I just found $187 hidden in my accounts (and you can too)

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🤔 The Question:

How Much "Forgotten Money" Do You Have Hiding in Plain Sight?

I bet you're thinking "Not me, Ren! I keep track of every penny!"

Yeah, that's what I thought too. But our modern financial lives are scattered across dozens of accounts, apps, programs, and platforms. It's like trying to keep track of where you left all your hair ties – they're everywhere until you need one!

Let me paint a picture of what I discovered in my own accounts...

💰 My Personal Hidden Money Hunt Results

Here's what my unexpected treasure hunt turned up:

• $32 in credit card rewards I hadn't redeemed

• $45 sitting in an old PayPal account I rarely check

• $58 in a savings app with "round-ups" I'd forgotten about

• $37 in store credits from returns I never used

• $15 in unclaimed utility deposit from our last move

That's $187 of MY money that was just sitting there! Not earning interest, not working for me, just... waiting.

And I consider myself pretty financially savvy! (Don't tell my husband I said that, he'll never let me live it down after my salmon shopping incident last month...)

🔍 Why We Miss Our Own Money

Before we dive into how to find YOUR hidden cash, let's talk about why this happens to even the most organized among us:

Digital Fragmentation
The average American has accounts with 3-5 financial institutions, plus payment apps, rewards programs, and subscription services. That's a LOT to keep track of!

Just one of the MANY reasons people absolutely LOVE using our budgeting tools.

The "Set It and Forget It" Trap
We automate everything these days (which is great!), but sometimes we automate so well that we completely forget about accounts or services - ironic given that’s exactly why I designed my Ultimate Budget 3.0

The "I'll Deal With That Later" Syndrome
Raise your hand if you've ever told yourself you'll transfer that refund "later" and then... never did. 🙋‍♀️ (My hand is WAY up!)

The Subscription Creep
Those $5-15 monthly charges that pile up for services you signed up for during a free trial and then forgot about. (Looking at you, streaming service for that ONE show I wanted to watch...)

✅ Your Hidden Money Scavenger Hunt Guide

Okay, let's turn this into a fun little scavenger hunt! I've broken this down into areas to check, and I promise it's worth the 30-60 minutes it'll take. Think of it as getting paid $100-500 per hour to do this!

1. Banking & Credit Card Treasure Spots

Rewards Programs:

• Log into ALL your credit card accounts

• Check for unused cashback or points

• Look for expiring rewards (some have time limits!)

• Check for "special offers" tabs (many cards have additional rewards you need to opt into)

Forgotten Refunds & Credits:

• Review your recent statements for refunds or returns

• Check for statement credits that may not have been applied

• Look for reimbursements that might have come through without notification

Pro Tip: While you're there, check for bank fees you could get refunded! Many banks will refund occasional overdraft or service fees if you call and ask nicely. I got $35 back last year just by making a 5-minute call!

2. Digital Payment Platforms & Apps

PayPal/Venmo/Cash App/Zelle:

• Log into ALL your payment apps (seriously, all of them)

• Check your balances – many people leave money sitting in these accounts

• Look for pending transfers that never completed

• Check for any rewards or cashback these platforms offer

Roundup/Automatic Savings Apps:

• Check any microsaving apps you've used (Acorns, Digit, Qapital, etc.)

• Look for cashback offers you've qualified for but haven't redeemed

Quick Story: My friend Sarah found $212 sitting in a savings app she'd signed up for TWO YEARS ago and then completely forgot about! The app had been diligently saving her spare change all that time!

3. The Subscription Audit

This one might save you future money rather than finding existing funds, but it's worth including:

Subscription Detective Work:

• Download your last 3 months of bank and credit card statements

• Highlight ALL recurring charges (even small ones!)

• Make a list: Do you still use all of these services?

• For each one you don't use, cancel it immediately (put a reminder in your phone to do it TODAY)

• This is waaaay easier to do if you have tools like these

Hubby and I recently discovered we were paying for THREE different movie streaming services that all had basically the same content. We cut it down to one and are saving $28 every month now!

