Whether it’s outside, at the grocery store, or even in your own home, there are so many places where you can find money.
We could all use more cash, right? After all, we have bills to pay, mouths to feed, and a roof to keep over our heads. And every little bit of cash helps.
In today’s post, I’ll cover some of the best and strangest places where you can find money. Now, we’re not talking about finding unclaimed money owed to you or getting free money from the government. We’re talking about when you are walking down the street and see pennies or a $20 bill on the ground!
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To help you out, I’ve even broken these places down into categories.
If you’ve ever wanted to know where to find money, take a look at our list and get yourself some free cash!
Table of Contents
Where to Find Money on the Street
Let’s start out with one of the most common areas to find cash, the street. Yes, you can get money on the street!
Here’s where…
1. Gutters
When people are walking along the street, change falls out of their pockets, and bags, right into the gutter. Or when they get into the car, their change may fall into the gutter. So it’s a good place to check.
2. The sidewalk near crossings
Anywhere people are crossing the road is a good place to check. Just check the streets. When people are in a hurry to get across the road, like when a car is coming, they drop change and either don’t notice or just don’t bother to pick it up.
3. On the streets after a sporting event
Is there a popular stadium or venue near you that often hosts sporting events or concerts? The streets outside these types of venues are an ideal place to look for change on the ground. Since huge numbers of people leave these events at once, it really ups your chances of finding money on the street.
4. Anywhere you can walk along
Any place you can walk along is a good place to find cash.
5. Outside of shops
The streets outside of stores, like the grocery store, jewelry store, or antique store, are a hotspot for loose change that’s just been dropped on the ground.
6. Park benches
Lots of cities have benches along the road, particularly near parks, and change can often fall out of people’s pockets and bags and land underneath these benches. So it’s always worth a look.
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7. Outside of restaurants
The street outside a restaurant can be a great place to find money on the floor.
8. Outside of bars and clubs
When they’ve been drinking, people will accidentally drop money as they leave a bar or club. Have a look at the street outside your local bars and clubs to see if you can find any cash.
Where to Find Money Outside/Anywhere
In this section, I’ll cover places you can find money outside and anywhere really. You’d be surprised how many people throw away change when they leave an establishment! Or just forget to pick up the change.
Some people drop money on the floor and don’t even realize it.
That’s why it’s good to be on the lookout for cash on the floor, whether you’re going out shopping, working out at the gym, or just out for a walk with the dog.
Here’s where to look:
9. Bus stops
One of the best places to find change in public is your local bus stop. People sometimes drop change by mistake when they’re waiting for the bus or getting onto the bus.
10. Shopping carts
I’ve seen change so many times just sitting in the bottom of the shopping carts at my local grocery store! So it’s definitely worth a look.
11. Drive-through windows
Whether it’s McDonald’s, Burger King, or KFC, the drive-through at fast food places is a goldmine for cash! Since money is exchanged from people’s car window into the window at the drive through, change often falls to the floor during the hand over. It’s just waiting to be picked up.
12. ATMs
Some people are forgetful or absent-minded and just leave money at the ATM! Crazy, right? It’s always worth a quick look.
13. Self-service checkouts
I have found money in self-service checkouts before and not just coins either. There are absent-minded people out there who just leave their money in the little change dispenser bit of the machine. So check and you could get yourself free money!
14. Swimming pools
A good place to find loose change is in the locker room at your local swimming pool.
15. Gyms
Change can fall from people’s pockets as they use machines or in the locker room. Keep an eye out for loose change on the floor at your gym.
16. Ice cream truck stops
After the truck moves on, you can often find change that’s just been left behind. And it’s just there for the taking.
17. Parks
Cash falls out of people’s pockets often at the park, like when they are jogging, cycling, or walking around the park.
18. Parking lots
People often pull money out of their pockets by mistake when they pull out their car keys.
19. Phone booths
Although phone booths aren’t used anywhere near as much as they used to be, some people do still use them. This means free change for you! You can find money on the ground near the booth or where the change comes out. If you push the return button, money may pop out.
20. DIY Car Washes
Coins often fall on out when people are cleaning out their cars. So, it’s definitely worth having a look!
21. Check-outs
It’s not just the self-service checkouts where you’ll find money. You can also find it at the regular checkout – usually on the floor! It’s easy to drop change on the floor at the checkout and many people just don’t want to bother picking it up.
22. Taxi ranks
Again, it’s a place where people are handling money, which could fall out of their pocket or bag.
23. Playground
Parents can drop money at the playground, so it’s worth having a look. Next time you take the kids to the park have a look around.
24. Train stations
I’ve seen money on the floor at the train station quite a few times. It makes sense really, as it’s easy for cash to fall out of your pocket when you’re waiting on the platform. I’ve done that myself where I’ve gone to get my phone out of my purse and I’ve accidentally pulled money out with it. Have a look on the ground on the platform to see if there’s any change.
Also, the ticket machines can be a goldmine for spare change since people sometimes drop money when purchasing their tickets. So check the machine and the floor around it.
25. The movie theater
There are plenty of places to find money at the movie theater. Between the seats or on the seats in the theater is a good starting point as change often falls from people’s pockets as they watch the movie.
Another place to check is in the bit where people purchase their tickets and of course any place that people buy drinks or snacks.
26. Waiting areas
Whether it’s at the doctor’s or the vet’s, waiting rooms can be a good place to find money.
27. Bars
At bars when people have been drinking, they aren’t so good at keeping hold of their money. So you can often find spare change on the floor.
28. Taxis
In the back seat of a taxi people often leave change. It’s worth having a quick look.
29. Buses
Check the seats on the bus for loose change because people sometimes leave it behind by mistake.
30. Public toilets
Sure, you don’t want to be rooting around on the floor of a public bathroom. However, having a quick glance around to see if you can spot any change is a good idea.
