Why I Still Hunt for Pennies (Even With Millions in Real Estate)

A few days ago, I was walking through a distressed property I was about to buy.

The place was a mess — peeling paint, old appliances, piles of random junk.

But as I looked around, I noticed something: there were coins everywhere. Quarters on the counter. Nickels in the corner. Pennies scattered across the floor. By the time I was done picking them up, I had about five bucks in change in my pocket.

I joked to myself, “Well, I guess I’m already making returns on this property.”

But honestly? It bothered me.

Because this wasn’t the first time. I’ve bought plenty of houses where people left behind things that were still valuable — tools, electronics, even furniture. And always, coins. Like they didn’t matter.

And that’s when it hit me: I’ve got agents, friends, even people I mentor who act the same way. They’ll leave “free money” sitting right there in front of them. They won’t check a coupon code before buying something online. They won’t sign up for a cashback app. They won’t use a credit card that pays 4% back on groceries.

They’ll say, “It’s only a few bucks.”

That mindset drives me insane.

Because I know — from personal experience — those “few bucks” are exactly why I can own close to 40 properties today.

The Paradox Nobody Talks About

Here’s the funny thing: some of my wealthiest friends are the same way I am.

They’ll clip a coupon. They’ll scan the rewards app. They’ll drive two extra minutes for cheaper gas.

Meanwhile, people who are struggling financially?

They often spend without a second thought, paying full price for everything and ignoring free money sitting right there.

It’s not about the amount.

It’s about the mindset.

The Water Heater Challenge

Let me show you exactly how this plays out in my life.

Today, one of my properties needed a new water heater. I could have just called my vendor, told him to order it, and been done. That’s what a lot of busy investors do.

But that’s not how I operate.

Here’s how I turned that water heater purchase into a mini case study on how to save money like the wealthy do:

1. Step One: Pay With Points
   
   I logged into my American Express account, converted my points into a Home Depot gift card, and used that to pay for the water heater. The entire purchase didn’t touch my cash flow.

   (If you don’t have an AmEx yet, their welcome bonuses can be insane. For example, I’ve seen offers as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending in the first few months — that’s like free travel or a shopping spree. Here’s my Amex referral link — use it and we could both earn rewards if you get approved.)

2. Step Two: Stack Rewards
   
   Before checking out, I remembered a promo code from Capital One. That took more money off the total.

3. Step Three: Negotiate
   
   I asked the vendor, “Is this the best you can do?” After a little back and forth, I shaved $600 off the price. Six hundred. For asking one question.

4. Step Four: Micro Cashback
   
   After paying, I scanned the receipt into Fetch, which gave me a few cents in points. It’s tiny, but it adds up over time.

5. Step Five: Gas Money Win
   
   On my way to get gas, I checked my email and saw a $2.50 rebate from the gas I bought the day before. Just from using my usual cashback method.

When all was said and done, I took what could have been a $1,400+ expense and turned it into a fully covered purchase (paid with points), $600 in direct savings, bonus cashback, and even a gas rebate check.

Why Most People Don’t Do This

Here’s the part that gets me: none of this took more than a few minutes.

Converting AmEx points? 2 minutes.

Applying a promo code? 30 seconds.

Negotiating? 60 seconds.

Scanning a receipt into Fetch? 15 seconds.

And yet, when I tell people — even my own agents — to do this, they look at me like I just asked them to handwrite a 400-page book.

They’ll spend hours scrolling Instagram, but won’t take 3 minutes to make money back on a purchase. They’ll complain about gas prices, but won’t download an app like Upside that’s paid me $250 this year just for picking the right gas station.

Same thing with credit cards — I recently applied for the Amazon Prime Visa, and they gave me a $175 Amazon gift card instantly. No catch. After that, I can refer friends for $50 each, up to $500 a year. Here’s the exact Amazon Visa link I used. That’s literally free money for clicking a button.

It’s not about time. It’s about habit.

Most people don’t have the habit of looking for small wins.

The Rich Person’s Secret

Here’s the truth: wealthy people don’t save money because they need to.

They save money because they understand money.

Every dollar is a soldier. My job is to make sure every soldier is working for me, not going AWOL.

• That $600 saved on a water heater? That’s a month’s mortgage on another property.

• That $2.50 gas rebate? That’s another soldier back in the army.

• That $5 in loose change from a distressed property? That’s $5 more than I had an hour ago.

The habit of catching those wins, over and over, is the same habit that lets you catch the big wins — like buying an investment property $50K under market value or negotiating a zero-percent seller carry.

Why This Matters in Real Estate

Real estate investing is all about margins. You win by buying right, managing smart, and keeping more of what you make.

If you ignore the small wins, you’re telling your brain it’s okay to ignore the big ones too. You’re building a habit of financial laziness.

But if you train yourself to see money everywhere — in rewards points, in coupons, in rebates, in loose change — you’ll start seeing deals everywhere too.

That’s why I don’t walk past quarters on the floor. That’s why I take 3 minutes before buying anything to see if I can get a better deal.

Because this isn’t just about saving. It’s about building the kind of mindset that creates wealth in the first place.

The Bottom Line

You can make $100K a year and be broke.

You can make $40K a year and get wealthy.

The difference?

How you treat money.

If you treat $2.50 like it’s worth catching, you’ll treat $25,000 like it’s worth negotiating. If you ignore the pennies, you’ll end up ignoring the dollars too.

So yeah — I own close to 40 properties. I run multiple businesses. And I still bend down to pick up coins. I still check for coupons. I still stack points and rebates.

It’s not because I have to.

It’s because that’s exactly how I got here.

Keep it consistent, stay patient, stay true—if I did it, so can you. This is Jorge Vazquez, CEO of Graystone Investment Group and all our amazing companies, and Coach at Property Profit Academy. Thanks for tuning in—until the next article, take care and keep building!

Continuation: “Even Baseball Courts Can Lose Their Shine…”

So… even the baseball court named after Roberto Clemente isn’t safe from getting left behind? Say it ain’t so! That feels like losing a game before even stepping up to bat!

Here’s what’s up: Earlier in 2025, the Pittsburgh Pirates replaced the giant “No. 21” tribute to Roberto Clemente on the PNC Park’s right‑field wall with an alcohol ad—and yeah, fans were not happy. Clemente Jr. and others said, “Wait, what? No heads‑up? C’mon!” HISTORY+5The Washington Post+5New York Post+5. Thankfully, after the uproar, the Pirates said they’d put the tribute back and apologized—they admitted it was an honest mistake The Washington PostPeople.com.

The lesson? Little details matter. Whether it’s a forgotten baseball tribute or pennies on the floor, those “tiny” things hold big meaning—and one day they can mean millions.

Here’s how that ties into your “hunt-for-pennies” mindset:

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