Ever find money in a pocket while you're doing the wash? Feels pretty good doesn't it?

Well you might just have a lot more money out there sitting in someone else's pocket. It's called unclaimed property, and according to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, about one in eight Americans has some money out there that's looking for them.

How could you possibly have some money coming that you wouldn't know about? Well, there are tons of possibilities. An old bank account that you closed but didn't ask the bank to send you the left over money. Maybe you moved out of a house without claiming that $150 utility deposit you put down a year or so ago. Or, old stock certificates that you find in the attic, life insurance proceeds from a dead relative, an uncashed paycheck? Even savings bonds, pension benefits, and income tax refunds. You just never know because there are billions and billions of dollars of unclaimed property in this country. Or maybe you do know you're missing some money, but you don't know where to look.

Finding misplaced money used to involve a painstaking process of writing letters to tons of different agencies in different states. You still have to contact lots of different agencies, but the Internet has cut out some of that work for you.

The first stop on your treasure hunt should be your state's website for unclaimed property. And you should also check other states where you've lived previously.

Things like old stock certificates require a different approach. If you have an old stock certificate your grandpop left in an old chest, you'll want to click here for instructions from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

And while the IRS should have an easy time finding you to recover money from you, you probably won't find them trying to locate the owner of the $27 million of unclaimed refunds they have. They have a special number you can call at 800-829-1040.

And if you think you might have an old bank account you forgot about, you'll definitely want to check with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's unclaimed funds website. Or call their toll-free number at 877-275-3342.

Bottom line? You may find your treasure hunt unproductive, but it's still worth a try. Hey, beats watching reruns. Besides, a lot of unclaimed money and property has been found by folks' friends and relatives. You never know what you might find.