Unusual ways you have gained money?

[Pea-n-Me]

We've turned up on our state's "Found Money" site a few times. My mother had one hit worth $1800 (which was from an old insurance policy); another I'm still working on for her. I also had one myself which was a paycheck from an old employer - just $30, but hey.

Like another poster, I also found a $20 bill in the pocket of a pair of men's shorts I picked up at Goodwill, lol.

I found a $20 in the bushes once when I was walking my dog, too.

When I was growing up there was a local payphone in the town center that used to randomly spit out coins. That was always fun! We'd gather up the coins then walk right across the street to buy ourselves some candy and chips!

 

[RedAngie]

A few months ago I received a letter informing me I'm eligible to receive a settlement from the 401k plan from my former employer. When I left I switched the funds to my current company's plan. Apparently some other former employees filed a class action lawsuit claiming they were shorted. All former employees from the time period are part of the class. Anyway I'm due to receive about $12,000 in a few weeks.

I investigated and it's legitimate. Not a Nigerian prince scam. I don't need to send any money or my credit card info or anything.

 

[barkley]

I just got 132.00 dollar check from our water company. They said it was 2 million dollar accounting error.

years ago i got into a kerfuffle with a cable company and part of the resolution was a free year of cable for me. about 6 months into that year i was moving to an area w/a different provider so i asked my mom if she wanted to try out cable free for 6 months. she was for it so i just told cable i was moving to my mom's. flash forward over 10 years later and my mom is moving to an area w/ a different provider so she has me call to cancel the service (her account was still in my name), and about a week later she gets a check in the mail (in my name) that equates to 1 year's free cable i went ahead and cashed it b/c that stupid cable company had been adamant on the original kerfuffle about how accurate their billing department was.

 

[barkley]

I just got 132.00 dollar check from our water company. They said it was 2 million dollar accounting error.

years ago i got into a kerfuffle with a cable company and part of the resolution was a free year of cable for me. about 6 months into that year i was moving to an area w/a different provider so i asked my mom if she wanted to try out cable free for 6 months. she was for it so i just told cable i was moving to my mom's. flash forward over 10 years later and my mom is moving to an area w/ a different provider so she has me call to cancel the service (her account was still in my name), and about a week later she gets a check in the mail (in my name) that equates to 1 year's free cable i went ahead and cashed it b/c that stupid cable company had been adamant on the original kerfuffle about how accurate their billing department was.

 

[bapcap]

Happened to someone we know and apparently it’s true. Friend was by himself, driving down a road that was out in the country and he came across a small duffel bag just off the road. He was curious, so he stopped and it had quite a bit of money in it. He said no one was around and he hadn’t seen any other vehicles on the road either. After taking the bag to the local police dept, he was told if no one claimed the money after 60 days, it would be his to keep. Police dept contacted him after the 60 days and told him they thought it might have been some type of drug payment/buy money...since no one called about it, he got the money. We heard it was about $12,000.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I won a $1000 raffle once. I was still in college, so that was huge.

DS got a random class action check this year over Rx vitamins he took when he was really little. (Nothing dangerous - just overcharged.) I think it was $15 or $20.

 

[Skellingtonj]

I got about $6 dollars from td bank over the class action suit on the change machines in their banks. I’ve found $10’s and $20’s randomly but nothing to be too excited about

 

[nkereina]

I found $80 on the floor at the grocery store. I turned it into customer service and they took my name and number in case no one claimed it. I fully didn't expect a call, but 60 days later, they called and told me no one claimed it and it was mine!

 

[ronandannette]

A few months ago I received a letter informing me I'm eligible to receive a settlement from the 401k plan from my former employer. When I left I switched the funds to my current company's plan. Apparently some other former employees filed a class action lawsuit claiming they were shorted. All former employees from the time period are part of the class. Anyway I'm due to receive about $12,000 in a few weeks.

I investigated and it's legitimate. Not a Nigerian prince scam. I don't need to send any money or my credit card info or anything.

Sweet!! And great timing to make your Christmas just a little more merry!

