Picking up a penny that you happen to spot on the sidewalk or on the floor seems like the right thing to do. After all, they say “find a penny, pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck”. But is it actually worth your time and effort to stop and pick up a penny? Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons to find out.
The pros of picking up a penny
Here are some potential benefits to picking up pennies you find:
- It’s free money! Even a single penny has monetary value that you can add to your wallet.
- Pennies can add up over time. If you get into the habit of picking up pennies, those small change can eventually amount to extra dollars.
- You never know when you’ll need some spare change. Having pennies on hand can be useful for parking meters, vending machines, tips, etc.
- Some people believe that finding and picking up pennies brings good luck and fortune.
- It keeps the environment clean by removing litter from sidewalks, floors, etc.
- It can satisfy the human urge to collect things or the feeling of not wanting to waste money.
In summary, the potential pros are gaining a small amount of money, accumulating extra change over time, having change handy for transactions, perceived good luck, environmental benefits, and personal satisfaction.
The cons of picking up a penny
However, there are also some downsides to picking up pennies:
- It takes time and effort to stop, bend down, and pick up a penny. That time could be spent on more valuable activities.
- Picking up dirty or unsanitary pennies can be unhygienic and spread germs.
- If many people stop to pick up pennies in crowded areas, it can cause bottlenecks and disrupt foot traffic flow.
- Carrying excessive pennies can be annoying and weigh down pockets, wallets or purses.
- The monetary value of a single penny is negligible today. A penny is worth less than the effort to pick it up.
- You’ll eventually need to cash in or get rid of excess pennies, which is a hassle.
In summary, the potential cons are wasting time, unhealthy germ exposure, disruption of foot traffic, inconvenience of carrying change, negligible monetary value, and hassle of having to deposit/discard pennies.
Is the time spent worth the money gained?
One way to analyze whether picking up pennies is worth it is to look at the time spent versus money gained trade-off. Let’s assume:
- It takes 5 seconds to spot, stop and pick up a penny.
- The average hourly wage is $25 per hour (federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour).
- Therefore, 5 seconds of time is worth approximately $0.00416 at a $25 per hour rate.
- Each penny is $0.01 in monetary value.
Based on these assumptions, the time spent picking up a penny yields only about 40% of the penny’s monetary value. In other words, you are losing money and wasting time by stopping for pennies.
Even if you make less than $25 per hour, the time spent still exceeds the value of a penny picked up. The only scenarios where picking up a penny makes sense financially is if you either:
- Earn a very high hourly wage well over $100 per hour
- Somehow pick up multiple pennies in the same stop (still unlikely to be worthwhile)
In most normal situations for the average person, picking up a single penny found on the ground results in lost time that exceeds the face value of the penny added to your wallet.
What does science say about germs on pennies?
Beyond the time considerations, picking up pennies also poses a risk of exposure to germs and diseases. Pennies are handled frequently and can harbor microbes on their surface.
Studies have found the following on pennies:
- Pennies can contain traces of harmful pathogens like E. coli, Staphylococcus
- 97% of pennies tested in a study showed signs of bacterial contamination
- Pennies can spread antibiotic-resistant superbugs that are major public health concerns
- Most pennies contain tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of bacteria
The circulation of pennies exposes them to germy hands, surfaces, and environments. While most microbes may be harmless, the risk of picking up a seriously contaminated penny is real.
Washing hands after handling cash and coins can reduce risks. But picking up a visibly dirty penny from the ground has heightened odds of transferring bacteria or viruses onto your hands.
Pennies can spread pink eye, influenza and other illnesses
Some specific diseases and conditions that handling pennies could spread include:
- Conjunctivitis (pink eye) – Caused by adenovirus present on pennies
- Influenza – The flu virus can survive on pennies for up to 48 hours
- Norovirus – Highly contagious stomach bug that can spread via contaminated pennies
- Staph infections – Staph bacteria including MRSA can linger on penny surfaces
- E. coli – Potentially life-threatening foodborne illness transmitted by fecal bacteria on hands
- Hepatitis A – Contagious liver infection spread by inadvertent mouth contact after touching contaminated objects
While the risks are not excessively high, picking up a visibly dirty penny found on the ground does unnecessarily increase the odds of transferring dangerous microbes from the penny onto your skin and potentially into your system if you touch your face before washing up.
Penny problems – annoyances of carrying excess change
Assuming you get past the time waste and potential germ considerations, regularly picking up pennies can create some annoyances once you’ve accumulated them:
- Filling your pockets with pennies adds weight and can be uncomfortable
- Carrying lots of change makes wallets bulky, misshapen and difficult to sit on
- Pennies get spread over tables, desks and counter tops as you empty pockets/purses
- You’ll need to periodically cash in or deposit excess pennies to keep them under control
- Stray pennies can fall through pockets/holes and get lost, defeating the purpose of picking them up
For minimal gain, maintaining and managing a supply of found pennies represents a series of minor annoyances and inconveniences.
When is picking up a penny worthwhile?
Based on the above downsides, picking up a penny is generally not worthwhile in most typical circumstances. However, there are some scenarios where picking up a penny found on the ground can be justified:
- Collecting rare/special pennies – Pennies with minting errors or special editions can be far more valuable to collectors.
- Sentimental value – Saving a penny from a meaningful year like a birth year.
- Amusement/fun – Some people enjoy collecting as a hobby.
- Teaching moments – Parents can instill values of hard work and thrift in children.
- Avoiding litter – Pick up pennies to keep public areas clean.
The intrinsic value of the penny itself is likely still less than the time spent. But in these situations, the non-monetary benefits can outweigh the nominal penny value.
Conclusion
For most people in everyday circumstances, picking up a penny found on the ground is not worth the time and effort required. The monetary gain is negligible compared to wages earned in the time spent stopping and bending over. Germs and diseases present health risks with handling dirty coins. And maintaining large supplies of pennies creates annoyances like bulky pockets and wallets. Unless you spot rare or sentimental pennies, or use it as a teaching moment, deixng that penny on the ground is usually the right move to maximize your time and avoid germ exposure. The old saying “find a penny, pick it up” contains wisdom worth far less than a penny today.