I was out and about yesterday, getting a little exercise, and came across quite a find - there, just off the edge of the sidewalk on main street, was $60 - three $20 bills. It seemed kind of ironic considering my Sunday Secret. Could this be some cosmic test of my personal integrity, good luck, or someone initiating their own random act of kindness?
I wasn't in the "business district" (those two blocks of main street that actually have businesses on them), nor was I close to any one's driveway or front walk. It seemed these three bills had fallen out of the sky and were just waiting for someone to pick them up, so I did.
Now, in my world $60 is a lot of money. It's a full tank of gas. It's 4 days of groceries for my family. It's a monthly rent payment on Cam's oboe. With the economy as it is, I think it's quite a bit of money for a lot of people. It's not a quarter, or even a five-dollar bill - it's $60!
When I got home, I told husband about my find and asked what he would do. He says anything under $1000 he'd just keep. He figures it is the world giving back to him for all of the money he's lost or wallets he's had stolen. My mind doesn't work that way. I know that if I don't do the "right" thing, the world is going to "take" from me, and it will likely be worth far more than the $60 I found.
So how much is too much to find and keep? What would you do? Keep the money without guilt? Go out and buy that pair of shoes you've been wanting? Fill your tank with gas for the week? File a report with the police? I probably should have just left it right there on the sidewalk and let someone else be the recipient of it's karmic woes, but since that opportunity already passed, I think I'll donate it to the local food bank instead. The karma fairies should find that acceptable, don't you think?
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37 comments:
Tough call.. If it's possible to return it to you know who lost it- you do. Cash laying randomly on the ground- keep it.
COnsidering the circumstances I would keep it. If you had been outside of a business or something I would have taken it into the store. Cheers Dana!!
If your conscience/karma meter says that the food bank is the right thing to do, you have your answer. Some years ago, when my financial situation was tight, I found some cash in a church pew. There was NEVER any question about what I did with that money!
I think I would have to keep it too... Times are tough these days. (plus it would be more hassle than it's worth to determine whose it really is)
Buff, it would have been a much easier decision had there been any indication who the cash belonged to!
Matt-Man, another vote for keep it - that's two!
Tall Guy, thanks for stopping by - or de-lurking - whichever the case might be! In all fairness, I don't really need this money as much as I know others in my community do.
Doc, interesting ... I'm starting to wonder if there is a gender divide in answering this question. Returning the cash is definitely out of the question.
I think the cosmos is testing whether you feel worthy of accepting the $60. That's the real test. Take the money. It came to you.
I think that donating them to the food bank sounds like a good solution as you already thought of that. If you turns "greedy" and keeps the monyey I think you sooner or later get a guilty conscience. If you hadn't thought about the food bank - well, that's another discussion ;)
RLL, YIKES! I guess this isn't divided amongst gender lines *giggle* Maybe I should reconsider my position.
d2b, "greedy"? Hmmmm ... I think it was more of a "deserving" issue for me. It would cover most of Cam's school supplies *rethinking my position*
I would keep the $60 because you have no idea who it belongs to and it's something you could really use. But if you really think giving back is the way to go, why not donate half and keep half? I think that sounds very fair and the cosmos would be okay with that, right?
I say use it however you need it. It's not as if you could ever find the rightful owner.
I would have been so tempted to take it, but I have drilled into my children that they cannot take cool things they find. So now I'm stuck doing the right thing. Dammit.
I am with your hubby...well, not Literally...but I like his 1000 rule.
$60 bucks? I've lost more than that in my life so I would consider it coming back around.
Knight, I'm still contemplating what to do. I'm now starting to think that maybe I will buy school supplies for Cam along with a few extras to donate. Most of the office supply stores have donation areas for school supplies. It's all about balance!
Biscuit, so you'd have left it there? That thought did cross my mind - leave it for the next person who might need it more.
Christine, I've certainly lost more than $60 in my lifetime - like the $240 husband returned to me that he put in a library book to keep "safe." I returned the library book, along with the $240!