4. Retail & Shopping Refunds

Store Credits & Gift Cards:

• Check your email for "Your refund has been processed" messages

• Look for gift cards in your wallet, drawers, or email

• Check any store accounts you have for store credit

• Try an app like Cardberry or Gift Card Granny to help organize and find forgotten gift cards

Cashback Shopping Portals:

• Check Rakuten, TopCashback, Ibotta, or any shopping portals you've used

• Look for unclaimed cashback or rewards waiting for payout

True story: I found a Target gift card with $43 still on it tucked in my junk drawer last week. It was from my birthday... TWO years ago! 🙈

5. Loyalty Programs & Rewards

Airline Miles & Hotel Points:

• Log into all your travel loyalty accounts

• Check for points/miles that might be expiring soon

• See if there are any free night certificates or upgrades you haven't used

Retail Rewards Programs:

• Check any store rewards programs you belong to (groceries, drugstores, etc.)

• Look for expired or soon-to-expire points

• Check if you've reached any reward thresholds

Pro Tip: Many store reward points expire after 6-12 months of inactivity. Set a calendar reminder to use them before they disappear!

6. The Government Might Have Your Money!

This is my favorite hidden treasure spot because it's like finding money you never even knew you had!

Unclaimed Property:

• Visit MissingMoney.com or USA.gov/unclaimed-money

• Search for your name in every state you've lived in

• Check for maiden names or previous legal names too

• Search for deceased relatives (you might be entitled to their unclaimed funds)

Tax Refunds:

• Check if you have any unclaimed tax refunds at IRS.gov/refunds

• Look for tax credits you might have missed in previous years (you can often file amended returns)

Surprising Fact: The U.S. government is currently holding more than $58 BILLION in unclaimed funds! That's an average of about $175 for every American!

🚫 Common Money-Finding Mistakes

As you embark on your treasure hunt, watch out for these common pitfalls:

The "I'll Do It All At Once" Trap Don't try to tackle everything in one sitting. Break it into smaller chunks – maybe spend 15 minutes each day this week checking different areas.

Forgotten Credentials Nothing stops a money hunt faster than not being able to log in! Use a password manager to keep track of all those accounts.

Missing the Follow-Through Finding the money is just step one. Actually transferring it to where you want it is step two – don't skip it!

Ignoring Small Amounts $5 here, $10 there... it adds up! Don't ignore the small finds.

💡 What To Do With Your Found Money

Once you've gathered all your hidden cash, you have some decisions to make:

The Emergency Fund Boost If your emergency fund isn't fully funded, this is a perfect opportunity to strengthen your financial safety net.

The Debt Destroyer Use your found money to make an extra payment on your highest-interest debt. Use this handy tool to pay down debt waaay quicker!

The Future You Fund Consider putting your treasure toward retirement or other long-term goals.

The "Something Fun" Fund It's okay to use a portion for something enjoyable! Maybe 80% toward financial goals and 20% for something that brings you joy.

📱 Tools To Prevent Future Money Loss

To avoid losing track of your money in the future:

Financial Aggregators: Apps like Mint, Personal Capital, or YNAB can help you see all your accounts in one place.

Subscription Trackers: Truebill, Trim, or Bobby can monitor and manage your subscriptions. I cover this in my Ultimate Budget 3.0!

Calendar Reminders: Set quarterly reminders to check for rewards, credits, and unused balances.

The "Money Map": Create your own spreadsheet listing all your accounts, subscriptions, and rewards programs in one place.

💭 Final Thoughts

Remember, this isn't about beating yourself up for "losing track" of money. Our financial lives are complex, and it happens to everyone – even financial advisors!

Think of this as a fun treasure hunt where YOU get to keep everything you find. And once you've done this initial sweep, make it a regular habit – maybe quarterly – to check these hidden spots.

I'd love to hear what YOU find! Hit reply and let me know the total amount of your hidden treasures.

Happy hunting!

To your financial success,

Ren

P.S. Next week I'll be sharing how to make sure your newly-found money starts WORKING for you instead of just sitting around. Stay tuned!