Michigan Money Tracker

30th hit found in a new county, Ingham

Got another hit this past weekend, looking at my bill roster. It was a $1 bill, found in Ingham County, a new county to my project. It was found in Holt, found at a credit union. This means I’ve had bills found in 8 different Michigan counties, which is almost 10 percent of all the counties in Michigan.

Here’s the updated bill count:

-Total number of bills: 983

-Value: $4,747

-Slugging percentage: 3.05 percent

-Number of hits: 30

Four new bills hit recently, including two from the same person

My email notifications must not be working right now from Where’s George? but I checked some stats and saw I’ve had four new hits over the last few weeks I didn’t know I had.

My first one was a $5 bill found March 28 in Tiffin, Ohio. It was found at an party store in town. This bill traveled down there after I got it as change from a restaurant in Redford back in July.

The second bill was found in a new state for my project: Iowa. This $1 was found in Davenport, Iowa on April 5, found after I released it into the wild in September from Clawson.

The third and fourth were found by the same person, an individual I believe has found my bills before. They were given to him April 6 as a part of a half-strap of $1’s from a bank in Lathrup Village, not far from my current residence in Southfield. They were bills I got in change from a grocery store in Shelby Township, a place where I will start to call home on Sunday after my wedding tomorrow.

With this new influx, the updated bill count has changed significantly. Here’s the updated total:

-Number of bills entered: 936

-Value: $4,571

-Number of hits: 29

Slugging percentage: 3.1 percent

Most of my bills entered now will come from Shelby Township, although the ZIP code is Utica. We’ll have to take a look at the breakdown later, but onward and upward!

A $1 bill found in Florida by a Detroit Tigers fan

My most recent hit comes from Florida, a place where I’ve had some luck with bills before. I got a hit on a $1 bill I received in change from a Taco Bell in Livonia that was found in Eaton Park, Fla.

Best part is, the person said they planned on taking it to a Detroit Tigers spring training game at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland. From one Tigers fan to another, read the anonymous email I sent the user.

Still rolling strong in this project. Here’s the updated bill count:

-Number of bills entered: 884

-Value: $3,786

-Number of hits: 25

-Slugging percentage: 2.83 percent

Two bills found and hit, including one a day after entering

Had two bills recently be found in the wild, including a bill I entered on Sunday and was entered today.

First, a $1 bill I entered back in October that I received from my area grocery store was found March 7 in Defiance, Ohio, located in northwest Ohio not far from the Indiana border. The finder didn’t leave a message, so I don’t know where or how they came into possession of the bill.

The second hit came this afternoon as a $10 I entered in the early morning hours of Sunday was found, my quickest hit yet. A bill I entered after getting a late-night snack was found in Southfield, although in a different ZIP code. I’ve been racking my brain to see if I had spent any money in that area yesterday, and I did not. I had lunch with a friend in Troy during the day and left a bill there, and that’s all I could think of. 

The second bill hit doesn’t say where the user found it, although it states the bill is in good shape still, and, in a first for me ever, complimented my handwriting. Which is funny, because my handwriting was better when I was in third grade than what it is today.

These hits keep me moving forward on this project, which is now inching toward a year and a half. Here’s the updated bill count:

-Number of bills entered: 872

-Value: $3,738

-Number of hits: 24

-Slugging percentage: 2.75 percent

Two bills recently found, and a bill entered not in Michigan

It had been more than a month and a half since having my last hit in the Where’s George? project, but I finally broke through and had two hits in the last four days on bills I had entered.

The first bill was a $20 that was my brother’s he let me enter. I don’t know where he spent it, but I know I entered it in August 2012, and it was found Jan. 31 in Crystal Lake, Illinois, located west of Chicago. The user wasn’t sure where the bill came from, but said it’s still in pretty decent shape. Hopefully this means it will last longer than I expected.

The second hit came a little closer to home, in the Oakland County city of Royal Oak. The user note says the $1 bill, which I entered in December after getting it as change from a local Target, said it came from Troy, just north of Royal Oak, and was received at a beauty school. Definitely not a direct hit, as I don’t frequent beauty shops. But that’s cool.

Here’s the updated bill total with these new hits included:

-Total number of bills: 808

-Value: $3,478

-Number of hits: 22

Slugging percentage: 2.72 percent

Also entered recently was one bill that is not a Michigan bill. I entered it in Ithaca, New York while visiting my fiance’s family. I entered one $1 bill, which my fiance gave me to tip a coffeehouse. I naturally kept the bill, and left a Where’s George? bill instead. So now I have a few bills from out of state: Ohio and New York. Let’s see if one turns up!

