An Interview With One Of My Readers; The Legend of Luke Sidewalker

A few months ago, I was performing yet another search on how to make money blogging.  My discovery this time:  "The Legend of Luke Sidewalker."    I read the tag line, "The Quintessential Get Rich Slow Scheme" and I was immediately intrigued.  I started with one post and ended up reading the entire blog.  Now, I didn't learn how to make lots of money quickly but what I did discover was a gem of a blog.  In a span of a few short words, Mr. Sidewalker writes with such insight and wit as to leave us wanting more.  Whether he's writing about his experiences with banking or enumerating his tally of savings for the month, he is one of the most entertaining bloggers around. 

I hope you'll enjoy this interview and when you're done, head on over to "The Legend of Luke Sidewalker."

MW:  On your first blog post, you wrote, "This is the story of one man's journey from $0 to $1,000,000; achieved by picking up change seen on the sidewalk and depositing it into an online savings account."  What gave you the impetus to start the blog?  Were you already finding treasures left behind by other people?  And, has your original idea evolved? 

Luke:  Up until a few years ago, I had always lived my life at a hectic pace, dashing from one place to another, from dawn till dusk.  Never really seeing what was immediately around me.  Then we had Sidewalker Jr. and as he took his first faltering steps my walking pace seemed like an eternity for him to put one foot in front of the other, I began to notice the amount of money on the sidewalk.  We began picking the change up and blogging about it.  That's pretty much how it started.  The blog has evolved into a mix of anecdotes about bringing up two young kids and a lighthearted commentary on the general economy.  On reflection, that seems a strange mix!  I think it is well received because it's based on a very basic concept that we have all experienced.

MW:  You've had some interesting experiences like the time they closed your savings account for "too much activity."  What in your opinion has been the most interesting thing that has happened to you since starting the blog?

Luke:  Two of my favorite finds have been the 50c I found behind the radiator in the labor recovery room when Little Miss Sidewalker was born.  And the $1.32 I found under the cushions of a sofa that had been left out on the sidewalk for collection.  On a personal level, the blog led to an invitation to write several articles for FiLife.com, which is a personal finance site owned by the Wall Street Journal.  My old English and Economics teachers are probably turning in their graves at this development.

MW:  How has the economy affected your journey?  Do you see a recovery in progress?

Luke:  It appears that my finds are not correlated to the economy, they seem to be more seasonal.  On average, since January 2007, I've found 3 cents per day.  If 10% of the American population found change at that rate, that would add up to over $1 Million a day.  I think there are many worthwhile projects that could be funded in this 'micro' way.  That is an idea I would like to pursue when/if the blog has more publicity and a bigger audience.  As for the recovery, I don't see it happening anytime soon for the majority of us, I think a lot of the big banks are insolvent but for Government support, and that is not a recipe for recovery.

MM:  One of my favorite parts of the blog is reading about Sidealker, Jr.  How has your quest to find $1,000,000.00 impacted him?

Luke:  He is very aware of money, but not obsessed with money.  He thinks it is bad that people leave money lying on the ground.  I hope to teach him that in a world where he will have to earn every penny he gets, all coins matter regardless of denomination.

MW:  Do you have any tips for the readers who want to start their own quest?

Luke:  Sure, I have found that plotting my finds on the Sidewalker Cash Trail Map was a lot of fun, and keeping a running total of the progress is a great incentive for the four of us.  Plus it breeds a little in-house rivalry.  Also setting monthly goals can be humorous, as 'sidewalking' is, by it's nature, a very random past time.  My Twitter followers were going crazy as I hunted down the last few cents to reach my $15 target by the end of July this year.

MW:  And, finally, would you mind sharing your favorite picture?  Why is it important to you?

Luke:  This is my favorite picture.  It is an impromptu sign, a little rough and ready.  However its message of a sidewalk being open makes me smile, because where there is a sidewalk, there are coins.