You’d be surprised how much loose pocket money is available for you to find. Now, this isn’t the kind of money that will pay the rent. But it never hurts to have a little extra, right?

First and foremost, check your own home. Money could be hiding between the seat cushions on your couch. And there’s almost always spare change hanging around your car.

Here’s some other places you should start looking at regularly.

Coin Returns

When you go past a vending machine, look in the coin return. When you’re in the checkout line, and there’s a change machine on the counter, look for extra change there.

Do not take the money from the dishes some merchants put out where you can leave a penny or take a penny if needed. That would be bad form.

You can also find spare change in coin counter machines like Coinstar. The machine will reject some of the coins, and the people may forget to look. That’s easy pickings for you,

And if your mall makes people pay a deposit on shopping carts, look in the coin return for those quarters that were left behind.

Look Down

Often, people drop cash when they’re putting change in their wallets or purses. This often happens around the checkout area, or right outside the door. So look down and see if you can find any spare cash down there.

You can also check out underneath a drive-through window. But be careful when doing this as there are cars and you don’t want to get in their way.

Additionally, in parking areas or at transit stops where people buy tickets, you can find dropped money.

If there is a fence, and you can determine which way the wind usually blows, check around the fence line. Paper money will get blown away, but the fence will stop it.

Look around the curbs or gutters. When people get in and out of their cars, money may fall out. The rain will wash the paper money to the grates. Money can also get caught in the curves along curbs.

Many towns are moving to coinless parking meters, so you won’t find as much as you used to.

An easy way to find pocket money is underneath bleachers after a sporting event. Movie theaters are also a great way of finding money under the seats. You can do a quick scan after the lights come up.

You can also fine money around events at fair grounds, Renaissance fairs, and even at theme parks. Most everyone is looking up and around. Look down occasionally, and you may find some spare pocket money.

What’s In Those Odd Spots?

If you’ve ever been to a coin operated car wash or laundromat, you know people put money down and forget it. Or they dropped some money and didn’t decide to fetch it. You may have to work a bit to look between the machines, or under them.

Just be careful you don’t damage the machines or get in anyone’s way. We want to be treasure hunters, not annoyers.

In shopping malls, you may find receipts that were thrown out that had money wadded up in it.

Some items at thrift stores may have had money or other valuables hidden in them. This often happens when someone dies, and the heirs donate things like purses. Some people hid cash behind picture frames or underneath drawers and shelves. My mom used to hide cash between pages of books. And my cousin found a diamond bracelet in a zippered pocket of a purse. Just be a good person and buy the item from the thrift store. If it’s not your color, you can re-donate it.

You’ll never look at the world the same way again! And you don’t need a metal detector either.