2012 year in review

2012 was the first year I spent fairly dedicated to this project. I had done it in high school, but not as diligent as I did this time around.

Overall, I had alright results. I entered 710 bills last year, and saw 20 hits, good for a 2.7 percent hit rate. It could be worse I suppose, but it should be better. I entered $3,141 in currency on the site last year, mostly in ones but also other denominations as well.

My first hit didn’t come until April, and since then, I’ve had a hit in most months. Most of my bills were found in Michigan, scattered across seven Michigan counties. Most of those hits (6) were found in Wayne County, 4 in Oakland and 2 in Macomb, the Tri-County area that makes up Metro Detroit.

I was surprised to not have any hits in either Lenawee or Washtenaw counties this year, considering I spent the first four months of my time on this project living and working in those counties. Perhaps one will turn up this year, but it seemed strange not to have a hit there.

Three hits came from out of state. My farthest hit came from Nevada, presumably from a bill I gave to my parents back in August to take with them to Las Vegas. It was found by a waitress in Clark Lake, and constitutes my farthest bill so far in the project. I’ve had bills found in three other states: Indiana, Minnesota and Florida.

My goal for this year is to continue expanding in Michigan counties, having hits in at least 15 of them. I’d also like to see if I can break my distance record; my fiance and I are planning to go to Hawaii in April for our honeymoon, and I plan to bring plenty of bills with me to leave on the islands. Hopefully, by the end of the year, I’ll have double the hits I have now. Wish me luck, and have a happy new year!

20th hit found in Clinton Township

Hit two milestones this past week in hits and in bills entered. 

My 20th hit came on the 19th bill I’ve entered since rejoining Where’s George? a year ago. It was a bill I entered in Royal Oak back in May, and was found last week at a barber shop in Clinton Township in Macomb County. It reportedly is still in good condition, so here’s hoping I get more hits on that bill. The hit increases my slug rate to 2.84 percent.

I also hit the 700 bill mark this past week. It’s taken me a year, but I’ve entered nearly every single piece of currency I’ve had into this system over the last year. Perhaps I’ll increase it more next year.

Here’s my current updated bill count:

-Total number of bills: 704

-Value: $3,126

-Number of hits: 20

Two hits within 12 minutes of each other in two different states

Got two hits earlier tonight in two Midwestern states, bumping up my hit percentage close to 3 precent.

First hit came from a bill I entered in my final weeks while living in Clinton. It was found in Anderson, Indiana, located northwest of Indianapolis. The comment is quite lame, just a simple “Giving (sic) to me and its ok.” It took 221 days to get there, traveling 163 miles during that time. The hit is my first in Indiana, and is my fourth state in this project. My other ones include Florida, Minnesota, Michigan and Nevada.

The second hit did not have a comment where it was entered, which was Plymouth, Michigan, located in western Wayne County. This bill was entered by me in July in Southfield.

The hits increase my total hits during the last year to 19, with 18 bills being hit. My slugging percentage (total hits/total bills) currently stands at 2.81 percent, one of the highest percentages I’ve had. My updated bill count is below:

-Total number of bills entered: 676

-Value: $2,999

-Number of hits: 19

First multi-hit bill found in northern Minnesota

Entered a few bills into the project this morning, and realized I hadn’t seen a hit in nearly a month. While eating lunch, a hit came, and it’s a milestone one.

The entry is the third on a bill, the first bill I’ve had entered more than once. It’s a bill that was originally found in Saginaw back in July. I entered it in April in Saline, and it was found in Bigfork, Minnesota. There’s no message, but it’s cool to see my bill travel that far north and continue its trek.

Here’s the updated bill count so far. We’re approaching a year of my return to Where’s George? so I’ll be sure to update and analyze when we get closer.

-Number of bills entered: 655

-Value: $2,930

-Number of hits: 17

16th hit found in Taylor

Is this a sign for how things will go from now on?

Received my 16th hit of the project yesterday, a bill I entered in August. It was found Downriver in Taylor, my second Downriver community with a bill. Apparently it was found in a McDonald’s somewhere, not sure where. The message didn’t say.

The hit was the fifth I had in a month, which isn’t a bad ratio. Hopefully it continues that way. It also means I’m at the highest percentage rate of bills hit, reaching 2.66 percent. Now I’m searching for that elusive multi-hit bill. I’d love to see it before August.

Here’s the updated bill total so far:

-Number of bills entered: 602

-Value: $2,732

-Number of hits: 16