Money Found

Back


I'm always on the lookout for free stuff. You'd be surprised what I'd do for free stuff :-). One thing in particular I'm always keeping an eye out for is money.

I was inspired to start keeping a log of money that I've found or won. And it has to be money in a form that's widely-accepted and usable on a day-to-day basis. Scholarships and gift certificates don't count, but debit cards and checks do count. And of course any bills or change lying on the ground count. Also, job earnings are invalid, and speaking of which, I should get one ^^;; (Job gotten 16-Aug-07.). Oh, and allowances don't count either.

Basically, I'm including any money I've accumulated that I haven't had to work for. I count money I win from competitions because, by nature, I enjoy competition, and I don't consider that work. Of course, even if I had a job I absolutely loved and didn't consider work, I still wouldn't count that.

Edit - May 18, 2008: I'm now only considering money I find or work minimally for (e.g.: October 4 entry). I removed the money won from the 2007 Seton Hall Math Competition.

Edit (4/15/2011): I have decided not to count any entries for which I had to do something to obtain the money (e.g.: taking a survey). I have also uncounted entries where someone gave me money (like their leftover change), unless it was money they just found. This page now reflects the original intent - keeping track of all money I find lying around. Just for historical records, I have kept all entries, but those that I have disqualified I have set to $0.00.

Date Location Amount Comments
June 17 to June 22, 2007 Boys' State $0.81I competed with a fellow Federalist, Jeff Huang, to see who could find the most money during the six days of Boys' State. I won, 81 cents to his 36 cents.
June 24 to July 21, 2007 Governor's School $0.70I also found a comb on the 2nd day, which I used until the 2nd to last day, when I lost it.
July 22, 2007 Morristown Memorial Hospital (MMH), outside couriers' office $0.01-
August 31, 2007 Pine Plaza, in and around Bagel Brunch $0.00($0.62, disqualified) Today, the cross country team celebrated the end of a good two weeks of summer practices by running from the school to Bagel Brunch, buying and eating bagels and other foods, and running back. Several people did not want to keep their change, so they gave it to me. Brian Guo also found a Wolf Axwielder Yu-Gi-Oh! card, which I never had, that he gave to me.
September 2, 2007 Staples in Morristown $0.02Found in the Copy & Print Center by the managers' room.
September 4, 2007 Staples in Morristown $0.01Found outside in the parking lot while fetching shopping carts.
September 8, 2007 Staples in Morristown $0.01Found at the end of the table in the associates' break room.
September 16, 2007 Staples in Morristown $0.02One cent found on ground of manager's office; one cent found on ground by checkout.
September 24, 2007 Driveway that leads to student parking lot $0.50I just finished cross country practice and was heading back inside. I couldn't go in the back gym door because construction was being done on it. So I headed down the driveway to go around to the gym main entrance, and to my right, the glare revealed two shiny objects laying about one foot apart in the dust/sand/gravel generated by the construction. It turned out to be two quarters! That's the most I've found in one sum!
September 26, 2007 Boys' locker room $0.35I found a dime on the ground next to my locker before cross country practice and a quarter there after practice. Hehe, it's like I got paid a little as an incentive to work hard and then got paid in full after I accomplished the five-mile run.
September 28, 2007 100 wing, outside Room 107 $0.05A nickel.
September 30, 2007 Band locker room $0.01We got home from the Pequannock competition at 11:45 PM, but it wasn't until after midnight that Greg LaLuna dropped a penny in the band locker room. People told him he dropped the penny, but he said, "That's all right. Whatever." So since he didn't want it, I took it :-).
October 2, 2007 200 wing $0.25I left early today for a doctor's appointment, and after going to my locker, I found a quarter outside Mr. Kleinbaum's room. I thought of it as payment before running the XC race at Pingry. Today was the first time running Pingry's course under non-raining/freezing conditions. Needless to say, I beat my best course time, getting a 20:32, completely shattering last year's 22:04.
October 3, 2007 WPHS Hallway $0.25On my way to Spanish from lunch, I saw a pencil in the middle of the hallway and stooped to pick it up. When I had bent down, I noticed that about a foot from the pencil (which had a broken tip) was a quarter!
October 4, 2007 Mr. Kleinbaum $0.00($1.00, disqualified) I stopped by Mr. Kleinbaum's room on my way to the cafeteria from my locker and I told him I was playing a chess match against Andy Tien. He bet a dollar on Andy. Later on in the day, I came back with the result, which was my victory, and he paid me a dollar (a five, in exchange for four singles). The game: Tien (white) v. Hsu (black). 1)e4 e5. 2)Bc4 Nf6. 3)d3 c6. 4)c3 d5. 5)exd cxd. 6)Qa4+ Nc6. 7)Bb5 Bd7. 8)c4 d4. 9)Qd1 a6. 10)Ba4 Qa5+. 11)b4 Qxb4+. 12)Bd2 Qb2. 13)Na3 Qxa3. 14)Nf3 Qxd3. 15)Bb3 Bg4. 16)h3 Bh5. 17)g4 Nxg4. 18)hxg4 Bxg4. 19)Nxe5 Nxe5. 20)Ba4+ b5. 21)Bxb5 axb. 0-1.
October 6, 2007 Staples in Morristown $0.11I found a dime by checkout and a random penny lying in a center aisle of the store. It's a small payment for taking the SAT today :-).
October 7, 2007 Staples in Morristown $0.01Penny found on ground in manager's office.
October 10, 2007 Gym lobby $0.00($0.25, disqualified) Teddy Melchionda got a quarter in change from the vending machine that he gave to me.
October 13, 2007 Band Bus #3 $0.01I found a penny while doing a final check to see that all the trash had been picked up.
October 15, 2007 Varsity lacrosse field $0.00($0.25, disqualified) Brian Thomas gave me a quarter that someone else gave him during gym (before we started our competitive handball game during which I gave up three goals).
October 20, 2007 A day of band $0.27Found a penny in the commons on the way back from a Whipbippa pizza dinner, found a quarter during bus #3 clean-up, and found a penny in the band hallway while waiting for my dad to finish his pit crew work.
October 24, 2007 Room 105 $0.25Went there during lunch to work on the FBLA database; when the bell rang, I was leaving when I noticed a quarter laying on the ground right in the doorway.
