Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: MillCreek on February 01, 2019, 09:45:16 AM
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https://twocents.lifehacker.com/how-much-cash-you-should-carry-on-you-1832259466
I have $ 200 in small bills in my wallet and when I go to the gun show, I have $ 1000 in cash that I carry in an envelope.
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I'll go months at a time with literally no money in my wallet.
Other times I'll have upwards $100 or so, but that's only when I'm traveling or know I'll need cash.
When I went on vacation to Iowa in May last year I think I started out with $300 with me ($100 in my wallet, $100 in my luggage, $100 hidden in the car), and I'm pretty sure I came back with about $200 of it.
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Are you creating a mugging database? :P :laugh:
Around town, I usually have an average of $100 on me. Whenever I get down to around $50, I hit the ATM for $200 and draw that down.
If I go on a road trip, I usually have $200-$300 on me, with lots of small bills. Part of that is for stuff like paying for breakfast, so I don't have to wait for the server to bring the credit card back in a busy restaurant, or picking up a bottle of water or a snack when I gas up, etc. Also, I have found, due to what happened to me on a road trip last year - my credit card number getting hijacked in the middle of the trip - it's good for a fallback, or paying for gas at a sketchy gas station.
Additionally, I keep a few Jacksons hidden in the vehicle for when I inevitably go to the grocery store and forget my wallet.
Sometimes it feels like I have to work to use cash instead of a card. Every time I do so at Costco, I have to get the cashier's attention because they're so accustomed to people using cards.
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I used to have a habit of giving myself $200 a week that was to be spent on gas ($50), groceries ($75), dates, incidentals, fun stuff and to be saved in the gun safe if any was left at the end of the week. New toy money came from the stash in the safe.
I've gotten out of that habit and got caught with my pants down at the barber shop earlier this week. My debit card data got stolen somehow and the bank shut it off, I couldn't pay the barber with the debit card and I had about $8 cash on me. Fortunately I had another credit card to pay with but I hate using credit cards since I've paid those damned things off.
I've been meaning to get back to doing the cash thing.
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It varies greatly. Never more than $200 but it's usually in the $40-$60 range in the wallet.
Separate from that, in my winter coat, I keep a $5 bill along with a granola bar and a few disposable handwarmers (for homeless people).
And I do keep $100 in the emergency / get home bag in my car so that's easy enough to get to if needed.
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Usually somewhere $20-$40. Enough for emergency gas, food, or for the occasional local credit card-free zone. Otherwise I run everything through my credit card for the points.
On trips I'll usually take a couple hundred against emergencies.
It's very, very rare for me to have more than $200 on me. I do keep some cash around the house, mostly in the Fun Money envelope that gets spare small bills and and the occasional extra $20.
Brad
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Usually less than $100. More when I go to gun shows or on vacation, and I keep that stashed in a couple places in the event of theft/Asset forfeiture.
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"to be saved in the gun safe"
I generally keep a few hundred to a couple grand in my guns safe as an emergency fund.
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Zero cash.
It’s very wise to have a grand or so stuffed in the mattress for a rainy day.
Last summer, I needed $600 on the spot to procure a generator when the power went out for an extended period of time during heavy storms. ATM would only allow me and my wife to take out $200/ day each, and there wasn’t a generator in a store within 200 miles.
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This thread has been valuable to me insofar as I now think I should stash some emergency cash inside the vehicle. Should I put it in the cable-locked gun safe under the seat, or should I stash it elsewhere, I wonder. The safe is more secure than the truck interior, but if someone comes along and snips the cable and steals the safe, I am out both the handgun and the cash. Hmmm.
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This thread has been valuable to me insofar as I now think I should stash some emergency cash inside the vehicle. Should I put it in the cable-locked gun safe under the seat, or should I stash it elsewhere, I wonder. The safe is more secure than the truck interior, but if someone comes along and snips the cable and steals the safe, I am out both the handgun and the cash. Hmmm.
Without giving my stash location away on a public forum, an intrepid APS member will find an interior location that is both hard to find but easy for the stasher to get to. Think disguise and things inside of things. If my few 20s are found, I have a lot more to worry about than the lost 60 ducats.
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About $100 on me since I prefer to pay cash for most things. I have a bit more stashed at home for OhShist emergencies or good deals at the gun store.
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Usually about $100 in cash but I seldom pay cash for anything cuz I want the cashback bonuses. The cash is mainly in case my cards don't work for some reason, like the merchant's computer is down -- and as a security blanket.
I carry $200 or $300 when I travel, but only half is in my wallet and the rest is someplace like in my luggage.
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I carry 200 dollars (2/100s) all the time. It is a habit from my active duty days when we might launch from one place and land at another (Okinawa to the Philippines) or not able to get back into field at deployment site (Adak usually). Now it is just a stash of mad money.
Other than that I will have anywhere from zero to 60 dollars in my wallet on any given day.
bob
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Before I retired, I would always have a minimum of $200 in my wallet. Now, I might have $40-60 on me. If we go somewhere (like Wildwood NJ last summer for T.R.O.G.) We'll each take $500 in cash for incidentals like t-shirts, a beer on the boardwalk, tips, etc. I think we brought most of it back though.
