How did the first Utica-based penny challenge of 2025 end?
Day 22: February 17, 2025
In the original penny challenges, inventor Ryan Trahan typically first finds someone who will give him something for a penny. Then he finds someone to buy that from him for a dollar, then as much as he can get for that item, and so on until he can afford to buy something he can break apart and resell, such as a bag of candy or a case of water or soda. When that begins to run out, he uses a bike secured during that or a previous penny challenge paired with food delivery apps to generate some additional funds. Once he stops getting orders, he often does some other no cost, in-person work, typically using the sign and marker he purchased to sell the candy and drinks to make a sign announcing himself as a comedian telling silly jokes in a “bet you a dollar I can make you laugh” routine, or a sketch artist. In some videos, he approaches people and asks if they have any cleaning work he can do. Points programs are also used on occasion.
My “find someone to sell you something for a penny and flip it” happened early, as I purchased a gift card for the penny, and sold it online for partial cash value. The “buy something you can break apart and sell it” step was skipped for this one, due to weather.
Absolutely nobody is going to be out at parks or along sidewalks, hanging out or strolling along willing to buy a cold soda, and I doubt I’ll find anyone in the mood to stop and chat and buy some candy or listen to me tell silly jokes just for fun out there. I can’t draw people. I can write them a little story of their day, and I can sing a little, but there just aren’t going to be people out there wanting a memento of a day out or a trip to Utica in the middle of a snow storm, and I doubt anyone’s up for some mediocre blues and classic country covers while they stand there and freeze. I replaced that method with couponing.
Of course, I then worked a few points programs, particularly MyPoints, and a free gift card for trying something out offer from Amazon. Finally, I did my own version of Ryan Trahan’s food delivery app fundraising with TPR tutoring.
At the end of day 22, that app will send me $97.96 on or around February 26….and an additional $8.03 two or three days after the challenge’s scheduled end, around the last day of the month. I would have preferred having everything in by the end of the challenge, but as long as it is owed to me by a reputable company, it is on its way, and that counts. I can certainly wait a few days to actually purchase the body spray, and I’ll need to make a future appointment and/or place the order for the color later anyway.
This brings the total up to $105.99 plus the $0.81 leftover from the MyPoints redemtion. For a grand total of $106.80
The goal of the penny challenge has been reached. I have all the makeup I wear. I have $80 I can set aside to get my hair trimmed and colored, and $26.80 left over to spend on a new body spray.
There were also two odd stray items in the challenge so far. One of the points programs I used, SideHustle, had an easy introductory offer I was able to redeem for a digital Amazon gift card right away, so I had a $5.00 gift card credited to my Amazon account.The thing stopped working after I got the $5.00, but they did give me that initial $5.00 gift card. I also have that pack of pens I used to tip the total of my second makeup order over to $30 even so I could combine that $15 credit with the previous Amazon card from MyPoints and get the order for free.
It had been my hope that I would figure out something interesting to do with one or both of those things. I didn’t. The $5.00 Amazon gift card could only be redeemed for something from Amazon. I couldn’t swap that one, so I ordered a little makeup bag for the new makeup, a yellow one to match my sunflower tote bag. It was a last minute add-on to the challenge items, but it was free.
The pens remain. Maybe I can use them to journal, as I have something to pray over, a decision to make. Do I end the penny challenge right here? Keep going for all 30 days? Or do I give it one more day as a big sendoff, and end it at day 23
Day 23: February 18, 2025
A day off at work today gave me time to do a “big finish” for the penny challenge. Unfortunately, none of the points sites had any surprise opportunities, nobody was on TPR tutoring, and there were no useful coupons available. By the end of the day, I had the same results as the day before.
Day 24: February 19, 2025
As of today, it appears the penny challenge is set to continue. Wednesday is a day that I absolutely have to get up early for work. Working from my phone, or even doing a little work from my phone so I can be a little late to log in from my laptop is not an option on Wednesday morning. Since I had to get up early anyway, I popped in to TPR tutoring while I waited for my turn in the bathroom, just to see if that line of essays to evaluate left overnight was a regular thing. There were none. That makes both a cute “The first penny challenge was meant to be” observation and a confirmation that this is not something that can be relied on for steady cash flow.
Most of the day was spent at work off and on. But between check-ins and helping students, I checked in at TPR tutoring. There was nothing there all day, with the exception of one writing lab that crashed when I tried to accept it.
Day 25: February 20, 2025
Even though it has already been counted, as it has already been generated, having that first payment hit my Paypal account and being able to move it into its own virtual penny challenge envelope felt successful all over again. The actual total remains at $106.80. I still have $80 to set aside for my hair and will have $26.80 to spend on a new body spray once all the money lands in my account. No extra funds have been generated since the goal was reached. That was just encouraging.
Day 26: February 21, 2025
The penny grew by $0.66 this morning. While that doesn’t do anything but bring the currently available funds up to $99.43 and the total generated up to $107.46 plus the value of the makeup already on hand, it does bring up a cash generating method not tried here before, or in the original penny challenges on YouTube, credit card churning.
That 66 cents was generated because I put something I was going to purchase anyway, some groceries, on my Paypal credit card. As soon as the charge posted to my credit card, I paid it off and collected the cash back bonus. Paypal’s credit card is the easiest to churn. If you have Paypal and can get approved for one of their credit cards, you can use that card to generate small amounts of cash that add up by charging your purchases to the card and transferring the cash back to your Paypal cash balance in one click or tap. Other credit cards may be churnable as well, but the key to successful credit card churning is to have the cash to cover anything you charge on hand before you make the charge, and pay off those charges as soon as they post to your credit card. Leaving them on there only allows them to generate interest, adding more to your credit card bill than what you get in cash back.
