FMJ Blog - Day 33

Hey, alright another 3 cents found on Day 33. A little bikeride in the afternoon produced them.

FMJ Total Found: $465.74
Since Blog Inception: $6.22

FMJ BLog - Day 32

Total finds for day 32 - Three cents. First find was 2 pennies at the Jack in the Box on L.A. Ave. The next find was a penny in the evening in the Simi Valley Walmart parking lot.

FMJ Total Found: $465.71
Since Blog Inception: $6.19

FMJ Blog - Day 31

Our total for this day was 41 cents. The first find was a penny - near the newspaper boxes at Wood Ranch Shopping Center. The next find was in the evening, we invited Maya's friend, Tyler, our to dinner with us. We went to Topper's Pizza on Cochran Ave. The kids were playing video games and found 40 Cents in coin return slot of one of the games.

FMJ Total Found: $465.68
Since Blog Inception: $6.16

FMJ Blog - Day 30

Our first find was a penny at the Rancho Simi Park Tennis Courts -- probably dropped by one of my good friends. The second find was another penny while picking up my dry cleaning at the 777 Cleaners near the Kmart. The final find was 2 quarters left in the change slot of a newspaper machine at the Jack in the Box on L.A. Ave. Total for Day 30 -- 52 cents.

FMJ Total Found: $465.27
Since Blog Inception: $5.75

FMJ Blog - Day 29

7 cents found on Day 29. All pennies. All found at the ARCO Station on L.A. Ave. in Simi Valley.

FMJ Total Found: $464.75
Since Blog Inception: $5.23

Driving Range Token! Woohoo! FMJ - Day 28

This morning while walking Biscuit(monday) I found a "driving range token." Now, my brother-in-law is a good "sometimes" golfer and I'm sure he'd appreciate an extra hopper of balls. I do need clarification on how to value this... as it does have cash value. I will most likely give it to him or go with him to the range and use it myself. Would you add the token's value to your found money totals, or not? I've posed this question to Brian over at Change is Good? His word is as good as gold. If he would at it to his totals, then I'll add it to mine.

My kids found more coins than me today... Ajay found 56 cents, Maya found a nickel on her school playground... and I -- two pennies. I've taught them well. Total for the day - 63 cents.

FMJ Total Found: $464.68
Since Blog Inception: $5.16

FMJ Blog - Day 27

Dog walking and mall walking... On day 27, a quarter was found along Biscuit's walk and a trip to the Glendale Galleria Mall produced another 26 cents in the form of two dimes and six pennies. Total for the day -- 51 cents.

FMJ Total Found: $464.05
Since Blog Inception: $4.53

FMJ Blog - Day 26

Only 2 pennies found on Day 26. Both coins were found along the sidewalk that crosses the parking lot near the Micheal's crafts store in Moorpark. Ajay was attending Dylan's fifth birthday party! He came out dressed in a pirate's hat. ARRGHH, Matey!

FMJ Total Found: $463.54
Since Blog Inception: $4.02

FMJ Blog - Day 25 Thanks, Taco Bell!

Pretty good day for money finding yesterday. Other peoples money was flowing freely. We found 37 cents on Day 25. Our first find was a nickel near Sinaloa Middle school on Royal Ave. The next find was at tennis practice with Ajay at Arroyo Vista Park courts. The third find was a succession of three pennies at the Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks, CA. (The Great pre-spender was on a shopping jaunt. I don't think I actually purchase any item I didn't consume on the spot at the Oaks Mall since moving to California last October. Strange but, I usually don't buy much unless I truly am in need.) The final finds are credited to the Taco Bell on Avenida de los Arboles in T.O. There we found two dimes, a nickel and three pennies. The kids are Taco Bell fanatics... their pick not mine. I would have rather had Tommy's hamburgers. But, kids rule in this house.

FMJ Total Found: $463.52
Since Blog Inception: $4.00

FMJ Blog -Day 24

We found 19 cents on day 24. Our first find was at Costco in Simi Valley -- 2 pennies. Next find, a penny at the Moorpark Tennis Courts. Then, a dime and a nickel at the ARCO station on L.A. Ave. and our final find was a penny at the video games in Topper's Pizza.

FMJ Total Found: $463.15
Since Blog Inception: $3.63

FMJ Blog - Day 23

Sorry, I was too SICK to find coins on this day. Massive headache and dehydrated from some really vicious quick virus. Glad it didn't last long.

