Thursday, October 4, 2007

Tutorial: How to Get Rich... FOR FREE!!

Did you know that there are thousands of dollars in unclaimed funds, just waiting for you to snatch it up?
Well, there is. No need to sign up for anything, no forms to fill out, and no strings attached. You may be asking yourself, "But how is this possible?" or "That seems too good to be true". Its easy, and its all about finding other people's cash.

I'm talking about literally finding money.

On the ground.

On more than one occasion, I've had people approach me, and ask "Erica, I know how much you make an hour. How in the blazes can you afford those bitchin' ass jeans?"
And this is what I tell them:

Places To Find Money:
I find that the most successful place to profit from the misfortune of others is downtown. Especially if your city's downtown is anything like downtown Columbus:
Lots of business people who spend too much time talking on their phones, and not enough time following this guide. I personally know someone who found a BIG HEADED FRANKLIN (that's a one hundred dollar bill, for those of you not in the know), at the corner of Broad and High.

Other places are more specific. If you're not going for the big time, try checking the drive thru's of fast food restaurants. The average grease craving individual will be too absorbed with receiving their take out to actually coordinate their hand with the cashier's. This translates into lots of change being dropped on the ground. Of course, if you live in an area that is densely populated with vagrants- forget it. They know this trick, and are already all over it.

Shopping Plazas/Malls are other great places to find money. Think about it. Stores are so eager to shove their "satisfied" customers straight from the cash register to the door. Consider your own shopping experiences. Ever have a cashier smash a receipt and a load of change in your hand at the same time, simultaneously telling you to have a good day and shoving your bag at you? Yeah. Well not ever can handle that situation as well as you can. Which results in free money for you. Try looking in the areas in front of the register, near the exit, and also skim the parking lot. You're bound to find at LEAST 83 cents.

Gas Stations are also pretty good hot spots. Money has been known to be found at them, but I avoid them. Why? Because they're seedy and gross.

When to Find Money:

Like many events in life, there are appropriate, necessary and most likely times for finding big money occur.
Want to go to college? Go when you're twenty.
Want to start a family? Better do it before you're 45.
Looking to score an Egg McMuffin? Gotta do it before 11am.

If you go to any of the places I specified, the most recommended time to go is at lunchtime. This is especially true with downtown. Lots of rushed people. And lots of rushed people preoccupied with whether they got their coworker's order right or not. This results in a lot of "dropping". Otherwise known as "an available unclaimed fund".

Contrarily, if you're looking for change (which does add up in time!), checking the drive thru at lunch might get you run over. Try the lull just afterwards. Like, 4pm-ish. And also the period just after the dinner rush, around 8:30pm.
There is also a time around 10am when restaurants slow down after breakfast, but who is up by 10 anyways? Screw that, you need your sleep to recharge your money hunting skills.

How to Find Money:

This is the tricky part. And also the most obvious.
Looking for change? Look for shiny spots. Change can be most easily found on cobbled streets, the angles make for a brilliant reflection of the sun. To aid in your hunting, don't bother with pennies. Seriously. I've seen homeless people pass on pennies, so you probably can too.

As for the big bills, you need to become familiar with the way money looks in its natural habitat. Try having a TRUSTED friend tape a fifty to your drive way, on your garage floor, just somewhere that resembles the urban terrain. Leave the vicinity while they're setting up. When you enter, get into your hunting mode. Eyes on the ground, scanning quickly. Try to time yourself to test your skills. Getting really good at it?
Have your friend tuck the bill under something, with just the corner showing.

Other Things to Know:

Avoid areas that have a lot of homeless people. They can be territorial, moody, and probably need the money more than you do anyways.

Also, you need to decide your limits. Is finding a $5 okay on your conscience? What if it was a $50? Would you feel differently? The worst thing I can imagine is the scenario of finding a hundred dollars, and then feeling so guilty that you can't enjoy it. If you feel that you couldn't, then perhaps free money just isn't for you.

If you happen to find a big bill, look closely before swooping down and snatching it up. There might be some snotty little brat hidden nearby with a retractable string attached to it. Don't fall for money on a string. You're better than that.

2 comments:

odd said...

There's a lot of truth in it. When I lived in Aberdeen for three months as a student, I didn't have much money and often walked to school (many kilometers!!), so then I regularly found coins on the pavement!!! However not enough to make me rich.

Sygnet Creations said...

That is sooo funny....oh by the way my mother in law found a website about unclaimed money and it turned out my husband was owed like $200 it was so much fun getting that little envelope in the mail =)