Finding money

[Mensan]

I found a penny tonight and got to thinking.

 

I did some testing, and the amount of time it takes to reach down, pick up a penny, and be on your merry way is approximately 3 seconds.

 

Now, if you consider those three seconds as work done to earn that penny, and multiply it to an hourly wage; for those three seconds you're working at a rate of 12 dollars an hour:

 

(1 cent/3 seconds)(3600 seconds in an hour)=12

 

This is, of course, disregarding any sense of accomplishment, security, or well-being gained from the aquisition of a lucky, or shiny new penny. We're talking pure economics here.

 

I don't have a statistic but I'd be willing to bet that well over half of this country's work force works for less than a 12 dollar an hour wage. That's frightening when you break it down and realize that every three seconds they're getting a penny tossed their way.

 

Currenly, I don't earn 12 dollars an hour so I could consider any penny I find to be a well earned (and highly lucrative for my three second's time) income.

 

If you make more than 12 dollars an hour at your job or, more importantly, if you value your time at more than 12 dollars an hour despite the corner the capitalist machine has you pushed into, then picking up a penny is a waste of your precious time, mathematically speaking.

 

Furthermore, I've developed an equation that will determine the value of a coin (or small amount of coins, say no more than three) that is worth reaching for, depending on what hourly wage you're willing to work for:

 

let x be your desired hourly wage

let y be the value of the coins you've stumbled upon

 

3(x/3600)=y

 

If you value your time at minimum wage in the state of New York (currently 6.75), you're rolling in money town if you find any coins worth at least a little more than half a cent.

 

If you value your time at 100 dollars an hour then you'd do well to pick up any find of 8 cents or more.

 

Because of this observation I've decided that it's very hard to argue against the economic soundness of picking up any change the average person finds on the sidewalk. You'd have to be making over 300 dollars an hour to scoff at the thought of picking up a quarter.

[wnaplay1647545503]

The only superstition I have is always picking up every change I see.

[TTQ B4U]

saw what looked like money on the road at an intersection in NJ while on business. I popped out of my rental car and picked it up....guy next to me thought I was crazy.....until I opened up a folded $20 bill that had been run over 1000 times. bought me a few cold ones that night with no regrets

[Skinner]

I found a penny tonight and got to thinking.

 

I did some testing, and the amount of time it takes to reach down, pick up a penny, and be on your merry way is approximately 3 seconds.

 

Now, if you consider those three seconds as work done to earn that penny, and multiply it to an hourly wage; for those three seconds you're working at a rate of 12 dollars an hour:

 

(1 cent/3 seconds)(3600 seconds in an hour)=12

 

This is, of course, disregarding any sense of accomplishment, security, or well-being gained from the aquisition of a lucky, or shiny new penny. We're talking pure economics here.

 

I don't have a statistic but I'd be willing to bet that well over half of this country's work force works for less than a 12 dollar an hour wage. That's frightening when you break it down and realize that every three seconds they're getting a penny tossed their way.

 

Currenly, I don't earn 12 dollars an hour so I could consider any penny I find to be a well earned (and highly lucrative for my three second's time) income.

 

If you make more than 12 dollars an hour at your job or, more importantly, if you value your time at more than 12 dollars an hour despite the corner the capitalist machine has you pushed into, then picking up a penny is a waste of your precious time, mathematically speaking.

 

Furthermore, I've developed an equation that will determine the value of a coin (or small amount of coins, say no more than three) that is worth reaching for, depending on what hourly wage you're willing to work for:

 

let x be your desired hourly wage

let y be the value of the coins you've stumbled upon

 

3(x/3600)=y

 

If you value your time at minimum wage in the state of New York (currently 6.75), you're rolling in money town if you find any coins worth at least a little more than half a cent.

 

If you value your time at 100 dollars an hour then you'd do well to pick up any find of 8 cents or more.

 

Because of this observation I've decided that it's very hard to argue against the economic soundness of picking up any change the average person finds on the sidewalk. You'd have to be making over 300 dollars an hour to scoff at the thought of picking up a quarter.