FMJ Blog - Day 22

Total found on day 22 is 46 cents. A dime and 11 pennies scooped up at Jack in the Box on L.A. Ave at breakfast. In the afternoon making a visit to the Wells Fargo ATM on L.A. Ave. I found a quarter beside my parking space.

FMJ Total Found: $462.96
Since Blog Inception: $3.44

FMJ Blog - Day21

Only a single penny found on Day 21 while along a dogwalk with the "Biscuit."

FMJ Total Found: $462.50
Since Blog Inception: $2.98

FMJ Blog - Day 20

3 cents found today while walking Biscuit. First find was two pennies near a curb at the entrance to our development. The second find was a penny in the crosswalk at Madera Rd. & West Country Club Dr.

FMJ Total Found: $462.49
Since Blog Inception: $2.97

FMJ Blog - Day 19

4 cents and 1 Thai Baht found today. The pennies were all found in Cerritos, CA at the Stater's Grocery Store while shopping for some items for our family dinner with the Aunts and Uncles. The Thai Baht coin was found while helping my wife's cousin clean out their garage for donations to Goodwill. They thought that the coin may have been a leftover from their Dad's world travels -- he's a safety engineer for Boeing Aircraft. Neat guy --- could tell you some very strange stories about the jets we all fly. Not as safe as one might think.

FMJ Total Found: $462.46
Since Blog Inception: $2.94

The Rattlesnake!

When I was in first grade, we lived in an old neighborhood in Silver Spring , Maryland that was adjacent to the Walter Reed U.S. Army Annex(WRAA - part of the Army's medical center.) It was an old soldier's home and used as base housing and training exercise encampment. At the time, anyone could walk all over the place. My friends and I would spend any sunny day we could scavenging for things all around the base and the surrounding woods. We would find Cavalry patches, spent bullet cartridges, army hats, and various army field manuals. Local National Guard units would train at WRAA on the weekends.

For a six year old , I was quite adventurous -- I'd be gone for hours and somehow my parents just knew that I was alright and that I would come home when I was hungry. One of the coolest things we had found was a "field map" of the base that was used for training. It marked all sorts of arms and explosives caches of the suppossed enemy on the base. The kids and I pretended it was a treasure map and set out on "occasional missions" to search out the sites depicted on the map. Once, on an adventure of this sort, while searching the woods, we found a very large sock that "jingled" -- the kids speculated that it contained a rattle snake! They wanted to leave it. I wasn't going to look inside of it but somehow knew I should take it home. Finders... Keepers. It was quite heavy and jangled the whole walk home. I remember one of my little buddies berated me for taking it home saying that my daddy was going to give me a spanking for bringing a "Rattle Snake" to the house. But, I quietly thought to myself that it couldn't be a snake. How could a nake live in a sock? Even with my slight doubt... I was still to afraid to look inside. So, when I got home I left the sock on the porch for my dad to discover... kind of like a cat dropping a mouse and slinking away. Dad came home late from work that evening. My mom made dinner for me early, and I, being was too tired from my "big day in the woods," went up to bed without telling her about "big find." It sat on the porch until the next morning. As my dad was leaving for work, he stepped on it and fell right on his backside. After a few moments, I heard him yell for my mom to come quickly. She ran to the front door and to her surprize their was a pile of coins on the ground. "Well," he asked her, "can you tell me about this?" She just shrugged her shoulders. Then, she yelled for me. I hadn't really yet awaken from my much needed sleep but I can tell you, at that moment, I was quickly alert and knew exactly what the yell ing was for -- they had discovered my snake. I sheepishly walked out the door and... there it was the biggest treasure I had ever seen!

The sock contained an old bank bag with $66.25 in coinage -- alot of silver! I told my parents about finding it in the woods with my friends. My dad thought that by its condition and the dates on the coins that it had been there for at least ten years. He called the bank, the old Union Trust Bank, about their bank bag containing the coins. They said that they hadn't any reports of missing coins. So, It was mine to keep. Half was put in a savings account and the rest I can tell you was very well spent!

FMJ Blog - Day 18

We found a total of 31 cents on Day 18. First find was a penny in my parking space at Coco's. Good food at our Coco's on L.A. Ave. Next, I found two dimes beside the massaging chairs at Brookstone in the Oaks Mall. We went to see a movie matinee -- "Failure to Launch." Watch it went it goes to DVD rental. It's a B movie. The final find was another dime at the ARCO gas pumps on Madera Ave. Gas is now above $3.00 in some places. This morning I was still able to get gas for $2.79 in Cerritos, CA.