October 25, 2007 Bus to school $5.00I sat down, placed my umbrella on the seat across the aisle from me, and then noticed something on the ground. A bill! A dollar! WHOA, Mr. Lincoln!!! Needless to stay, this was an awesome way to start off my day and my whole day was awesome.
November 1, 2007 Commons $0.23During lunch, I saw a dime-penny combo on the floor next to a couch. Some bandies - Amanda Payne, Jeremy Seo, Elizabeth Gargon, Colleen Rochat - were around the spot and talking about the combo. Later, during eighth period, I found another dime-penny combo on the ground by the student-of-the-month display. Then I found a shiny penny under the table surrounded by couches in the commons. I also decided to revive my state quarters/specialty coins collection and added some new state quarters and a 2005 Lewis & Clark nickel to my collection.
November 2, 2007 Library $0.35At the end of eighth period, I found a quarter and a dime by the copier machine on my way out. The quarter was a Tennessee quarter, one I didn't have! Over $11 found now :-).
November 5, 2007 Library $0.05During lunch, I was in the library printing out some flute fingerings when Andy, sitting next to me, found a nickel under the table where he was sitting. He didn't want it, so he gave it to me to help me with my money found collection.
November 14, 2007 Theater; Commons $0.26During lunch, I was eating while sitting in a theater seat. I looked on the ground next to my seat to check on my stuff and I found a penny! After school, I was accounting at a commons table. I heard the sound of money clanging on the floor and my head instantly jerked in the sound's direction. The sound came from the corner with only a recycling bin. I looked behind the bin and found a quarter!
November 15, 2007 Theater; hallway outside room 101 $0.03During health class in the theater, I heard a coin drop and looked all over the ground until I found a penny under a chair. After school, I found two pennies outside room 101 as I walked toward the band room.
November 24, 2007 Staples in Morristown $0.01I found a penny on the customer service counter when I was covering for an associate who went on break. I had found a penny in Staples yesterday, but I couldn't find it when I got home.
November 26, 2007 Morris County Mall $0.01I found a penny in the hallway outside the Affinity Federal Credit Union.
November 27, 2007 100 wing $0.25I found a quarter after school after going to see Mr. Wilson with a question about accounting.
November 30, 2007 Staples in Morristown $0.01Penny found on floor by checkout.
December 4, 2007 100 wing $0.05I found a nickel outside room 107 after school.
December 6, 2007 Library, commons, room 99 $0.18I found a penny on a library table and two pennies beneath it during lunch. I found a dime in the entryway of room 99 during period 8. I found a nickel in the commons after school while walking with Andy.
December 10, 2007 Commons $0.03After lunch, I was walking to Spanish when I noticed three gleaming orbs on the ground. I retraced a few steps and picked up three pennies.
December 21, 2007 Commons $0.00($0.05, disqualified) After school, Alex gave me the five pennies in his wallet he didn't want to carry around any more.
December 23, 2007 Courier Office at Morristown Memorial Hospital $0.01I found a penny in the bottom of the mug which we use as a penholder.
January 2, 2008 100 wing $0.05After Spanish, I heard the sound of a coin clanging on the ground. Walking into the hallway, I found a nickel.
January 12, 2008 Staples of Morristown $5.02I found two pennies by the cash register, and a woman tipped me a Lincoln.
January 23, 2008 Commons $0.25The quarter seemed huge after finding so many pennies.
January 24, 2008 Bus $0.25On the morning bus, I sat down and then thought about how I found five bucks on the floor, so I looked around and spotted a quarter on the floor.
January 26, 2008 Staples of Morristown $0.01Found by the cash register. Hmm...I wonder if I could be charged with embezzlement.
January 28, 2008 Commons $0.62A person dropped a whole bunch of change and didn't care to pick it up.
January 29, 2008 100 wing $0.50I was chatting with Señora Cianciosi as we walked down the 100 wing toward the office and noticed a glistening object. After I concluded my conversation with Señora, I went back down the 100 wing and found a quarter. Looking to the other side of the hallway, I noticed another gleaming object - another quarter.
February 5, 2008 100 wing $0.13It's amazing how much change I find in the hallways 8th period when I'm free.
February 8, 2008 100 wing $0.25
February 10, 2008 Staples $0.01Found on the service desk behind the Staples brochures
February 15, 2008 Staples $0.02Two pennies found by checkout.
March 2, 2008 Staples $0.01Found by checkout.
March 3, 2008 Room 303 $0.01Found at RCC.
March 7, 2008 Staples $0.02Laying around checkout.
March 9, 2008 Staples $0.01Checkout area.
March 14, 2008 Expo Exhibition Hall, Edison $0.25While urinating, I noticed a quarter on top of the flush switch apparatus. Upon close observation, I noticed it was superglued to the urinal - glue encased it on all sides, under it, and over it. Well, I wasn't going to pry that off with my fingers. So I retrieved the scissors in my backpack, returned to the bathroom, and commenced chiseling. After twenty minutes or so of on-and-off chiseling (others had to pee, y'know?), the quarter finally popped off. Very satisfying.
March 15, 2008 Staples $0.01Checkout.
March 16, 2008 Morristown Memorial Hospital $0.01I found a penny in a lab specimen bin in the new Meade wing.
March 21, 2008 Staples $0.03Checkout.
April 3, 2008 School $0.26I found a shiny penny somewhere. Then, after Spanish, in the between-class bustle, I heard money clang on the floor multiple times. I traversed up and down the hallway and was able to find one quarter.
April 10-14, 2008 Williamsburg Trip $0.68Penny found on bus, 67 cents found in Busch Gardens, in the arcade
April 25, 2008 Staples $0.03Checkout.
April 30, 2008 School vending machines $0.15I was walking toward the commons when I heard coins drop in the change compartment of the vending machines behind me. I turned around and saw Emily DeCaro take the coins out of the compartment. I then watched her casually release the coins from her hand and walk away. The coins are now mine :-).
May 9, 2008 Staples $0.02-
May 18, 2008 Staples $0.02-
May 22, 2008 WP theater $0.01Found before an alcoholism assembly.
May 25, 2008 Staples $0.04-
May 28, 2008 Commons $0.10I believe this dime fell from the skies. I was packing up, ready to leave for the 4:15 bus, when I heard a coin clang on the ground. I looked in the direction of the sound, but no one was nearby. I walked toward the wall, where I heard the coin drop, and looking down, I saw a dime, which must have fallen from the wall posters or the ceiling or from thin air perhaps.
