How much cash do you carry ?

[footenote]

There is usually around $100 in my wallet. I carry it for reasons already mentioned: tipping and for venues that don't take credit cards.

Last week I finally created a Go Bag. I need to make a rare trip to the bank this week and will take out an additional $250 to stash in the bag. In the aftermath of a serious emergency like a tornado, I doubt there will be willing workers carrying a Square. (Not that $250 is gonna get your roof replaced. But in an emergency, cash would rule for many short-term needs.)

 

[Dtail]

There is usually around $100 in my wallet. I carry it for reasons already mentioned: tipping and for venues that don't take credit cards.

Last week I finally created a Go Bag. I need to make a rare trip to the bank this week and will take out an additional $250 to stash in the bag. In the aftermath of a serious emergency like a tornado, I doubt there will be willing workers carrying a Square. (Not that $250 is gonna get your roof replaced. But in an emergency, cash would rule for many short-term needs.)

For emergencies, it is also better to have your cash or most of it in 1's and other small bills, as vendors might not have or be willing to make change.

 

[jollystomper]

Normally between $5-$20, I like to keep my wallet slim. I will have more if traveling/on vacation or if I intentionally plan to buy something. Like others, I use my CC's more than cash to build up awards points,; CC also helps me better track small expenditures.

 

[ckelly78z]

I have seen it mentioned in a couple posts that we also keep cash at home. I have a stash of about $2000+ in a gun safe for mad money. I call it my "play money" for buying large items off of CL, or Facebook Marketplace without a trip to the bank, or on weekends.

It would also come in real handy if there is a natural disaster, or some lengthy power outage (SHTF/zombie apocolypse scenario).

 

[audreyh1]

Amsterdam is largely cashless, but the rest of Europe that we visit prefers cash.

 

[aja8888]

After reading all 80 posts, it looks like the general consensus is that people carry around $100 on them. I don't carry anywhere near that much ($0 - $20 on average) , but maybe I should rethink this.

 

[mrfeh]

$20

 

[bada bing]

I carry a couple $100 bills which only get used a couple times a year.
I carry between $100-$200 in small bills for everyday purchases that for whatever reason aren't convenient for credit card usage. One of the big uses for small bills is for tipping. I'll pay a restaurant tab with a card but leave the tip in cash pretty much always. Tips in cash are generally more appreciated.

I have $500 in $100's now, because the ante for work football pools is happening when I go to work next week.

 

[SumDay]

I usually have ~$100 on me. It goes quicker in the summer, when we visit the farmer's markets every Saturday. During the rest of the year, that can last me 2-3 months.

I recently thought that if someone tried to steal my purse, I'd probably end up on the $hitty end of the stick if I had $100 to lose. Maybe I should carry less so I'm not so protective.

 

[BeachOrCity]

When my neighborhood had a lot of crime I always kept atleast 100 bucks if not 200 in my wallet. I wanted any potential mugger to be happy they won the jackpot and not hurt me. Cheap insurance!

 

[DeborahB]

I usually have $50-$100 on me. It’s easier when splitting bills in restaurants. I take out $300-$400 at the ATM and always have some at home. I pay my cleaner, hairdresser and manicurist in cash so I need to have some around for that.

 

[NW-Bound]

I had to go get my wallet to see if I had any cash. What do you know, there was $17 in there.

Spain is not cashless as Sweden, but when I was in a market buying a can of beer that was around 1 euro, the cashier refused to sell it to me when I showed her a 20-euro bill. She did not have enough to make change. All locals paid with cards.

 

[street]

I love cash and pay in cash as much as possible. I carry a few Benjamins at all times. When I cash one in, they check everyone I lay down. Lol I have 100's in stock at my home and I never let them run low.

 

[adrift]

I've got $69 in my wallet. Between my spouse and the sock drawer we could probably come up with another $150.

I checked and the last time we withdrew cash from an ATM in the US was Sept. 2017.

In the last 5 years, we've withdrawn $2653 in cash. $600 was in the US. The rest was in Malaysia, France, UK, Turkey. Mexico, Indonesia, and Hong Kong.