31. At the beach
The beach can sometimes be a chaotic place for trying to keep track of things. You take a ton of stuff with you, yet often wear a bathing suit without pockets! This can make keeping track of your stuff pretty tough. It’s easy to leave behind money. Plus, the sand can make it hard to see any of the cash that you may leave behind. That’s why the beach can be a good place to find money.
32. Schools
Kids lose change all the time. So if you want to know how to find money at schools, just keep your eye open when you are in school. School grounds and cafeteria are good places to look for change and dollar bills.
Places to Find Coins
Coins can be so annoying as it seems that we’re always dropping them, pulling them out when we’re fishing for our keys, or spilling them when trying to pay for something. Even in places where you can get cash for coins (like Coinstar locations) this happens. That’s why there are so many places where you can find coins.
Here’s where to look:
33. Under the bleachers
People sometimes lose change at the bleachers in places like football grounds and basketball courses. This often happens after the game. So wait around to have a quick look under the bleachers.
34. Vending machines
Since the whole premise of the vending machine is to insert cash for stuff, it’s no surprise that they are goldmines for spare change. Check the change slot, under the machine, or on top of the machine to find money. You’d be surprised how often people accidentally leave money on top of the machine. You could even push the change button or cancel button and some money may come out.
35. Food festivals
Some people are so preoccupied with their food that they don’t care to pick up any change they may drop when paying for it.
36. Near parking meters
It’s easy for coins to roll away at the meter and people are usually just too busy to pick them up.
37. Fun fairs and theme parks
Since people are often dipping in and out of their pockets to pay for things at the theme park or fun fair, it’s an awesome place to find coins on the ground.
38. Flea markets
Since people are often haggling and exchanging cash it makes total sense that you’d find coins on the floor at the flea market.
39. Art festivals
Again, people are purchasing stuff, so they’re handling cash, some of which get dropped on the floor.
40. Laundromats
If you use the machines at your local laundromat, then check the machines before you load your laundry. Often people put clothes in the wash that actually had money in the pockets. So have a look!
41. Slot machines
You can easily find money at the slot machines as people sometimes drop it on the floor as they gamble.
Strange Places to Find Money
Okay, so you might be wondering if there are any more places where you can find money. Well, there are!
And some of them you might not even consider!
Here are some unusual places to find money:
42. Receipts
It’s always worth taking a look when you see a shopping receipt on the ground because there are sometimes bills hiding inside folded-up receipts.
43. Scratch cards
Sometimes people just drop scratch cards on the floor, assuming that they are a losing one even when they aren’t, or they drop the scratcher by mistake. So you could find a winning ticket on the ground.
44. Under trees
In the summertime, sometimes people sit under trees to get some shade, and change falls from their pockets without them noticing.
45. Under bushes
The wind can blow cash from the street under bushes. That’s why it’s worth having a look to see if you can find some free money.
46. Gas station pumps
At the gas station, people can drop coins on the ground by mistake when they pay for their fuel.
47. Hire cars
Sure companies will check their hire cars between uses. However, things get missed so you might get lucky and find some money in your hire car. Check the seats, the floor and anywhere you can for spare cash.
48. Cars you test drive
If you test drive a car, have a check of the seats and anywhere else you can because someone may have left some spare change behind.
49. Cigarette packs
If you see a cigarette pack on the ground, jostle it with your foot to see if there’s any cash to be found inside.
Where to Find Money Around the Home
Okay, so there are lots of places where you can find money whether it’s at your local grocery store, at the laundromat, or on the street outside of a restaurant.
But you can actually find money in your own home too. If you’re a little short on cash and just need a little to get some milk or a loaf of bread, then searching your home can often unearth enough to cover the cost.
Here’s where to look for money at home:
50. Pockets
I’ve found money in the pockets of clothing I haven’t worn in a while. For example, I wore a jacket in spring that I didn’t pull out again until fall, so I forgot that I’d left money in the pocket. It was a bill as well!
51. Purses
If you’re anything like me, your purse ends up full of receipts and other random items. When I come to clear my purse out and tidy it up a little, I often find money that I forgot about in the bottom or stuffed in one of the compartments that I haven’t checked in a while.
52. Shopping bags
When I’ve been in a rush, I’ve dropped my change into the shopping bag, rather than putting it into my purse. So check to see if you’ve left any change behind in a shopping bag.
53. The sofa
In between the sofa cushions and under the sofa are both good places to find money.
54. Under the bed
Stuff finds its way under my bed all the time, including money! Have a look under your bed for any loose change that may have rolled under there.
55. Wherever you keep your keys
Any place you keep your keys can be a good place to check. This is because when you pull keys out of your pocket, you might also pull out some change by mistake.
56. Washing machine
Check the doorway as change can get trapped in the rubber that’s fitted on the door.
57. Tumble dryer
Look in the lint trap of your tumble dryer because change that’s been left in pockets of clothes you’ve tumble dried can end up there.
58. Bags
Any type of bag, like handbags, overnight bags, and backpacks, is a good place to check for cash.
59. Under appliances
Coins can roll under appliances, like the fridge or TV. Have a check under any appliances to see if there’s any cash just waiting to be found.
60. Your car
If you have a car, then this can be a good place to check for money. Check all the seats, in the footwells, in the trunk, under the spare tire and any other nook and cranny in the vehicle.
61. Drawers
A common place to find money at home is in drawers. Sometimes clothes get put away and cash falls out. Or you put money in a drawer and just forget about it until months later.
Good Luck!
You’d be surprised at just how much cash is left around and waiting to be picked up!
I’ve found money in self-service checkouts, shopping carts, coat pockets, and plenty of other places.
If you’re wondering where to find money, then make sure that you have a look in the places we mentioned above.