We always keep a cash stash in the vault. We find if we pay cash for such things as pumping the septic tank etc., we usually get better deals and service.
If we go to Tulsa for the gun show, I'll have a few hundred in an envelope in my boot.
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I seldom carry more than $20 but I'm not usually far from home base. I keep 1-2k at home and atleast 5k in the safe deposit box at the S and L.
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I generally start at about $100. I try to keep a little more available as you never know when you need to pay for a tow truck or something.
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I always have at least $100 in my wallet, as I keep two $50s in a compartment behind my license and work ID. I consider that my emergency money. In my main cash section, anywhere from $5 to $200, depending on the day. If I'm going on a trip, I'll make sure to have $200 minimum, on top of the $100 emergency. I have a $50 tucked away in my car as well. If wife and I are going somewhere away from home, we generally take around $500 with us, split between us.
Now, in my gun safe, there's usually around $1K in cash. That's the home emergency fund. Wish it was the toy fund.
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Usually two c-notes JIC. I noticed over the years that it's getting easier and easier to break a $100 bill. I got a credit card a couple of years ago, and I'm using that more and more.
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"I always have at least $100 in my wallet, as I keep two $50s in a compartment behind my license and work ID."
YOU IDIOT! If your sister-in-law figures that out she'll mug you! NEVER carry enough to cover the cost of a nipple tat! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
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Well, I guess I'm the oddball. Most of my paycheck goes into my wallet rather than my checking account. I only use the debit for gas, bills and online stuff. Until recently, I typically had more money in my wallet than in my account and it probably won't be that long before things go back to the old way.
I suck at math and I don't have a lot of money to be handling anyway, so it's always been easier for me to keep track of how much I have if I'm counting bills rather than keeping track of numbers.
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day after payday I'll take $100, and that'll last me (normally) until the next one. Anything left gets stuck in an plastic baggie in my backpack. That usually doesn't get over $200, and is to cover random other stuff.
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I used to routinely carry 500 or more when I had a full wallet. Now that I got a minimalist front-pocket wallet that isn't good at carrying cash, it's usually less than 50. I find 1s and 5s convenient for tipping.
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$200 ish. a couple of folded up emergency $50's with my ID, and the rest in 20's and smaller. Like MillCreek, I'm fond of at least $1000 in a bank envelope for walking around gunshows. Cash is king, in the off chance I see something I MUST own.
Side note, it's really sad to me that there aren't many guns left on the wanted list. All of my bases are covered, and short of a few grail guns there aint much I'm after these days.
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I usually have $200 in cash in a money clip in my pocket. I'll refresh it when I get down to around $60.00. I use the cash for things like a haircut or picking up some small items at the grocery store. I've got a debit card that I use for when we go out for dinner or make a larger purchase. I also carry a Master Card that gives me a 5% discount on gasoline, so I use that for both cars exclusively. I also have a Discover card that provides a 5% discount at various and sundry stores that ebb and flow. The locations vary and Discover keeps me apprised at where the discounts are. I'll use the Discover card instead of my debit card if I'm getting a discount wherever I'm spending a bunch of money like at Sam's Club or the grocery store. My credit union provides a bill paying service for free, so I'll pay off the Discover Card and the Master Card every few days so I don't get behind the 8 ball.
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One medicine bottle full of quarters (at least a roll) and another bottle, the same size, full of lose change (pennies, nickles, dimes). If I'm lucky, $20 or less in bills.
When I can, I squirrel away $20s in various "pockets" in my wallet, up to $100 in "hidden" $20s.
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I keep two C notes stashed in each car for emergencies, and 6 months worth of living expenses worth in the house. Don't know why I settled on the second; but I've been doing it for about 20 years now. I usually try to keep $80-$100 in my pocket.
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...About $50 worth of ammo....
Seriously, it just depends on what I'm doing. Usually, $20 or so, more if I need it, but I don't carry a lot of cash.
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I usually have none, maybe up to $5, on me. Sometimes I'll have $20-40, mostly so I can save the 6-10 cents per gallon on gas when I fill up using cash instead of the debit card.
Though, when I went to Assam I carried 20 grand on me. Granted that was rupees, not dollars (equivalent to $280 by exchange rate but possibly 1-3 months of wages to a local). But if the SHTF in a 3rd world locale, some local currency in a quantity sufficient for emergency transportation and maybe a bribe can be life saving.
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I'm paid weekly, with a paper check, of which I take $20 in cash. I find it's easier to pay most things with plastic. Easier on the cashier, too. Yesterday, I paid for a $3.69 item with a $20 bill, and three quarters. The poor girl used her phone to figure out the change. She said, "You'll make fun of me, but I have to use my phone to do the math," or something like that.
I keep $100 in the car, in case I absolutely need cash. It's a stack of tens, in case someone can't (or claims they can't) break a twenty.