May 29, 2008 200 wing, Commons $0.50Found two quarters after school.
May 30, 2008 Spanish class $0.05We had an assembly 6th period today, for which many seniors just reported directed to the theater for, without going to 6th period. I dropped by my Spanish class briefly and on my way out, I found a nickel by the garbage can.
June 1, 2008 Staples $0.01-
June 4, 2008 Morning bus $0.01I was thinking about the five bucks I found on the bus one time, so I looked around at the floor nearby and found a penny behind my seat.
June 10, 2008 Commons $0.02-
June 11, 2008 Spanish $0.15After the departure bell rang, Ken entered and gave me a nickel. Then Andy found two nickels on the floor.
June 13, 2008 Library, after school $0.00($0.25, disqualified) I was paying up my man, Andy, and he had a quarter, which he donated to my moneyfound collection (not that there exists any other collection besides this list).
June 16, 2008 Cafeteria $0.05Andy and I were chillin' after finals and playing tennis, eating our lunch in the cafeteria. I went to see if the computer lab was open, which it was not, but I found a nickel by the cafeteria door hinge in the process.
June 20, 2008 Project Graduation $10.10Found a dime in one of the game rooms (I think it was the room with the Wii and Guitar Hero.). Also caught $10 from the Money Vault.
June 23, 2008 Staples $0.02Was doing some Easy Tech training and noticed two pennies under my stool.
June 24, 2008 Morristown Memorial Hospital $0.01Penny found in the cafeteria.
June 25, 2008 Office complex next to my house $0.03Was taking a stroll with my grandma and noticed 3 shiny pennies on the parking lot.
June 26, 2008, to June 30, 2008 Atlanta, Georgia $1.13Found at various locations, including the Westin gift shop, the Westin hotel room I stayed in, the Marriott Marquis, the street, the airport, and the World of Coca-Cola.
August 12, 2008 Staples $0.01Found on my way out, wheeling a U-Boat back.
August 20, 2008 Staples $0.02Breakroom.
August 20, 2008 Staples $0.01Breakroom.
August 23, 2008 Fortune Wheel Restaurant $0.00($0.01, disqualified) I solved a Rubik's Cube using only my elbows and my cousin Patrick tipped me one penny.
September 7, 2008 Common room $0.10Found on the futon.
September 25, 2008 CS Building $0.04Found next to a computer in the Closed Zoo (a computer cluster).
October 7, 2008 Bass Library $0.01Found in individual study room.
October 10, 2008 Various places, including my suite's common room $0.28We had a massive party last night.
October 11, 2008 After the party $0.87Found while cleaning up the 200+ beers and soda cups and other miscellaneous garbage. Added California and Nevada to my quarter collection. 12 states to go.
October 12, 2008 Somewhere, forget where $0.01-
October 14, 2008 Common room $0.05Found under a make-shift beer pong table.
October 24, 2008 Walgreens $0.10Buying materials for my cube costume.
November 7, 2008 Laundry room $0.25I accidentally used a washer that had a broken door, and so when I took my clothes out, they were SOPPING wet, dripping everywhere, and I had to dry them like 5 times. (I now realize I shoulda first rewashed those clothes in a working washer, but hey, you live and learn.)
November 14, 2008 Laundry room $0.10Speaking of the laundry room, all my laundry is still in the dryers - I started the dryers and then went to sleep (on a nude mattress).
12/1-12/8, 2008 ELEC lab, Bass Library, my suite's bathroom $0.08Heh, I've been lazy and haven't been recording regularly.
December 19, 2008 Lair common room $0.36I think I'm the only person left in the Lair (everyone else has already left for winter recess). So I cleaned the whole place and was rewarded a quarter, dime, and penny.
January 25-30, 2009 Around campus $0.11Dime found outside Linsley Chittenden when I couldn't get in and had to call David inside. While I waited, I looked down and found the coin.
January 31, 2009 Commons $0.01Found while waiting in line to get into the Freshman Screw
February 6, 2009 Around campus $0.02($0.17 total, $0.15 disqualified) Penny found walking to Stiles. Dime and nickel given to me by Kate Carter; found in clarinet section stuff backpack. Forget where I found last penny. (Edit (4/15/2011): I'm disqualifying the money KCarter found in her backpack because it was probably her money; she just forgot about it. Thus, she was really giving me her money and not money she found.)
February 7, 2009 Asian American Cultural Center $0.01As I was leaving, I found six pennies on the ground right inside the entrance, but it turned out they were Stephanie's. I gave them back to her, but she told me to keep one.
February 10, 2009 Farnam laundry room $0.01Probably my last money found post for a while.
February 15, 2009 San Francisco International Airport $0.51There was sooo much change lying around at the security checkpoint. I saw a lot more, but I only picked up what was in my path.
February 25, 2009 CS building, Lair bathroom $0.18Found a penny under the vending machine when I dropped a dime and then got down to look for it. Took the stack of 17 pennies that had been sitting next to our sink for a while.
February 26, 2009 FB21 $0.10The night of 2/25-2/26, Kate and I decided to drop our proof-based linear algebra class. As I was on my way out, I found a dime in the doorway.
March 4, 2009 Lair bathroom, common room $0.02Penny found by the sink, penny found on floor of common room.
March 6, 2009 JFK Airport $1.50One consistently finds money while passing through the security checkpoint. A dollar found on the ground at Wachovia when I went there this morning to get money for the Yale Concert Band's trip to Mexico.
March 10, 2009 Hotel Florencia room $0.17I guess my roommate Sam Vesuna didn't want the 17 cents he left in a drawer.
March 25, 2009 CS building $0.03Found next to printer.
April 3, 2009 Lawrance Hall doorway $0.01My parents and grandmas came to visit, and while I was holding the door open, I noticed a crusted circular object on the ground. It was a penny.
April 11, 2009 Lair common room $0.01Found under futon when I was shifting furniture around and remodeling the room.
April 17, 2009 Lair common room $0.10Found under collapsable mesh chair.
April 24, 2009 Post Office $0.10No mail, but I found a dime!
April 24, 2009 Lair common room $0.62My reward for cleaning the room.
April 25, 2009 Lair common room $0.02Was cleaning room/fixing decorations.
April 25, 2009 Band room $0.01I find lots of writing utensils in the BRoom as well.
