The economy may be coming back to life but money is still tight for many families. It need not be this way. From plugging leaks in spending to tracing missing cash and even uncovering lost treasures, it is possible to boost your finances. Here, Sally Hamilton shows you how to turn detective and track down lost money that is rightfully yours.
Metal-detecting is normally a hobby not a lucrative career move, but the passion has paid off handsomely for Roger Mintey. The retired businessman, 64, from Reigate, Surrey, was able to give up his regular work thanks to stumbling upon a haul of 7,000 historic silver and gold coins in 1990 that earned him a £200,000 windfall. Using his metal detector Roger located the coins on a building site close to where his parents lived at the time, also in Reigate. He recalls: ‘It was a very exciting moment.’ Once the coins were verified as a genuine ‘treasure trove’, Roger sold them through an auction house to various buyers, including the British Museum. But he kept about 25 as a memento.
