Living a More Purposeful Life One Cent at a Time

About She Picks Up Pennies

Hi! Thanks for stopping by She Picks Up Pennies. I hope you’ll stay a while and come back often. In this little slice of cyberspace, you’ll find details of one person’s journey to live a little more purposefully, a little more deliberately, and a little more frugally one cent at a time.

The name for this blog comes from a family tradition. My grandmother lived to be in her 90s and spent the better part of her days walking everywhere she needed and wanted to go. Even when she had opportunities for rides, this lifetime city dweller opted to walk. On her walks, she would stop to pick up pennies.* She had a real eye for this and proudly displayed her finds in an empty red Pringles canister that she would take to the bank once it was full. She never became financially independent as a result of it, but I like to think that her life was made richer for it.

Why do I think that? When I was little, I’d walk with her every chance I got. We’d venture to the park, stroll to the neighborhood grocery store, or drop in at a neighbor’s house for coffee (for her) and cookies (for me). Sometimes we’d stumble across loose change along the way; other times we wouldn’t. But no matter what we found or didn’t find, she showed me how to take time to look around. With her hand firmly clutching mine, she taught me how to be more deliberate with each moment and each penny. All these years later, I’m still learning…and that’s what this blog is all about.

*And then some! I’ll never forget the delighted laugh that bounced across the phone line when she called to tell me that she had discovered a whole roll of quarters on a sidewalk near her house.

About Penny

I’m a late twenty-something educator who lives in the ‘burbs of a big Midwestern city with my husband. In the past year, we’ve tied the knot, bought a house, and started tackling the chores of merging our closets and our checkbooks. In addition to exploring the world of personal finance, I’m also looking to live more purposefully – whether it’s decluttering or organizing, traveling or exercising – and to find time to pick up pennies.

Note: I’m not an expert. These ideas and opinions are simply the results of my own experiences. They are not intended to advise or offend. But I’m always up for some friendly dialogue and debate. Feel free to chime in with a comment or an email.