I'll probably withdraw another $200 US in the next month or two.

 

[Rantey]

I spent 8 months in China last year, during which time I used very little cash,a mobile phone was enough because it had an app called Alipay or WeChat that could be used to make payments.

 

[bclover]

So here in Philly there is a big trend for small businesses to only take cash. The small mom and pop restaurants? cash. they will have an ATM machine by the door for convenience.

So I usually have 30-40 bucks on me.

My hairdresser just switch. now she is not all cash but what she does is give a 10% discount on anyone paying with cash. lol amazing how many folks are able to carry cash when a discount is mentioned.

The main reason is that the processing fees are creeping up there.

 

[RunningBum]

Sometimes paying with cash at a restaurant saves time. If the server is busy you sometimes have to wait for him/her to notice that you are ready to pay the bill, come to the table and pick up your bill with the credit card, take it back to the register, perform the transaction, print out the receipt, bring it back to the table and produce a pen, then you have to fill out the receipt by adding a tip and calculating the tip and providing a total and signing it. And the process is even longer if you are splitting the check. I have had to wait some significant period of time for that whole process before. By contrast, if you have cash and you have something close to the correct change you can just put the cash on the table and get up and walk out.

Also, some people advise not to let your credit card out of your sight...

How to avoid skimming

Make sure your card stays in sight, and never let anyone leave of your presence with the card if you can help it. If you are concerned about letting go of your card at restaurants, use cash instead.

https://gephardtdaily.com/special-reports/why-you-shouldnt-let-your-credit-cards-out-of-your-sight/

+1. I sometimes pay cash at restaurants for both reasons. Other times I use a card that I get notifications of all transactions for. I wish PenFed did that so I could use it all the time. Anyway, I keep $50-200 in my wallet. If I'm somewhere that I worry about a mugging, I keep a second wallet with a few bucks and old credit cards or other cards to make it look legit, and a money belt for the rest.

 

[euro]

I try to carry $100. I'm also trying to get more "up to date" on other payment methods. Just got ApplePay working. BUT, went to a breakfast place on Saturday and guess what? No CC, no Venmo, no PayPal, no ApplePay. Just cold hard cash. I had it in my pocket, breakfast for 3 successful!

Pretty much the same here. I usually carry around $100. That said, I don’t end up “replenishing” more than a few times a year anymore, so I’m really mostly into non-cash options. Cash is for the occasional tip at a hotel, or some almost off the grid food place, etc.

 

[retired1]

$100-$150 cash in wallet all the time just in case of emergency. Mostly $20,$10,$5,$1 bills.

 

[jim584672]

Around $100 in twenties. $500 in the drawer.

 

[Music Lover]

I put almost everything on my CC for the points but always carry cash...usually $100 - $200 because it doesn't hurt and there's no reason to deliberately inconvenience myself if a system goes down or a cash transaction is easier.

 

[gerntz]

100-300 depending on when I've hit ATM. Use cash for card games, youth sports entrance & concessions, kids selling stuff, race track bets, bar beers, & when I'm in areas with roads tolls since we're not around any to make getting a pass worthwhile.

I forgot the barber, tips to delivery people, & odd job folks like tree trimmers & neighbor teenagers. Also taxis.

 

[ckelly78z]

My good friend who owns a small engine repair shop (Stihl/Toro dealership) prefers only cash, but will take a credit card to make the sale. He pays a small percentage/fee on each CC transaction, and prefers to deal with $$.

 

[Retiree_Having_Fun]

$0 - $20 but averages about $7. On the other hand, I could probably buy most cars with the credit cards I carry. .$99 coffee - I am charging it - no way I want any coins.

 

[unclemick]

max ATM limit is $300, so thats how much I pull at a time...
I use CC's at large corps but pay cash at small businesses to save them the CC fees.
If it weren't for CC cash back I'd use cash most everywhere except the gas pump.

Yup. Me too. Although the debit card is getting more and more use.

heh heh heh - In ancient times I vaguely remember saying I'd never get one of them cell phone thingys.