April 28, 2009 Closed Zoo $0.26The Zoos are also another common place that I find money.
April 30, 2009 Laundry room $0.01Laundry room is another good place to find loose change.
May 5, 2009 Open Zoo $0.02I kept one and gave one to David Zhang for good luck on our philosophy final. We zwned it.
May 6, 2009 Lair common room $0.63Bryan gave me some change he left on top of the TV, plus I found a penny on the floor. (Edit (4/15/2011): I'm still counting this because I did find the change lying around on top of the TV. It was Bryan's, and he confirmed I could have it.)
May 6, 2009 Old Campus $0.01David Zhang found a penny while we were playing frisbee and gave it to me.
May 6, 2009 Tom's change box $0.50Tom let me look through his change box (I estimate at least $30 in there) and take any state quarters I needed. Found Alaska and Wyoming!
May 8, 2009 AKW 100 $0.00($0.07, disqualified) Ismail gave me seven pennies he had.
May 9, 2009 Lair common room $0.01Found while cleaning.
May 10, 2009 Timothy Dwight, outside an entryway $0.12Found when going to TD to see Maylene one final time before she left for Georgia.
May 11, 2009 Lawrance Hall, entryway A $0.01Found when exiting the Lair this morning.
May 13, 2009 Lair common room $0.01Found when taking down my hanging Rubik's Cube and buckyball and the beer cans and posters we had hanging around.
May 21, 2009 Stevens Burchard Building Room 219 $0.03Found on the ground when nosing around under a table trying to plug in a Ethernet cable.
May 25, 2009 Apartment and next-door apartment $8.42Holy shamolees, some people leave a lot of change lying around. I looked through all the drawers and practically crawled all around the floor digging up pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters from every corner of the rooms.
May 30, 2009 Giant Laundromat $0.01Did laundry in Hoboken for the first time today.
June 8, 2009 Giant Laundromat $0.10Found a dime when picking up my clothes from the dryer.
June 8, 2009 Hoboken $0.01Found a penny on the sidewalk outside my apartment.
June 16, 2009 Hoboken $0.01Found a penny outside the apartment next to mine.
June 26, 2009 Bank of America, Hoboken $0.02One found outside entrance door and one found inside by the ATMs.
July 10, 2009 Hoboken $0.01Found a penny on the ground as I was running from my apartment to the train station.
July 16, 2009 Hoboken $0.01Found a penny walking to the lab this afternoon.
July 18, 2009 Honeybee Robotics building staircase $0.01So Professor Yao took the Stevens REU group to see Honeybee Robotics in NYC. The office is located on the 7th floor of a building. When we left, I decided to take the stairs down and discovered there was no staircase door on the first floor. I went up floor-by-floor, trying the staircase entry door on each floor, but all of them were locked. I ended up having to call Thomas, who sent Dante up to rescue me from the stairwell. While waiting for Dante, I found a penny in the stairwell right by the fourth floor door.
July 22, 2009 8th Street, Hoboken $0.01Walking back from the lab, found a penny on the street.
July 28, 2009 Grand Central Terminal, NY $0.01Running behind my brother to catch the NJ Transit train, I noticed someone dropped and kicked a penny. I was running down the stairs and the penny rolled and hit the bottom step, and stopped. I glanced down, contemplating whether to pick it up, then looked up and saw my brother still running, so I decided against it and kept moving. We missed the train, so I came back and picked it up.
July 29, 2009 Grand Central Terminal, NY $0.01Today, I wasn't running to catch the train home, and I spotted a stationary penny on the ground and stooped to pick it up.
August 5, 2009 NY Penn Station $0.01Missed the train but found a penny on a seat in the waiting area.
August 22, 2009 Super Star East Buffet parking lot in Princeton $0.01Found it on the wet ground when stepping out of the car.
August 30, 2009 Yale campus $0.12Found a dime and a penny in Ezra Stiles on the ramp up to the Dean's Office. Found another penny on the sidewalk on Broadway.
September 2, 2009 Outside Trumbull gate, outside Denali $0.05On my way back from the AASA general meeting, found four pennies outside Trumbull and another penny outside Denali.
September 4, 2009 Next to Mory's, by the pole that always has tons of flyers stuck to it. $0.01Walking back from the band BBQ in Silliman, I was thinking I would probably find some change near Mory's, and as I was thinking that, I looked around and spotted a penny!
September 4, 2009 Prelude dance party $0.16Found near the payment table.
September 5, 2009 Outside Trumbull $0.01Found walking back to Stiles from Bass Library.
September 6, 2009 Outside Gourmet Heaven $0.01Found walking back to Stiles from a sax apple pie get-together
September 7, 2009 Stiles laundry room $0.02Found after adding $20 for laundry to my ID card.
September 11, 2009 Outside Mory's $0.01Found next to the pole of flyers.
September 12, 2009 Walmart/McDonald's in Hamden, CT $0.03Found a penny in Walmart and two pennies on the countertop in McDonald's.
September 18, 2009 Psychology studies in LC and Dunham Lab $0.00($13.00, disqualified) Took two surveys, each for five dollars, one of which gave me additional dollars for each trivia question I answered correctly (I got 3/10 right. I was disappointed.).
September 19, 2009 Water's Edge Resort, Westbrook, CT $0.01Found a penny in our dining/conference room for the Asian American Leadership Retreat.
September 19, 2009 Branford gameroom $0.01Found a penny under the air hockey table when retrieving a ping pong ball.
September 23, 2009 Commons $0.01Found at the swipe-in counter.
October 4, 2009 My dorm room $0.33Ben Yu left this change on my desk when he and Dan Chen left (they were here this weekend for the Yale Debate Tournament).
October 6, 2009 Stiles lobby lounge $0.01Found when going outside in the middle of the night to fetch what appeared to be an unwanted desk chair.
October 24, 2009 The Blockley Pourhouse, coach bus to/from Philly $0.02Found a penny at dinner and a penny on the bus, both while searching on the floor for Rubik's Cube pieces that had popped out. Unfortunately, I did not find my white tiled center cap, but fortunately, that should be easily replaceable.
November 3, 2009 Zoo $0.02Found under the monitor of the computer named "Chameleon."
November 5, 2009 Stiles dining hall $0.01Found when going in there around 9pm to grab some food.
November 8, 2009 Stiles $0.01Found by the gate when leaving this morning.