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I find it's easier to pay most things with plastic. Easier on the cashier, too.
I agree with this, though I don't know that I like agreeing with it. I'm even thinking of trying out Garmin Pay on my watch. It's all just so convenient. At the same time, and maybe it's age related - I hate - loathe actually, the thought of a cashless society where every purchase is recorded and linked to me.
Also, since others are mentioning home as well as "on me", yeah, I too keep cash in the safe for emergencies or whatever. It sits sandwiched between my passport and a .45 for a quick one-handed grab on my way out the door for going on the lam. =D
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I find using cash to pay is quicker than using a card or other device.
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I find using cash to pay is quicker than using a card or other device.
I'm starting to find the opposite and sometimes, when paying cash, feel like I'm the old lady with a checkbook that I always complain about.
At the aforementioned Costco for example, I can stick my card in the reader while they're ringing my stuff up. My wallet is already back in my pocket before they ever hand me the receipt. When I pay cash, it's however long it takes them to give me my change, and all too often if I give them two Franklins for say a $140 purchase, they end up having to call a manager for change. And that's at Costco, where they're pushing a lot of people through every hour.
As mentioned in my post above, if going out to breakfast or something, I find it's the opposite, because I just leave cash on the table when the bill arrives and I'm gone. A busy server might take 10 minutes to come back just to get my credit card, let alone bring it back.
Side note from reading the article in the OP: I was very surprised that there are apparently tons of restaurants in NYC that are cash only. In a big city like that, I would have assumed they'd be going to "NO cash" type establishments.
There's a place I go for breakfast whenever I'm fishing in Mammoth, and they're I think the only place there that is cash only. They even put an ATM machine in their lobby for convenience. Yet if you read the Yelp reviews, the biggest complaint about the place is "cash only". I've talked to the owner before and she's conservative/libertarian and has the rule mostly for political reasons, as in, "This is America and cash is still valid". On Yelp everyone thinks she does it to cheat on her taxes.
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I use Google Pay wherever possible. It's by far the fastest, because it reads faster than the card, there's nothing to sign and no pin to enter, and it's also more secure than using the physical card.
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Processing fees.
We have a 5% fee on all card transactions and we tell our customers that if they bring check or cash, they don't have to pay the extra 5%. Bigger companies can eat the cost, but on small charges the fee can end up being more than the charge. Even at our place, where the cheapest services are $20 (and most customers are paying between $50 and $200) the credit card fees really cut into the bottom line.
Small businesses will happily take cash and I'm actually surprised more don't do "cash only". Bounced checks are also a debacle to deal with. Luckily that doesn't happen to us very often.
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Processing fees.
Yeah, I would guess besides "political reasons" that would be another reason for the place in Mammoth I mentioned.
Though interestingly, I often ask people at individually owned businesses if they would prefer cash/check over a card. I'm not even asking for a discount, just thinking maybe they'd like cash. This has generally just been on three figure or higher purchases, but >90% of the time they just say, "We'll take the card, no problem."
Of course I'm a shady looking character, so maybe they figure the card is the more secure payment form. :laugh:
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Yeah, I would guess besides "political reasons" that would be another reason for the place in Mammoth I mentioned.
Though interestingly, I often ask people at individually owned businesses if they would prefer cash/check over a card. I'm not even asking for a discount, just thinking maybe they'd like cash. This has generally just been on three figure or higher purchases, but >90% of the time they just say, "We'll take the card, no problem."
Of course I'm a shady looking character, so maybe they figure the card is the more secure payment form. :laugh:
*shrug* Or they're just trying to offer good customer service and think you'd rather use the card. Even I've gotten to the point where I'm assuming a customer will use a card on the larger bills since that's what people pull out most of the time. You see the checks coming, since the check book is obvious, but the cash customers sneak up on you. :laugh:
Also, the business owner would probably say "cash", but the people behind the register may not know or understand the situation. I highly doubt my other two coworkers would really "get" any of this... Or at least the one who would get it would forget it if he was supposed to be checking someone out. ;/ Which is why they aren't to deal with customers in the general running of things.
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I keep a few hundred in the car. I guess I should build a stash in the gun safe also...
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*shrug* Or they're just trying to offer good customer service and think you'd rather use the card.
Possibly. More than once I've gotten the, "This'll get you some Cabela's points!" comment. :laugh:
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Went and looked at the gun safe stash over the weekend. It's a bit on the short side. Time to build it back up.
I generally built it by making regular withdrawals from the ATM...
Sort of a $20 for me, $40 for the gun safe kind of thing.
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I always thought that was a good idea, but never quite got there. These days I have a healthy emergency fund in a couple credit union accounts. I need to relocate a small piece of that to my safe.
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"These days I have a healthy emergency fund in a couple credit union accounts."
Same here. But that's a different kind of emergency fund.
There are potentially times when only ready cash will do.
I came to that conclusion on September 11/12, 2001, when pretty much every ATM in Northern Virginia was drained of cash.
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IF someone I don't know asked me how much cash do I carry on me my answer would be "about 10mm's worth"