start something new in life. I decided I would start picking up EVERY piece of change I ever saw, put it in my pocket and take it home with me where it would be put in a collection jar.

I never realized how lucrative picking up spare change could be. Every other month (6 times per year) I take my change jar to the bank and turn it in, each turn-in a net anywhere from $60-$75…that’s an extra $420 (on average) per year, in my pocket. Why more people don’t take part in this, I have no clue. Maybe some feel it’s too much work, or they’re too bothered by it to take the time to bend over to pickup that dime. That’s fine, all the more money for me to find.

Picking up and keeping your spare change is an excellent way to help funnel a few more dollars into your monthly budget and add to your bank account. Look at it this way…If the average teenager spent 4 years of high school and 4 years of college collecting all the spare change they find they could net approx. $3500. Putting that money into a 5 year Online Bank CD could yield them up to $4500 by the time they are 27. Granted there are other more lucrative options, but this presents a 0% risk for their money.

In short, next time you see that penny on the ground, bend over and pick it up – it may pay for your next date, night on the town or help you out in a tight jam down the road.