November 15, 2009 Princeton University, outside Wa-Wa $0.01A man in front of me dropped a penny, seemingly intentionally, and then I picked it up.
November 18, 2009 Stiles lobby $0.00($1.00, disqualified) My reward for taking a 5-minute (more like 1-minute) psychology study.
November 21, 2009 Downtown at the Taft $1.53After Elixir had died down, I was chilling on the stairs and found a dollar, two quarters, and three pennies.
November 22, 2009 Metro-North Railroad $0.01I saw a penny on the floor as I was looking for a seat. After I sat down and put my stuff down, I went back and picked up the penny.
November 23, 2009 NYC Subway $0.02Found on the C train from Port Authority to 58th St Columbus Circle.
November 24, 2009 Columbia University Broadway Sky Lounge $0.01Noticed a penny under a table in a lounge in a Columbia dorm while being introduced to two of Crissy's friends.
December 1, 2009 Zoo $0.25Found a quarter under a table.
December 4, 2009 Broadway, New Haven $0.01Walking back to my room from the band post-concert reception, I noticed a penny on the ground. Before I reached it, a hobo asked me if I had some change to spare. I said I didn't, but I gave him the penny on the ground.
December 11, 2009 Wachovia, Psych Survey $0.03($5.56 total, $5.53 disqualified) I cashed a check at the bank and received three cents more than the value of the check because the clerk did not have any more pennies. Also found two pennies on a countertop in the bank while I was initialing the bills I got. On my way back to my room, I found a penny on the sidewalk. During this trek, I suddenly remembered there was a psych study happening in Linsly-Chittenden Hall, so I went there to take the study for $5. In one of the studies, we were given an extra dollar to buy one of two pens and could keep the remaining money. One pen was fifty cents and the other was a dollar. I chose the fifty-cent pen and earned an extra fifty cents.
December 17, 2009 Mail $0.00($6.00, disqualified) Got $5 from Arbitron asking me to keep a radio diary for a week and send it in for an extra $5. I also received another letter and another buck from Arbitron as a reminder to turn in my radio diary for an extra $5. Too bad when I checked my mail, the diary week had already passed. Hah, I don't even remember when I signed up for this survey.
December 25, 2009 JFK Airport security checkpoint $0.01After going through the checkpoint with my brother and while waiting for parents to come through, I spotted a penny on the ground.
12/28/09 Walmart, Mountain View, CA $0.26Found the coins on the ground by checkout.
1/10/10 Laundry room, Ezra Stiles $0.01Found on the rim of a dryer door frame when I opened the door.
1/11/10 Becton Center (Engineering building) $1.00Found a dollar on the ground in the hallway after exiting the Engineering & Applied Science Library.
1/12/10 Band Room (BRoom) $0.05Nickel found on the floor by the big wooden table.
1/12/10 Psych Survey $0.00($2.00, disqualified) Had to hold a heat pack for a minute and fill out a 3-question sheet about the heat pack before starting a packet of questions. I wonder if the heat pack and the related three questions were simply to get your mind ready for doing the actual survey.
1/14/10 Psych Survey $0.00($2.00, disqualified) My goal this semester is to see how much money I can earn from psych surveys in a semester.
1/14/10 Ezra Stiles stairwell $0.10Ken was visiting me and I was giving him a tour of Stiles when he spotted a dime. Thanks, Ken.
1/21/10 Ezra Stiles bathroom $0.10Was taking a dump before dinner and saw a dime on the floor in the stall I was using.
1/22/10 Silliman dining hall $0.01Found a penny on my chair.
1/23/10 Stiles laundry room $0.25Found a quarter in a washer when removing a person's clothes from it.
1/27/10 Technology Troubleshooting Office (TTO) $0.35Found a quarter and a dime at the table I was sitting at during my one-hour morning shift working in the office.
1/30/10 Ezra Stiles laundry room $0.01Found a penny on a table.
2/4/10 Ezra Stiles computer cluster $0.05Found on the ground when doing a Kilroy (computer/printer check) there.
2/5/10 School of Management Survey $0.00($7.00, disqualified) I got to make a box and taste chocolate.
2/5/10 Ezra Stiles Fellows Lounge $0.01Found in a drawer while I was snooping around.
2/8/10 Closed Zoo $0.01Found next to a computer. Also found a mechanical pencil next to another computer.
2/15/10 Stiles Common Room $0.01Found on the ground by the vending machines.
2/20/10 Open Zoo $0.02Found on the table next to the door that leads to the overpass.
2/22/10 Psych study in Commons $0.00($2.00, disqualified) Got 2 dollars on answering a survey that asked me to answer questions about a Michael who gauged how much time he had to get to class by the clock tower on campus. One day, he sees it showing 9:58 am and starts running to get to his 10 am class on time. The time is correct, but the clock had stopped running at 9:58 am the previous day.
2/22/10 Open Zoo $0.65Found on top of a short bookshelf next to a container of cookies, one of which I had.
3/2/10 My room $0.01My jeans snagged a bit of the desk where I was sitting and tore a strip of wood off the inner side of the desk. When I bent down to pick it up, I found a penny on the floor.
3/4/10 Self-Service Media Workstations Room, Bass Library $0.01Found when I was in there to get paper to refill the printers.
3/5/10 Technology Troubleshooting Office (TTO) $0.01Found during my Student Tech shift in the TTO.
3/14/10 Berkeley, CA $0.02Found two pennies on the sidewalk walking from the Downtown Berkeley BART Station to my cousin's apartment. Woot, pi day!
3/16/10 Berkeley, CA $0.01Found a penny on the AC Transit on my way home from LeapFrog.
4/1/10 Yale $0.01Found a penny on my way back to Ezra Stiles from Durfee's (where I bought a bag of Chex Mix to eat during my long night ahead).
4/11/10 Yale $0.01Found a penny outside Berkeley South Court gate (Cross Campus gate) when heading to the Women's Table for Clari-Low Brass vs. Flutes Ashley's Ice Cream Challenge (the two teams race to eat a frisbee, which is 7 scoops of ice cream and 9 toppings on top of a frisbee).
4/15/10 Ezra Stiles laundry room $0.05Found a nickel while in the room moving my clothes from the washers to the dryers.
4/18/10 Outside Ezra Stiles $0.01Found a penny when heading to Old Campus to chalk for AASA.