 

[John VN]

I am a walker not jogger/runner and constantly find money on the ground training or during events. During a Walt Disney Marathon while in the MK I've picked up some change ... I also stop on my bicycle rides if something shiny hits my eyes as I ride along.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

When we were in school in the early- to mid-90s, you had to choose a long distance service provider on your landline phone (I sound so old!). We were broke students and never made long distance calls. Still, the service providers would send offers with a $50 check if we would switch. Several times a year I'd switch long distance carriers and get these checks. DH and I still marvel over how that worked. $50 was a TON of money to us then.

 

[Dancind]

At an estate sale I spotted a paper bag on the floor with what looked like 40s printed rayon material. Paid $15 for it and turned out to be rayon Hawaiian dresses from the 40s. Sold them all on Ebay for about $3000.

 

[jpakstis]

I am a walker not jogger/runner and constantly find money on the ground training or during events. During a Walt Disney Marathon while in the MK I've picked up some change ... I also stop on my bicycle rides if something shiny hits my eyes as I ride along.

Heh, I ran a half-marathon with a friend this past October. She had to run the bathroom and while I was waiting, I found a $20 bill on the ground. So I was about to write that as my most unusual way I've gained money!

 

[longboard55]

I was scheduled for prostate surgery and the doctor explained robotic surgery, thought that was pretty cool, this was when it was pretty new. Bought some Intuitive Surgical and made a lot of money

 

[ReneeA]

Not my story, but my in-laws -

In the early 80's, my in-laws were having a rough patch. FIL had lost his job, MIL working 2 jobs, including working the Bingo for the church a couple days a week. She bought a raffle ticket for $10 from the church, even though they barely had enough money to feed their kids. She said she had a feeling, so put her phone number & instead of her name, she wrote "Lucky".

The next day, she got a call asking if she was "Lucky". She ended up winning the grand prize - $5,000 which was money they really needed to make ends meet until FIL got another job.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

I was shopping at Aldi and and chatting with an older woman who was in front of me in line. When it was my turn to pay I asked the cashier if they accepted credit cards, and this prompted the woman to give me a good talking-to about how irresponsible it was to charge groceries. I didn't bother correcting her about using credit cards wisely, double cashback bonuses at grocery stores, etc.; I just gritted my teeth and tried to be polite. She left while I was bagging my groceries at the counter, then walked up to me while I was loading the bags into my car and placed a single dollar bill into my hand and told me she would pray for me! I kept the dollar because I figured I had earned it!

 

[Skellingtonj]

I was shopping at Aldi and and chatting with an older woman who was in front of me in line. When it was my turn to pay I asked the cashier if they accepted credit cards, and this prompted the woman to give me a good talking-to about how irresponsible it was to charge groceries. I didn't bother correcting her about using credit cards wisely, double cashback bonuses at grocery stores, etc.; I just gritted my teeth and tried to be polite. She left while I was bagging my groceries at the counter, then walked up to me while I was loading the bags into my car and placed a single dollar bill into my hand and told me she would pray for me! I kept the dollar because I figured I had earned it!

That has to be the rudest thing that I have ever heard. It’s no one business what anyone uses a credit card for...

 

[arminnie]

I opted to take a buyout from an oil company in the early 80s - I was really not happy during my exit interview when they told me I'd been "terminated" but I chose to ignore it. At that time it took 10 years to be vested in retirement. I'd only been there 7 years so I expected nothing.

Fast forward 30 years when I get an email telling me that I have unclaimed retirement money. It was almost $100,000!!!!!

 

[marthachick]

DH got some retirement money he wasn’t expecting from a former employer. They had been bough our by another company. He thought the retirement money he got from second company was all he would get. It was only about $8,000 but he was very happy.

I won $1,000 in a Lifetime TV contest.

 

[Dancind]

I was scheduled for prostate surgery and the doctor explained robotic surgery, thought that was pretty cool, this was when it was pretty new. Bought some Intuitive Surgical and made a lot of money

Very cool! I did something similar but it wasn't really my money. I took baby gift money (25 years ago) and bought $400 worth of stock in a pharmaceutical company that was working on a medicine for the type of leukemia that my Mom died from. A few years ago when daughter started selling it, had gone up by a factor of about 250. Just wish I had bought some for me!