Good thinking, Anne, and in my humble opinion, it's putting the money back with The original Owner.

This thread really got me thinking, Cherie. Here you were trying to do the RIGHT thing, and can't even truly trust the person you could be trying to help. Welcome to our world!!

I agree w/Anne about donating it or doing something good w/it. But, if you don't and keep it, I'm ok w/that too. You tried and so I wouldn't feel guilty one little bit longer. Smile... You are a good person.!

Quite a dilema Cherie! Your honest nature put you in the predicament to begin with (good for you ). I think if it had REALLY been his money, he would have caused a big, big fuss over you not turning over the full amount. The fact that he said twenty to begin with was a big clue in this case. Most people carry 10s and 20s. Most I know don't carry 50s. He would have KNOWN he had a 50 in his pocket (I do!)...especially if the wife was getting money off of him. He would have made note of what he had, what he was giving her, etc. EDIT: Also, his story was to long, involved and well rehearsed by the time he got to you the second time!!

I see how you feel bad now, but don't feel bad about not giving it all to him. I think you feel bad because you know the wrong person got the cash...IMHO.

I like the donation to charity idea...I also think if you could use the cash it may be YOUR blesssing. It will really be what you decide.

I have found money before more than once (on grocery store floors and fast food restaurants) usually a ten or twenty. Finders keepers has been my attitude on those occassions because of the small amount. The heart warming stories shared here about people who found the true owners was due to opportunity, found or created, because of the amount involved. A large amount would make it seem more important, at least to me, to find the true owners.

I think AMN had a great suggestion for the future (report it and hold it)
I know if this ever happens to me her words will ring in my ear

Thank you, all, for your responses.

I think I will donate it, as it feels like dirty money to me. I know that's a bit crazy to feel that way, since I did try to do the right thing. It just hit home, today of all days, because I had been stressing about having lost a $100, then ended up finding a $100. It's too coincidental for my liking.

I really don't think it was his money, but wish I could have found the rightful owner.

Cherie

You could do "The Big Give"! Go to a store and find a family who looks like they are skimping to get by, children in tow....walk up and see the smile on their faces....a way to bring you joy and closure. They will never forget your kindness

Glad you are feeling better!

That's a really good idea, GJ. You are right . . . I'd feel good about doing that.

Thanks, Cherie

My husband and his friend were in the john at a gas station. I guess guys don't have anything to do while they are going to the bathroom except look around. So his friend looks up and found a can close to the ceiling. He pulled it down and there was about $8,000. in it!! They rushed to the police station as fast as they could cause they didn't know what to do with it. The police told them that it was a common money drop for drugs at that gas station. They were required to keep it for a certain length of time to see if any one reported it stolen. Now who would report money lost in a drug drop? So his friend split the money with my husband and we had a good time with it.

All good ideas...or you could just send it to ME!!!

Years ago my parents' old garage blew into the neighbor's backyard. Dad cleaned it up and kicked an old can towards the neighbor's house.

They kicked it back towards his house.

This went on for a time, then Dad finally bent down and picked it up. It was a small, old squarish tin can. When he opened it, it smelled like the old garage.

It was full of old silver certificate bills!!! About $400 worth.

Allofasudden the neighbor decides it actually belonged to them (a gift from heaven...) So Dad split it with them.

I like the Big Give idea. You will feel better and know it went to a good place. BTW. Sounds like a con to me. I doubt it was his. You did the best you could and better then I would have.

My son found a bank envelope in K-Mart when he was about 10 or 11. The kind the bank gives you your paper money in. It had $60 dollars in it - all in $5's so it was a pretty thick envelope. We were in the toy department so I kind of figured it belonged to a child - probably their whole savings account!

He brought it to me and asked me what I thought he should do. I almost told him to take it up to the customer service desk but decided to ask him what HE thought he should do. He thought for a minute and said - "I'm gonna look for someone who looks like they lost their money." OK - I didn't want to poo-poo his idea and I was SO proud that he didn't say he wanted to keep it.....I asked him to let me put it in my purse and we'd walk through the department and see if we saw anyone who was upset or otherwise seeming like they had lost something.

We didn't see anyone in the toy department so I asked him if we should turn it in. He looked disappointed but said yeah, we should do that. Don't you know on the way up front we passed the check out lines and there was a little boy (probably 6 or 7) standing in line with his Dad and you could tell he was upset and had been crying. He was just standing there with his arms crossed looking so dejected and mad.

I HAD to ask the Dad if they had possibly lost an envelope - something just told me that this was the owner of that money. He looked at me like I had just offered him the key to the mint! He told me exactly what was in that envelope - twelve $5 bills. The smile on that little boys face was worth more than I could ever express - and Matt got a big kick out of it, too. They got out of line and that little boy was able to get whatever he had come to spend his money on.

And Matt got a toy, too, that day just because!