Coin Girl to the Rescue!

I possess a secret talent. And no, it's not the juggling of flaming chainsaws while whistling the Star Spangled Banner. (I'm actually a pretty poor whistler.)

I find coins on the ground.

Wherever. Whenever. Always have and always will.

My parents joke about how I exhibited this talent from the time I took my first steps.

On the bus and at the store. Everywhere my little legs took me. Coins. Coins. Coins.

Their theory was that I was low to the ground, and thus was physically closer to all the riches of dropped money. But I'm 5'8" tall now, so that explanation doesn't exactly hold water. It's simply part of my nature.

My eyes constantly scan the ground. I'm like a cross between a Marvel super-hero and a secret government robo-something. (Coin-Girl to the rescue!)

I once saw a nurse at work throw a handful of pennies into the garbage. The garbage, people! I was shocked, and surprised that no one else shared my flabbergasted reaction. Unfortunately, I have a hard and fast rule that I do not dig through hospital garbage. (I am a labor and delivery nurse, which is about the bloodiest area of medicine.) I left the pennies where they had landed.

What does this have to do with being a Non-Consumer?

Everything.

Some people feel it's not worth the trouble to bend over for a penny or two.

Wrong. It is so worth it.

All money is precious. Valuing small amounts of money is directly connected to paying attention to life's small expenditures. And it's the small outlays of money that you have the most control over.

It matters. It all matters.

Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves.

I think that might have to be the official motto for Coin-girl. Now, does anyone have a cape I can borrow?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."