So I spent the last couple of days in fabulous New York City with my husband and a group of friends and associates. We had a blast which makes today the day I can let the Balcony Blogger out ! LOL
I'm sure you are thinking of something totally different from the title of THIS blog post.... I always try to capture something different in the title as we move forward..... Stretching that dollar, especially around this time of year, is a subject I know we are all interested in.....
...Well, what if you stretched that dollar across the Globe? Where does that dollar wind up after you spend it? Where does it travel? How far does it go?............ Let's take a look at one of my favorite hobbies........and meet founder and CEO of Where's Geroge, Hank Eskin.... here's a peek to start....
* Video mentions over 7.3 million registered on the site.... that # is currently more and reflected in the post over the conversation I had with Hank
With what started out as a weekend project for fun, the Where's George site is currently at over 9 million registered "Georgers" in the 19 years Hank has been running it ! I had the pleasure of speaking with Hank over this particular blog post yet I have known him through the site and have been talking with him on line since 2003 when I became a registered "Georger" myself. I was so intrigued ! I found a dollar bill , that I had gotten as change from Macy's , with a red stamp on it that said something like "Track my bill at www.wheresgeorge.com "... I carried that bill in my wallet for what seemed like several months before I ever got onto the site.... Once I did...I was hooked !
This site is free for you to explore. There is a "Friends of George" upgrade you can get that is optional and the site will fill you in on all of that....
I fell in love with not only tracking my bills yet talking with other "Georgers" and actually getting to meet them in person at what is called a gathering .... I have even set up my own gathering in the past.... I'm looking forward to attending one in the New Year ! With my busy schedule I'm not on the site as much as I would like, yet I try to get on there when I can. I love the conversations in the forums, the information on money and all that is going on with it,
the ENCYCLOPEDIA GEORGEITANICA !!! , and many other features the site has to offer.
You can see how many States you have "hits" in - also how many counties in those States. I am currently 13 States short of what is called a "50 States Bingo". To date, I have 89 hits in N.J./ 40 in PA./ 26 in N.Y./ and 21 in Fla. just to name a few.... I also have one hit in Hawaii, D.C., India, the U.K. and the Armed Forces Europe. I find it very interesting...makes a nice gift for someone too if they would like a little hobby!
Hank is so down to Earth. I always get a response when I need to speak to him about something yet I also know he is extremely busy and I don't bother him unless I really need to discuss something important. Let me say here, "Thank you , Hank, for taking the time to let us blog about this fun and unique site...and you !"
Here is what Hank initially told me...
"In 1998, I found a dollar bill waiting to buy lunch that said 'write this message on 10 other dollar bills and you'll have good luck. St. Lazarus" (or something like that). I thought, who wrote this message, and how did it end up in my hands? Shortly after that, I realized that unlike chain letters people used to send out, that dollar bills have a unique number -- the serial number -- that allows them to be tracked. Over lunch that same day, the idea for WheresGeorge.com was born. I spent two or three months cobbling together a very rudimentary version, and launched Version 1 on 12/23/98."
Over the years, Where's George has been written up on Yahoo, in the Associated Press, New York Times, USA today and more....
check out the site and always remember the main rule: EMS
ENTER MARK SPEND...
Regular rules are fairly simple and all spelled out on the site.
Here is what I use on my bills:
This is a fun, FREE, hobby and makes a great gift too ! This year, I joined the Holiday Card exchange group on the site through the forums there. This has been fun and I have received some Awesome cards from all over the Country....
As always, you can contact me about any and all subjects of my blog posts.... I'll answer what I can. Stay tuned for Christmas Eve , Sunday, as we post our last ETA topic for the Year....
Have a very Happy Holiday Season, Merry Christmas and just ENJOY whatever you celebrate ! Maybe head out for a festive time.... and spend a little using a "George bill".... then we can see where it ends up !
#WheresGeorge
Enjoy !
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