The Basics - Pick up that Penny!

I know germaphobes around the country are cringing right now, but really you should be washing your hands more often any way.

PICK UP THAT PENNY!

If you don't usually, I am curious why not. Is it too much work? Do you not really need it? Are you afraid of the germs?

Because if you see a penny, and don't pick it up, you are teaching your kids something about money. And you may not like what they are learning.

Its okay to "throw" it away

Kids will take you literally when you talk about "disposable" income. Leaving money on the ground is essentially throwing it away. So the next time your kid wants some crazy gizmo, and you tell them "we aren't just going to throw our money away like that." The message is: we don't throw our money away by buying silly things, we throw our money away by literally seeing it on the ground and walking away.

Now you See it, Now you Don't

Once kids get a basic understanding of money, and what it can do, they understand that you might want more of it. What they won't understand is that sometimes you want more and sometimes you don't. You are willing to buy on sale, use coupons, and count the change the cashier gives you, but you won't take free money?

What's the Point?

Sure a penny is just a penny, and you can't buy much all by itself, but did you forget that it all adds up. One of the great bank fraud stories involves people stealing fractions of pennies from many accounts. They became millionaires just from pennies. You may not become rich by picking up a penny, but it all starts somewhere.

Finding Green

When you get in the habit of picking up money, you will soon spot it every where. And not just pennies. Nickles, dimes, quarters and even dollar bills. Once I found a twenty pound note in the airport. People don't usually drop just pennies, so if you keep looking you are bound to find all sorts of change that has been mistakenly dropped.

Don't really need it...

But I bet you could use it. Don't you hate breaking a bill, just for a couple cents. If you had loose change, you wouldn't need to. If you really don't need it, the least you could do is pick it up and donate it. Wishing Well coin drops are all over, or save it for the Santa Bell ringers at Christmas. You may not need the money, but someone out there really does.

Find a penny its yours to keep, give it away, and blessings you will reap.