This is a post from my prior blog that people enjoyed. Originally posted 2/9/2009.

• UPDATE:  He continued his treasure hunt for another couple of days and has made more than $40!

I had to laugh at one of my friends this weekend. Walking down the street in Boston, he saw something shiny sticking out of the melting snow bank beneath a parking meter. It turned out that there were three or for quarters buried just beneath the surface.  He snatched them up and started looking for more.

It reminded me of a recent article I read about loose change and the current economy.

I did my best not to laugh, but I had to as I watched him go from meter, to meter, to the next one and then onto the next block. The interesting thing was that at probably half of the meters, he found at least one quarter.

A few minutes of work netted him nearly $5.  Not a huge payoff, but in coffee terms, that’s 2.5 venti Pike Place coffees at Starbucks, right?

Now he’s convinced he needs to borrow a metal detector and hit all of the nearby streets a couple of times. He thinks the payoff would be big.

All of this made me think of my grandmother always checking the return change slot at payphones or at vending machines as she walked by them. I used to notice a lot of people doing that, but haven’t in recent years. I thought maybe it was just because you don’t see many payphones anymore. People also don’t carry as many quarters because we all have cell phones and do everything with plastic now.

However, an article I read recently said that the behavior is returning because of the current economy. I can’t remember which web site I read it on, it may have been the New York Times.  The writer had some economy and behavior experts noting that more people are checking vending machines, sidewalks and the payphones they can find.  It isn’t necessarily because they’re desperate for money, but more the mindset that if they can collect change to continue with daily habits that add up (like that morning cup of coffee) then they won’t have to alter their behavior to adjust to the recession.

It’s all very interesting to think about. I haven’t done it myself, but if I can find $5 in snowbanks in just a few minutes without much effort, I just might have to start!