This also brings with it the temptation to charge things you wouldn’t normally buy, “because I’ll get cash back.” For credit card churning to be truly successful, for it to earn you a little cash you wouldn’t have had before, the credit card can only be used to purchase things you would have bought if you didn’t have the card.
This afternoon, some of the funds raised from the penny challenge were spent at Victoria’s Secret. I had to Uber there to return some clothing I ordered online that did not fit, and to go to Target to pick up some canned food for Callie. Since I was already inside the mall, getting back to Victoria’s Secret would not cost me any money, so I decided to walk back over there and see what I could find for a fragrance. I had estimated $25 for fragrance. I wound up spending $36.98….but I also went for one body spray and came back with five. I found a $20 off orders of $50 or more coupon inside the bag of clothes I needed to return, and decided to toss it in the penny challenge and see how well I could combine it with sales and specials. Two of the items I picked out, full size body sprays in “Heavenly” and “Dream Angel,” retailed for $25 each but were on sale for $12. The mini sprays retailed at $15 each, but were on a “buy two get one free” special. I chose “Bare,” “Very Sexy” and “Daring.” The total retail value of everything came to $95, making the savings more than 50%. Not bad considering the cash that was spent was generated picking up tutoring and essay evaluating sessions during work breaks and times waiting for something interesting to pop up on YouTube….and without spending anything for sign up fees, transportation, or supplies.
The penny now sits at $62.45...with $8.03 owed to me...for a total of $70.48. All I have to do is get my hair trimmed and colored. That is a little low for that, but you never know what might happen in four days.
Day 27: February 22, 2025
Originally, the plan was for all of this to be done and over with by the third week in February, and have everything done and set by my birthday. Between making the mistake of canceling the challenge the first time, and things simply taking longer to happen, that will have to be extended. This penny challenge will end the day after my 50th birthday, February 24, 2025, but I will still need to get my hair trimmed and colored. It’s not that big of a deal. I typically celebrate my birthday a bit late, anytime between my actual legal birthday of February 24 and February 28, so I might still make that. I’ll at least get my hair color soon and my trim as soon as I can get to the salon.
One change I’m making is to use Revlon hair color. As pretty as the Madison Reed color is, it’s a bit too expensive, and I’ve never used it before. Revlon is obtainable within the limits of what is currently available in the penny envelope, the same color is available, and I know the brand.
At the end of the day, all the makeup I would wear, a box of hair color, and five body sprays have been purchased, all stemming from the penny I started with 27 days ago. A total of $55.07 sits in the penny challenge virtual envelope, with at least $8.03 owed from TPR tutoring. This gives me $63.10 to get my hair cut.
Day 28: February 23, 2025
The penny grew in yet another slightly off-kilter way today. The MyPoints website generated enough points for another $5 gift card to a few places. There is absolutely nothing else I can do, penny challenge funds raising, or penny challenge goal item-wise on Amazon. Gray, brown, or black eyeliner, black mascara, and maybe some peach, red, or hopefully this rose pink lipstick is all the makeup that looks good on me. There are already more fragrances in my collection than I ever wanted, and I have my box of hair color waiting for me. The only thing left to do is generate more cash for the haircut, and there is nothing else on Amazon that I could get for under $5 with free shipping to flip in the single day I have left.
I wound up ordering a $5 gift card to Dunkin, enough to cover a free coffee. I can either get coffee when I get my haircut, or I can save it in the penny challenge collection and declare anything obtained in previous penny challenges fair game for the next one.
Day 29: February 24, 2025
February 24, 2024 was taken off to celebrate turning 50. This year, celebration day happened to be my real birthday.
Day 30: February 25, 2025
Back to normal, back to writing for the final day of the penny challenge. My wonderful husband bought me a fragrance that I like even better than Heavenly and Dream Angel by Victoria’s Secret. It’s called Forever Red by Bath and Body Works, and it has become my main, signature scent. Getting a new fragrance from the penny was still successful, as I have a bottle of Heavenly and one of Dream Angel, both of which I will also happily wear.
He also bought me a ton of Dunkin Donuts coffee, so when I finally get the $5 gift card, I won’t need it for a free coffee. I can make the same thing at home, and drink it in the accompanying gift, a mug with a cartoon of me on it and the caption “Just a Girl Who Loves Books” with my name. (Yes, it was the best birthday ever and he spoiled me).
According to the pattern of some of the original penny challenges, items obtained during penny challenges are fair game to use as resources for future penny challenges. I’m not sure when or where the next penny challenge might take place, but it will launch with not only the penny, but a pack of pens, a $5 Dunkin Donuts gift card, and three travel-sized bottles of Victoria’s Secret body spray (Bare, Very Sexy, and Daring).
I’m keeping the Revlon products, the three eyeliners, three lipsticks, and hair color. I am also keeping the little yellow makeup bag and the $$63.10 to get my hair trimmed. In case anyone’s wondering what’s with the Revlon, Victoria’s Secret, and Bath and Body Works thing, those are my go-to brands because they’re three out of the five cosmetics brands I’m not allergic to. I can also wear Avon, which is only within reason if I sell it and use the commission to get my own stuff free, and some very pricey brand. I can never remember if it’s MAC, Urban Decay, or Clinique that I can wear, but I’m certainly not going to run around trying them when I can just use the less expensive brands and wind up with the same thing or something I like better.
Haircut plans have been moved to Supercuts now that I’m doing the color myself. The $55 already sitting in there should cover that, never mind the $8.03 on the way.
As for the next penny challenge….leave suggestions in the comments. Where in the community is there a need? What fun challenge can we do as a fundraiser to meet that need?
By Jess Santacroce
Writer/Editor: The 315
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That was quite a month. Congratulations!