I would buy flowers for my wife, because, so I'm told, I never do it enough. Then I would feel really guilty that I 'cheated' on the whole flower thing using found money. To deal with the guilt, I'd drown the little bastards in a fifth of whatever I had; wife would come home, find me drunk and all the good from the gift of flowers would go out the window and I'd be in worse shape than if I'd not bought the flowers at all. Next time, I'd decide to just spent it on porn and be done with it. Damn $60. Nothing but trouble. :-D
Actually, if I picked it up, and usually I just walk past that sort of thing, not because I'm good but because I fear there is a hidden camera somewhere, I'd give the money to a cause.
I think the food shelter is a good idea, otherwise buying school supplies or something. I would definitely NOT spend it on something frivolous for myself...even though that would be nice. I'm afraid of Karmic retribution too much.
I would probably just leave it lying there. Seriously, I would just let it go. Partly because I would assume that someone was watching me with a hidden camera doing a study on how honest people are for The Learning Channel. If I picked it up and put it in my pocket and walked away I would be the guy on cable TV who just took some money that didn't belong to me and walked off with it.
Of course, I would finally be on TV and might could parlay that into a reality show. So it might not be all bad.
OK, I'm kidding ...
I would just leave it because it would cause too many problems for me. I would fee guilty about just keeping the money because I would know it isn't mine and I don't feel like I'm "owed" anything or deserve any payback for past money losses. There would be no way I could find the rightful owner because I wouldn't trust anyone to tell me the truth. I guess I could pick it up and donate it to some worthy charity, like an animal shelter or battered women's shelter or whatever, but that would still be taking money that's not mine and giving it someone else.
So, I would just leave it.
Tree, I'm laughing so hard I'm crying! Hidden camera? I hadn't even considered it!
Apple, that damned karmic retribution keeps me from having TONS of fun! I'm leaning toward buying school supplies and donating half of them.
Jay, another hidden camera conspiracy? I did look around to see if anyone was coming running to collect their lost money, but there was no one to be found! I think it's interesting that so many would walk by, leaving it for the next person.
I might feel guilty for a short time, but it would pass.
I would pick it up. I would spend it as I spend the rest of my money. I would not even feel guilty about it.
If I could identify the owner, I would turn it in, but if not. I am a winner.
I once found 2 hundred dollar bills in an totally empty casino bathroom in Atlantic City. I knew I had to be on camera and I didn't feel guilty picking it up then either. Don't know what that says about me.
If it were more money, or a wallet, I would try to find the owner. But $60?? The effort it would take to return it, or file a report, isn't worth it, and I'm sure karma won't mind that you keep it. But still, if I know you any bit at all, I bet you'll feel quilty about spending it. Food bank? Great idea. Paying for Cam's oboe?? Even better, cause really, it's for HIM, not you, right???
There were no homes or businesses close to you? Then what WAS closest? I would personally call the nearest business to where you found it, tell them what happened, and leave them your contact info, asking them to call you if anyone called them saying they were missing $60. Then you could either spend it right away, if you can easily withdraw $60 later, or wait a week or two, then spend it.
It's not a ton of money, it won't ruin someone's life to lose, but it's nice to give them a chance in that way.
So use part for Cam's school supplies, donate the rest. Maybe even runa little ad in the local paper classifieds (in the free posting section). Something like-"Your money lost on ___street was donated to buy school supplies. Hopefully the children who receive those supplies needed the money more than you." or something like that that sounds less bossy.
”Hidden camera…” Dana, imagine yourself on YouTube by now; Greedy woman takes 60 bucks. *LOL*
Did I call you greedy? I better watch my tongue *twinkle*… I had probably kept the money by myself if I found them! (Then closed my eyes and hoped that they don’t belong to a kid or someone who has to starve for a while). Another solution over here at my place (the legal way over here) would be to handle them over to the local police station as lost property. If no one asks for the money and match the amount of different notes, when and where they dropped them within 30 days they are legally yours. Otherwise the owner has to give you at least 20 $ or 10 %
Hmm I'd be wondering about it too. That is just too wierd. Probably a waste of time to go to the police. Since it was just cash and no wallet, the person losing it would assume the finder would be the keeper. So, be the keeper. If you can afford to give it to the food bank, brava. If you could really use it, then I say keep it, use it and try and not second guess the choice to do so. To some people, it is just $60 and wouldn't you think that to the person who thinks that is a lot of money, they'd of kept better tabs on it?