 

but heres something to add in your equation. it cost 1.03 cents to make a penny.

[Conesmasher]

I think that there is a factor that you may have left out. I think that it can be of relative importance the type of work that you are doing to earn said money. The factor comes into play into how much of your body do you depriciate by picking up that penny vs. the job that you do currently. Take into consideration that the body is a depreciating asset and the more you bend over to pick up said monies, the more chance you take at getting injured or possibly busting a hip.

 

Now if we are speaking of someone between the ages of 16-25, this probably won't matter. But the older you get, the more expensive that penny can be to pick up.

 

But on the flip side, I think that was damn interesting!

[Guest 614Streets]

I paid for my breakfast everyday for 2 weeks from change I found in used cars I had detailed from dec 05 to october 06

[thorne]

http://www.zpub.com/un/bill/

 

 

He just don't stop, Not worth his time.

[morabu]

what is soo freaking funny is that my friend and I were talking/thinking about this EXACT SAME thing just the other day

 

that's a fulltime job for a lot of people!

[Shields1181]

If I ever find change laying around its usually always some silver. Nickel, Dime, or Quarter. I rarely see pennies laying around.

[Orion]

heres a question. could you work a full time job, getting paid 12 dollars an hour, where every three seconds you had to bend over and pick up a penny?

[Duff1647545513]

Me and my roommate are putting all of our change together we find and get throughout the year and throwin a party the last weekend we have to be at school.......we're over $80 now, should be a hell of a party

[Guest MX3Chick]

I once found $1200 in hundreds rolled up on the ground at a Speedway. I was scared of karma so I gave it back....it was a old Italian mafia looking guy driving a new Cadillac who didnt even say thanks.

[Dr. Pomade]

I found a penny tonight and got to thinking.

 

I did some testing, and the amount of time it takes to reach down, pick up a penny, and be on your merry way is approximately 3 seconds.

 

Now, if you consider those three seconds as work done to earn that penny, and multiply it to an hourly wage; for those three seconds you're working at a rate of 12 dollars an hour:

 

(1 cent/3 seconds)(3600 seconds in an hour)=12

 

This is, of course, disregarding any sense of accomplishment, security, or well-being gained from the aquisition of a lucky, or shiny new penny. We're talking pure economics here.

 

I don't have a statistic but I'd be willing to bet that well over half of this country's work force works for less than a 12 dollar an hour wage. That's frightening when you break it down and realize that every three seconds they're getting a penny tossed their way.

 

Currenly, I don't earn 12 dollars an hour so I could consider any penny I find to be a well earned (and highly lucrative for my three second's time) income.

 

If you make more than 12 dollars an hour at your job or, more importantly, if you value your time at more than 12 dollars an hour despite the corner the capitalist machine has you pushed into, then picking up a penny is a waste of your precious time, mathematically speaking.

 

Furthermore, I've developed an equation that will determine the value of a coin (or small amount of coins, say no more than three) that is worth reaching for, depending on what hourly wage you're willing to work for:

 

let x be your desired hourly wage

let y be the value of the coins you've stumbled upon

 

3(x/3600)=y

 

If you value your time at minimum wage in the state of New York (currently 6.75), you're rolling in money town if you find any coins worth at least a little more than half a cent.

 

If you value your time at 100 dollars an hour then you'd do well to pick up any find of 8 cents or more.

 

Because of this observation I've decided that it's very hard to argue against the economic soundness of picking up any change the average person finds on the sidewalk. You'd have to be making over 300 dollars an hour to scoff at the thought of picking up a quarter.

 

This is a great post.

[jeffmeden]

So do you care to break down the time writing that post as it relates to your newfound appreciation for wage-by-coin-collection... It must dilute the profit somewhat when you consider how long it must have taken you to put together such an elaborate thesis ;-)

 

and fwiw I am currently only eyeing coins valued 1.8c or above

[HotCarl]

Me and my roommate are putting all of our change together we find and get throughout the year and throwin a party the last weekend we have to be at school.......we're over $80 now, should be a hell of a party

 

i coinstar'ed my change jar last week, 2 years worth of change = 322.66$.