FMJ Total Found: $462.42
Since Blog Inception: $2.90

FMJ Blog - Day 17

One penny and an old video game machine token found. Both were found while riding my new bicycle. 15 miles of riding yesterday. The hills were brutal. Boy, do my knees hurt! But, they hurt good!

How about the little ol' lady in the San Fernando Valley fighting city hall over the proposterous "jaywalking" ticket for walking too slow? Seems like the whole world is against the police on this one. Jaywalking is a $114.00 ticket? Someone must be crazy! I do hope she wins and the court resends this action of police stupidity.

FMJ Total Found: $462.11
Since Blog Inception: $2.59

FMJ Blog - Day 16

Day 16 -- our total coins found was 5 pennies. First three were spotted while walking across the parking lot to pick-up the LA Times in the morning. The next find was made at a gas station in Moorpark upon exiting the store from a Gatorade purchase. The last one was found on Biscuit's walk in the evening.

FMJ Total Found: $462.10
Since Blog Inception: $2.58

FMJ Blog - Day 15

We found 4 cents on day 15. All separate finds. First penny was actually found by Biscuit -- he sniffed it in a parking lot along our morning walk and alerted me to it. Next one was found in front of the ATM at my bank. The third was found at Big 5 Sports on Los Angeles Ave as I was paying for my new tennis shoes. The last penny found was at the gas pump... seems I'm going there a lot lately. Do these gas prices pinch your wallet right now, or what? I'm going to have to get my bicycle back in working order soon if these prices keep leaping up. Might be good... I could stand to rid myself of a few pounds.

FMJ Total Found: $462.05
Since Blog Inception: $2.53

FMJ Blog - Day 14

45 cents found today. Four dimes and 5 pennies. The first find was 2 pennies this afternoon found near some kiddie rides at Mountain Gate Plaza. This evening, as I was waiting to get gas at my ARCO station, a lady of about 28 years of age was using the cash deposit machine to activate her pump. As she opened her wallet, several coins fell to the ground in front of her -- She look down and shook her head then proceeded to insert her bills for the gas purchase. With nary a second look, she turned and walked away like nothing had happened... not caring for the coins she left behind. Well, I was next to make a deposit to activate my pump. I looked down just before attending the machine and to my surprize she left quite a gratuitous amount of coinage -- 31 cents. In the FMJ fund it has gone. This evening on another trip to the Oaks Mall with my lovely bride - I found another 12 cents.

FMJ Total Found: $462.01
Since Blog Inception: $2.49

FMJ Blog - Day 13

4 cents found today. The first penny found at the ARCO "aghast" station while filling up. In Simi Valley, the ARCO's have the lowest price for reg. unleaded 87.. I like the one on Madera Rd. -- very convenient. The next two pennies were found along at the corner of Madera Rd. and Wood Ranch Pkwy. while giving our Biscuit an unusally long walk... poor dog was so tuckered out that he went right into his cage and dozed off for the rest of the afternoon. I love long dog walks... a great way to loose yourself. The last penny was found on Pioneer Blvd. in Cerritos, CA. Grandma flew in for spring break to be with our kids. They're spending the whole week in Cerritos with their "Mayma" and two grand-aunts, two uncles and one aunty. I'll bet they'll be having such a fun time that they forget to call home. Mayma will cook all their favorite "mayma foods," take them for shopping and long walks to the park. Also, they'll get to "work" in their uncle's Cartridge World store. Wow... I wish I could trade places and be with Mayma. Anyway, I think I'll use the "away" time to catch up on some movies and play tennis.

FMJ Total Found: $461.56
Since Blog Inception: $2.04

FMJ Blog - Day 12

36 cents found today in the form of a penny, dime and quarter. The first coin found was a dime at the Mountain Gate plaza in the afternoon near the nail salon. The second, a penny, found at Sharky's Mexican Grill in Westlake Village. Tonight while shopping at the Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks, a quarter was spotted at the table seating under a diners seat. My son and I waited until the shops were closing to scoop it and the tables were in use most of the evening. I find it f
funny that none of the patrons sitting right above it would have picked it up. Oh, well... their loss!