Umm - that was my $60. I can email you the address to mail it to.
Seriously though - proving past ownership of cash is near impossible. You didn't come across it by any nefarious means so I say make the oboe rental payment. Supporting your son in his artistic endeavors is helping make the world a better place.
I think spending it on yourself is the question. No, you shouldn't spend it on yourself, but spending it on your son for school supplies would be a good answer.
My husband hit a deer a couple of years back and it totaled his newer pickup truck, then 2 days later his grandfather had a massive heart attack and passed away, when we had the Will read his grandfather left my hub's his brand new Dodge Ram pickup truck. That is Karma, she takes away to give it back to you in some way or manner.
You finding it is "Good Karma" and spending it on someone other then yourself is good Karma, it doesn't stipulate who, just not yourself.
Micky, *gigglesnort*
Karen, it says that you don't live your life from the perspective of not being worthy, and that's a good thing!
Bina, well, I *d8d* spend it - on school supplies - duplicates of which were donated!
Jenni, I live in a VERY small town (3000 people) and the stretch of main street that I was on is lined with trees and green space. There really was no indication of where it might have come from.
Ambergail77, that's EXACTLY what I did, and now I'm doing my best to not feel guilty *wink*
d2b, well, I went with the spend/donation split option. I feel lucky to have found the $$ and know that I'll help out some kids who couldn't afford school supplies.
Lu, it was strange, but I will consider it a gift and gift half of it back.
Brian, you provide me the serial numbers and I'll get that right out to you *wink*
Cat, let's hope that karma thinks like you do and my spending/donating will be acceptable.
Finding 60 bucks would be so exciting! I would immediately jump in my car and go directly to THE MALL. I would spend it frivolously on overpriced cups of coffee and 3 for 20 shirts at Old Navy and I might even buy something for Max and Allyson if there was anything left...
On the way home I would feel no guilt about spending the money and would be proud for helping out the local economy.
In the long run I think the drug addict who lost his dope money would be grateful to me someday, cause just maybe by finding that money I saved his life.
Dana,
Don't think twice, drop $20 of it into the first donation box you see, or collection plate at church.
Don't let it sit in your pocket or it will become your "precious" and you'll never let it go.
It's not yours it's Gods (or it belongs to all the universe, as you will have it)
Keep it, fill up your car. If there was no wallet or other identifying information associated with it, what are you supposed to do? I mean a police report? Nah. Nobody is going to file a police report for lost cash. *shrug*
Two points.
It's your call, not anyone else's. You've got to do what you're comfortable with.
Secondly, it's not easy to go up and down the street asking people if they lost 3 $20 bills. And many people are going to refuse the opportunity to make a quick 60 bucks?
Ultimately it's your call of course. that said...I think you should keep the money and do whatever comes to mind first. Karma rewards us just as easily as it disrobes us. I think it was your turn for a wee bit of good fortune. have a happy week. ;)
Ooo, your comment-bot is telling me to do dirty things.
I think you were justified in keeping it. Personally, I've never found money to know what I would do if I did. Sad, huh? But unless it's in a wallet, or on someone's driveway, how are you ever to know who it really belongs to? I think it's only fair to spend the loot yourself.
Corky, tell the truth ... you'd finally get a subscription to that porn site, wouldn't you??
Apple Hubs, well, I dropped about $30 worth of school supplies into the donation barrel and feel that I struck a comfortable balance.
Tali, I know that when I lost the $$$ in the library book I returned, I didn't file a report. I've shed the guilt.
Neil, you know, that was my first thought. Even if I was honest and attempted to find the owner of the cash, how honest would those I asked be?
tt, I think Karma will be happy with me.
Tink, stroke my EGO - really - I swear *gigglesnort*
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