4/21/10 My room $0.10Found a dime on the ground after my prefrosh left.
4/25/10 Hodson Hall, Johns Hopkins University $0.01Found when Andy and I went there to study.
4/27/10 Open Zoo $0.01Found under the table where Philip Shao was sitting.
4/30/10 Timothy Dwight College, Entryway G $0.01Found when going upstairs from the basement to use the bathroom.
5/1/10 Zoo $0.01Found under a table in the Open Zoo.
5/5/10 Connecticut Hall computer cluster $0.25Found a Virginia quarter next to one of the printers.
5/5/10 School of Architecture Library $0.01First time inside the School of Architecture (Rudolph Hall) building. Looking over a balcony, I saw a penny on a comfy chair in the lower level. I went down and picked it up.
5/12/10 David Zhang's room, Bingham $0.03Today is move-out day, and cleaning up for David, I found a penny. While moving to Bingham, I also found two pennies right inside entryway C.
5/14/10 Jonathan Edwards room B12C $0.01Found a penny here while I was snooping around. My ID card access to the residential colleges should have already been deactivated, but somehow, it still worked on the JE York Street gate by the Yale University Art Gallery. After entering the gate, the door immediately to my right was ajar, and this happened to be suite B12, so I went in and explored (even did some blogging and napped in an empty room inside).
5/16/10 Lake Compounce, Bingham $0.12Found two pennies at Lake Compounce (amusement park) and a dime in Bingham on my way upstairs.
5/23/10 BRoom $0.01Found a penny on the ground by the brown wooden table.
5/25/10 Bingham C61 $0.05Found a nickel on the ground while packing.
5/25/10 Bingham courtyard $0.01Found a penny while moving out.
5/29/10 SFO $0.01Found a penny outside a handicap stall in a bathroom.
6/6/10 Serra Lounge $0.10Found a dime on the table when Max and I went there this morning at 6 am to watch the French Open finals.
6/24/10 Foster City 99 Ranch parking lot $0.01Found on the pavement behind my car after having bought groceries with my roommate.
7/25/10 Yosemite Westgate Lodge room and my car $3.47Found 7 pennies left behind in a drawer in the lodge room, and found $3.40 left behind by the occupants of my car, including Rewon Child, Sherwin Yu, and Alex Yuning Liu.
7/28/10 Marine Parkway $0.01I arrived at work around 9:30 AM. Starting around ten, I had a massive headache and felt queasy. At 11, I sent my manager (who was in a conference call) an email and went home. On my way biking home, I found a penny in the bike lane. After sleeping for 3 hours 40 minutes, I went back to work around 3:40 PM.
8/27/10 Swing Space music practice room $0.01Found a penny when I went here to practice clarinet for my YCB audition.
8/31/10 Technology Troubleshooting Office (TTO) $0.01Found a penny at the desk where I sat.
9/2/10 370 Temple St, Room 321 $0.01Found a penny on the ledge (for holding markers) under a whiteboard while shopping a linguistics class, which I'm definitely not taking.
9/5/10 Swing Space Laundry Room $0.02Found two pennies on top of the washers.
9/10/10 Saybrook dining hall $0.01Found a penny while setting up for Prelude dance
9/12/10 Swing Space gate $0.01Found a penny outside the gate when leaving Swing Space for the Morse Library.
9/18/10 YPMB rehearsal field across from Yale Bowl $0.01Found a penny, heads up, by the sidelines where we dropped all our instrument cases and baggage.
9/25/10 Swing Space laundry room $0.01Found while doing laundry earlier today.
9/26/10 Bass Library $0.01Found a penny when walking to the water fountain.
10/3/10 Technology Troubleshooting Office (TTO) $0.05Found while on shift this afternoon.
10/7/10 TTO $0.01Found on desk while on shift.
10/11/10 TTO $0.01Found while on shift.
10/13/10 Swing Space trash and recycling room $0.01Found a penny when taking out the garbage and recycling this morning.
10/13/10 Trumbull dining hall $0.05Found a nickel as I was exiting the dining hall.
10/23/10 AKW 2nd floor $0.01Found a penny on the table before going to sleep.
10/23/10 Swing Space $0.10Found a dime under the table in my suite's common room.
11/2/10 Yale University Art Gallery auditorium $0.01Found on the arm rest of the seat in front of me during the lecture for the class U.S. Lesbian and Gay History.
11/3/10 Morse Tower Parkway entrance $0.01Found underneath the gate.
11/18/10 Technology Troubleshooting Office (TTO) $0.01Found on a table during my shift.
11/20/10 Dattco Coach Bus $0.01Found when exiting the bus from Boston back to New Haven.
11/21/10 Swing Space $0.02Found two pennies in the hallway on the way back to my room.
12/10/10 Yale Post Office $0.47Found the change on a countertop that I was using to pack an apple and a cheeseburger into an envelope to send to Jeffrey Huang.
12/13/10 TTO $0.01Found during my shift.
12/30/10 NYC taxi $0.10Found on a taxi ride.
1/18/11 TTO and Bass Library $0.03Found on shift and while walking to the bathroom.
1/18/11 TTO $0.05Found on my second shift of the day.
2/8/11 Swing Space staircase $0.01Found a penny on way downstairs to use the piano for musicianship exercises.
2/12/11 Swing Space laundry room $0.03Found two pennies inside a washer and one penny on the ground.
2/22/11 Arthur K. Watson Hall (CS building) 2nd floor lounge $0.01Found while going over a Randomized Algorithms problem set with classmates.
2/27/11 Sidewalk outside York St. Trumbull gate $0.01Found while walking with the band from Payne Whitney to the BRoom
2/28/11 Student Tech hardware office (aka, the io) $0.01Found right inside the rear door.
3/4/11 New Haven, CT $0.01Found walking to Criterion Cinemas to see The King's Speech
3/9/11 Johns Hopkins Recreation Center $0.25Found a quarter on the ground in the top rope cave by one of the climbs.
3/10/11 Johns Hopkins $0.10Found a nickel dropped by Andy (Andy said to keep it - "Finders keepers") and another one while walking around campus.
4/4/11 Outside Yale Post Office, by bike racks $0.01Found when parking my bike before checking my mail.
4/6/11 Closed Zoo $0.01Found in front of a computer I was using.
4/8/11 io $0.05Found a nickel under a electrical grounding mat while searching for a screw I dropped on the floor.