FMJ Total Found: $461.52
Since Blog Inception: $2.00

TGIF! FMJ Blog - Day 11

Total found today: 13 cents in the form of three pennies and a dime. The first penny was found in the change slot of the Coinstar machine at the Ralph's (I wouldn't use those machines - they charge way too much and I'm too wise and frugal.) Next, I found a penny and dime in the parking lot near our house while on a dog walk. This evening, I found the last penny while getting the kids dinner at Jack in the Box.

FMJ Total Found: $461.16
Since Blog Inception: $1.64

FMJ Blog - Day 10

Very slow day for the Found Money Jar. We only came across a single penny on Day 10. It was a shiny one... most likely just from the mint and found at the Wood Ranch Shopping Center. To it, I say welcome.

FMJ Total Found: $461.03
Since Blog Inception: $1.51

FMJ Blog - Day 9

13 cents found on Day 9. All pennies. First find -- 3 pennies at the Alliance gas station on L.A. Ave. In the evening, at the Ralph's in Wood Ranch -- 10 pennies near the payphone.

FMJ Total Found: $461.02
Since Blog Inception: $1.50

Time Presented Itself - NEW COUNT!

Well, with all the rain the last few days... what else to do but count up all the money in the Found Money Jar. As of 4/4/2006, our new total for all the U.S. coins and bills found since Y2k is... $460.89! We have also, found lots of foreign coins... but, we only count the "good" stuff. In accordance with good bookkeeping habits, our new FMJ blog total will reflect all U.S. money found from this day forward.

FMJ Total Found: $460.89
Since Blog Inception: $1.37

Rain, Rain.. Go away! FMJ Blog - Day 8

Oh, when will the sun reappear... Two days of rain for us here in southern California. One more to go the weather man says. Oh, well. At least, it's not SNOW! Today, I found three pennies and 1 dime. The dime in the rain as we were getting out of the car for our dinner at Pagoda Inn. The pennies at the gas station. Total for the day: 13 cents. FMJ Blog total: $1.37

FMJ Blog - Day 7

At Carl's Jr. for lunch with my wife and Ajay, a young couple sat next to us. The young man put 2 pennies on the table from his tray -- throughout their dining they remained. Upon leaving, he pushed the coins aside in a jesture to signal he was "too cool" to care for such a small amount as a few cents. I guess he figured it would somehow impress the young girl he was courting in that he "signified" his future earning ability not to care about such trivial amounts or maybe to show her he was not a "cheap-skate" or "overtly frugal." Funny, how guys do things in impress a girl. I would think that just the opposite would impress her sould he have kept the change it would have shown that he was wise about money - a saver, a provider. Certainly, he's not a Rockefeller heir. Anyway, upon busing our table... I quickly scooped the coins. Later, while shopping with the "Great Pre-spender," my wife, Ajay and I played our coin hunting game in the Westfield Mall in Chatsworth. Our take: 26 cents! FMJ Day 7 total: 28 cents. FMJ BLOG Total: $1.24

11 miles walk! FMJ Blog -- Day 6

This morning was absolutely beautiful! Another Amazing Sunday! Got up at 6A.M. (actually, it was 7:00A.M. -- I forgot to set the clocks forward.) Took Biscuit out for a short walk and decided I could use a little walking myself. Maybe it was the intoxicating air. Maybe it was the sunshine. I kept walking and walking and walking; just like Forrest Gump! He ran -- I could only walk. I walked 11 MILES! Holy shit - I did it! Made me feel much younger than 38... I'll feel much older tomorrow morning when I paralyze. At any rate, I found 12 cents during the walk -- all pennies. Later, with the family strolling through shopping district in Pasadena, CA, I found a lone penny. Tonight, at Pagoda Inn, there was a very shiny 2006 model penny that caught my keen eye upon leaving; scooped it. Day total: $.14 Total for the FMJ blog: $.96

FMJ Finds: Day 5

18 cents found today. First 7 pennies were found at The Oaks Mall with Ajay as my partner. We play a game where we're both "secret agents" looking for hidden treasure. Great way to relieve the stress of shopping with a 5 year old. 8th penny found at the intersection of Madera Rd. and East Country Club Dr. while walking Biscuit tonight. Finally, a dime was spotted and picked up in front of the Subway Subs in Wood Ranch Shopping Center. FMJ Blog Total: $.82