Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Cash Drop Utah engages residents with daily cash hunts via Instagram and TikTok.
- Bailey and Taylor Carlson organize drops, investing thousands, with local sponsors.
- Participants find money quickly, promoting outdoor activity and community engagement across Utah.
SALT LAKE CITY — Families and individuals from all around the state have discovered a new favorite activity through Cash Drop Utah's Instagram page. It boasts over 40,000 followers on Instagram, all from daily hidden "cash drops."
Utah couple Bailey and Taylor Carlson run the page and say their inspiration came from Taylor's background as a teacher.
"A lot of my students would complain that they wanted to get off social media. They would delete the app and then, a week later, get back on it. It was this downward spiral that they couldn't get out of," Taylor said. "I thought, 'Why not use social media to help people get out?'"
Soon after, Taylor and his wife started leaving cash around the community, hoping to engage his students and get them out of the house. What began as a small endeavor to help his students soon became a statewide phenomenon.
"Once we noticed how big it was getting, that is when we changed our perspective and realized that it's not just for the youth, and it's also for families and everybody," Bailey Carlson shared.
Since February, Utah residents have been delighted by daily drops, excluding Sundays. To fund the project, the Carlsons receive sponsorships from local businesses or pay for the drop out of pocket. The family has invested over $3,000 into the drops so far.
The drop location changes daily as the Carlsons try to highlight local activities, get people out in nature, and take families on a fun-filled adventure.
No matter where in Utah the money is dropped, it is always found within minutes. The rapid growth has taken the average find time from 90 minutes to 15 minutes. The quickest find was around three minutes.
The drops have become part of the Carlson family culture. As busy parents of three and entrepreneurs, the Carlsons have found that cash drops are the best way to spend extra quality time together.
"It really has become part of our family culture," Bailey Carlson said, laughing. "As a young family, it is hard to prioritize doing things together. … This has made us prioritize that because we have to get out there."
Cash Drop Utah has seen firsthand how the drops have changed people's lives and helped them to find fun in their day. In April, the Carlsons hosted a larger drop with $3,000 at stake instead of the typical average of $20. Those interested had to sign up beforehand to participate and pay a $10 fee. The Carlsons sent emails to the participants and then hid three rocks at various hikes in Utah.
The rocks were quickly found, with Maliah Robinson discovering the final prize. She said the prize money helped her to purchase a car and begin to improve her life.
"There have been times where I have thought, 'Let's just be done with this,'" Taylor said. "But, it's the vision that keeps me going. I see this getting bigger and bigger, to the point that we could help a lot of people. … Our main goal is to promote activity. We don't want our kids to grow up and be couch potatoes; we want them to be active, and that's what keeps me going. We know that this gets people out."
Hundreds of comments about how the page has helped people get out of their homes and stay active have been a large motivator to keep going.
"Our goal is not to make people rich. Our daily drops are $20. That is not life-changing money. Yet, people are going for it and it's fun," Taylor explained.
In the future, Cash Drop Utah hopes to partner with more local businesses, universities and be a provider of scholarships for students. They also hope to do a big drop once a month. The next big drop will take place in St. George. Registration is open for the event. For more information on the event or the drops, visit the Cash Drop Utah website or follow @cashdroputah on Instagram and TikTok.