4/15/11 301 Hendrie Hall $0.01Found at the end of Midnight Rehearsal.
4/16/11 York St., New Haven $0.01Found in the middle of York St. while biking to Durfee's for my daily cookies.
4/20/11 Tower Parkway, New Haven $0.01Found on the street next to the curb as I was heading back to Swing Space.
4/23/11 Cornell $0.01Found a penny in the morning on my way to the Cornell Spring 2011 Rubik's Cube competition.
4/30/11 Chapel Street, New Haven $0.01Found heading back to Swing Space from the Yale School of Art Seniors exhibit.
5/2/11 Wachovia, New Haven $0.01Found on the table where I filled out my deposit slip.
5/3/11 TTO, io $0.02Was doing a Berkeley kilroy and decided to also do an io run. Found a penny in the TTO and then found another penny in the io.
5/4/11 Swing Space $0.01Found on the cookie jar outside my door as I was putting out more cookies.
5/7/11 Swing Space gate $0.01Found while exiting the gate to go to Durfee's.
5/11/11 Swing Space $0.01Found on the third floor by the benches while moving out.
5/15/11 Bingham A $0.01Found in BCentral when moving in tonight.
5/17/11 Bingham A $0.05Found in BCentral on the floor this afternoon after returning from the saxophone retreat.
5/17/11 BRoom $0.01Found while returning my sax.
5/22/11 Bingham A $0.25Found a quarter in BCentral on the floor.
5/23/11 Bingham A $0.01Found in my Dead Week room under the radiator.
5/23/11 Bingham laundry room $0.06Found a nickel in the dryer I used and a penny by the add-money-to-ID-card machine.
5/23/11 B'itchen $0.50Found two quarters on the shelf above the fireplace.
6/12/11 Palo Alto $0.01Found a penny on top of a cabinet in the bathroom the night I moved into my summer house.
6/15/11 Googleplex $0.13Found in one of the lockers in the shower room next to one of the gyms.
6/20/11 Palo Alto $0.01Found a penny under the desk in my room in my summer house.
7/23/11 Mitchell Park, Palo Alto $0.01Found a penny on the ground while I was talking with some Yalies at the Association of Asian American Yale Alumni potluck picnic.
8/11/11 Columbus International Airport $0.01Found while walking out with Tyson Mao.
8/12/11 Archie M. Griffin Grand Ballroom, The Ohio Union, The Ohio State University $0.02Found two pennies on the ground at U.S. Nationals, Day 1
8/14/11 Columbus, Ohio $0.42Change that Felix Lee, 2011 feet cubing and pyraminx champion, did not want.
8/24/11 Yalestation $0.01Found a penny in one of the slots of a multi-slotted slip holder.
8/26/11 Linsly-Chittenden Hall room 101 $0.01Found during Computing@Yale Sessions, where Student Techs helped freshmen set up their computers.
8/26/11 Yale Bookstore $0.25Found on the ground while I was walking in the checkout line.
8/27/11 Linsly-Chittenden Hall, room 317 $0.01Found during a Computing@Yale session for freshmen.
8/29/11 Tyco, New Haven $0.10Found a dime on the counter while buying some card stock.
9/2/11 Ezra Stiles College $0.01Found a penny in the stairwell of my entryway.
9/5/11 Berkeley College $0.01Found a penny in the computer cluster about twenty minutes before the start of the New Haven 20K Road Race.
9/6/11 Ezra Stiles College $0.01Found a penny in my hallway while chatting with Erik Santoro.
9/11/11 Ezra Stiles College $0.01Found a penny on a box outside my room.
9/17/11 Yale Bowl $1.00Found a dollar in a pocket in my YPMB Blazer while prepping my handkerchief in the same pocket.
9/18/11 Ezra Stiles College $0.50Found two quarters in the laundry room when I went to move my clothes from the washers to the dryers.
9/18/11 Outside Berkeley College $0.01Found a penny as I was exiting Berkeley around 6:35 PM.
9/25/11 Skirball Center for the Performing Arts $0.01Found in the bathroom. I was there this afternoon for a Republic of China Centennial celebration concert, at which my cousin Don Yau played a violin piece.
10/1/11 Ezra Stiles College $0.01Found two pennies in the laundry room while washing my clothes.
10/6/11 Durfee's $0.01Found a penny on the ground while crouching down to grab some Pop-Tarts.
10/12/11 Ezra Stiles College $0.01Found a penny in the music room when I went there to practice clarinet.
10/16/11 Ezra Stiles College $0.01Found a penny in the laundry room.
10/22/11 Science Center, Harvard $0.01Found a penny in the basement bathroom.
10/23/11 Silver Spring, Maryland $0.01Found a penny at the bus stop in front of the Animal Planet / Discovery Channel building.
10/27/11 Ezra Stiles College $0.41Found a quarter, a dime, a nickel, and a penny while cleaning my suite's common room in preparation for my low-key birthday get-together on Saturday 10/29.
10/29/11 Ezra Stiles College $1.02Found under the couch in my common room while cleaning in prep for my low-key birthday hangout.
11/4/11 Ezra Stiles College $0.01Found at the swipe-in station.
11/4/11 Ezra Stiles College $0.10Found in the computer cluster.
12/1/11 AKW $0.35Found in the Zoo.
12/11/11 Berkeley College computer cluster $0.01Found while kilroying.
12/17/11 Berkeley College computer cluster $0.25Found while kilroying.
12/18/11 Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix, AZ $0.02Found at the check-out counter of the Blue Burrito Grille in Terminal 4 Gate A by Gate A23.
12/21/11 San Francisco International Airport $0.01Found in one of the trays I used at the security checkpoint.
12/21/11 San Francisco International Airport $0.11Found on the checkout counter at a Subway.
12/27/11 NJ Rock Gym $0.01Found on the ground next to one of the climbs.
1/9/12 Yale Student Tech hardware office $0.01Found this morning while working there - Ken Kawamoto was with me and pointed it out to me. It was on the ground underneath the chair I was sitting in.
1/16/12 Old Campus $0.01Found outside Lanman-Wright entryway C on my way out from getting money from Kevin Zhou.
1/19/12 Ezra Stiles College $0.05Found on top of a dryer while doing laundry.
1/22/12 Ezra Stiles College $0.11Found in the computer cluster when I went there to print something.
1/26/12 Ezra Stiles College $0.01Found by the buttery when I went there to see if there was any leftover food.
1/29/12 Ezra Stiles College $0.10Carly Hafner gave a dime to me when she came over to say hi in the dining hall.
2/5/12 Ezra Stiles College $0.11Change dropped on the ground by the Penn bandies I hosted.
2/7/12 Becton Center $0.01Found in the basement hallway outside the EE labs while walking from Computer Networks to Signals & Systems.
2/12/12 Pierson College $0.01Found in the ensemble music practice room during West Side Story pit orchestra rehearsal.
2/13/12 TTO $0.01Found in the Technology Troubleshooting Office during my Student Tech shift.
2/14/12 Durfee's $0.04Found when I went to buy a night snack.
2/20/12 Ezra Stiles $0.01Found outside my entryway.
2/25/12 Sudler Hall $0.10Found while searching for a blue center cap, which I never found. I also found a paper clip.
3/25/12 Ezra Stiles laundry room $0.11Found while moving my clothes from the washers to the dryers.
3/29/12 Ezra Stiles $0.02Found in my entryway staircas as I headed downstairs to practice clarinet.
4/1/12 Ezra Stiles $0.40Found in the laundry room while doing laundry.
4/4/12 Ezra Stiles $0.02Found on the stairs leading to the sub-basement.
4/5/12 Ezra Stiles $0.11Found on the stairs coming up from the basement.
4/7/12 Ezra Stiles $0.10Found outside the rear gate.
4/9/12 Timothy Dwight College $0.01Found on the steps by the Grove St gate.
4/22/12 Ezra Stiles College $0.02Found in the stairwell of my entryway.
4/24/12 CS building $0.10Found in the Open Zoo.
4/26/12 Wall St $0.01Found walking back to my room.
5/2/12 Berkeley College $0.25Found in the computer cluster while kilroying.
5/2/12 io $0.01Found in the Student Tech hardware office while working.
5/6/12 Ezra Stiles $0.01Found outside the dining hall entrance.
5/9/12 Branford College $0.01Found while helping Sagar Setru move stuff to his car.
5/11/12 Jeera Thai, New Haven $0.10Found while eating dinner there with Philip Shao, David Chen, and Arjun Kavi.
5/15/12 Ezra Stiles $0.01Found in my suite's bathroom.
5/17/12 Branford $0.01Found in the courtyard while heading to Froyo World.
5/21/12 Ezra Stiles $0.01Found in the laundry room while doing laundry for the last time in college.
7/26/12 Mountain View $0.01Found in a garage when I went there to park a bike.
7/31/12 Mountain View $0.01Found in the garage outside the bike room.
8/25/12 East Hanover, NJ $0.01Found in the Route 10 Applebee's while eating there with Alex Szajko, Dan Malzone, and James Strande
9/16/12 Pier 39, San Francisco $0.10Found a dime on the pier as I was walking Patrick Nosker and his girlfriend, Mercedes Gyuricza.
12/2/12 Sunnyvale $0.01Found in a parking lot in downtown Sunnyvale.
12/8/12 Planet Granite Sunnyvale $0.27Found in the cubby I used.
2/17/13 Alamo Square Park $0.01Found on the picnic table I ate lunch at.
3/12/13 Planet Granite Sunnyvale $0.01Found on the ground at closing time.
3/15/13 Carl Jr.'s $0.05Found outside the drive-thru pick-up window on the ground.
3/21/13 San Jose International Airport $0.01Found on baggage claim carousel B3.
4/8/13 In-N-Out Burger, Mountain View, CA $0.10Found a dime near the order counter while waiting for my meal.
4/9/13 Planet Granite, Sunnyvale $0.01Found on the ground near some cubbies.
4/21/13 San Francisco $0.01Found on the ground in the small hours after leaving the DNA Lounge.
6/21/13 Caltrain $0.01Found by the bike storage area before disembarking.
7/1/13 Norwegian Star cruise ship $0.01Found outside my stateroom after returning from a day in Warnemünde and Rostcok, Germany
7/20/13 J&J Hawaiian Barbecue $0.01Found in the parking lot as I was exiting the restaurant after eating lunch.
7/28/13 Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas $0.11Found behind the stage after the Rubik's Cube World Championship ended.
8/3/13 Great America Amusement Park $0.01Found by the entrance to one of the roller coasters.
8/5/13 Dish n Dash $0.25Found by the entrance.
9/23/13 MIT $0.02Found while walking from Baskin Robbins back to Dreyfus Hall.
10/13/13 Sunnyvale Caltrain Station $0.10Found when returning after skydiving.
10/29/13 Planet Granite Sunnyvale $0.01Found by the cubbies against the left wall when you walk in.
11/2/13 Togo's, Downtown Berkeley $0.01Found on the ground next to the counter near the cash register.
11/12/13 Planet Granite Sunnyvale $0.01Found by the cubbies while changing.
12/12/13 Sports Basement $0.01
12/15/13 The Ridge Tahoe $0.05Found while doing a final check of the room.
1/19/14 Mountain View Caltrain Station $0.01Found on the northbound platform while waiting for my train.
2/23/14 The Ridge Tahoe $0.60Loose change found in the room I stayed in (probably my roommates')
2/25/14 Sunnyvale $0.01Found on my morning run.
3/15/14 Las Vegas Airport $0.16Found at the security checkpoint
3/23/14 San Bruno Mountain Park $0.01Found in the parking lot.
4/12/14 York St, New Haven $0.03Found outside Davenport College.
5/3/14 San Francisco $0.02Found outside Raymond's apartment.
6/4/14 Planet Granite Sunnyvale $0.01Found when leaving
6/29/14 Planet Granite Sunnyvale $0.92Found in one of the cubbies.
7/3/14 LinkedIn $0.05Found under my work desk.
7/12/14 UC Berkeley $0.01Found in Dwinelle Hall in a hallway when I took a bathroom break during the Berkeley Mystery Puzzle Hunt
7/28/14 Caltrain $0.50Found on the train ride home.
8/6/14 Planet Granite $0.01Found in my cubby as I was packing up.
9/12/14 Mark Wagner's car $0.01Found on the floor in the back on our way to lunch. He told me to keep it.
11/1/14 San Francisco $0.01Found near the Caltrain Station on the sidewalk.
 Total $69.98


Back