# Do you regularly have change for $20 bill? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 9, 2019, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745 "2019-05-09T21:06:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FastDan1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fastdan1/32/427_2.png) [@FastDan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FastDan1)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/21 "2019-05-10T12:44:33Z")
I almost never carry cash. Credit card, debit card, and driver’s license fits into my phone case. I don’t even carry a wallet anymore. Cash is so 2009. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/22 "2019-05-10T13:19:48Z")
We usually get cash at the grocery store where we can charge something like $100 over purchase price. (My wife does most of the shopping, and they recently changed the amount you could get.) I usually take 1 or 2 of the twenties. More often, I only take one, as I rarely spend any cash day-to-day. (Hell, I rarely charge anything either!) I currently have $15 in my wallet. Some time last week I had gotten $20 from my wife. I put $5 into the tip jar at a coffee shop last Sat a.m. where I play music and they give us free coffee. Haven’t spent a cent yet, tho I intend to run next door shortly and buy a Mother’s Day card. Let’s say the card costs $7. I’ll still have plenty to tip the baristas tomorrow! 😃 It is not at all unusual for me to realize I have $0 in my wallet. So, long story but, no. I generally have either 1 or 2 twenties, or some combination of bills adding up to less than $20. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/23 "2019-05-10T13:32:54Z")
I think the last time I had cash money in my pocket was weeks ago. Much less a collection of different bills to equal $20 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/24 "2019-05-10T13:39:31Z")
When I came home from work today I had 5 $5 bills and 5 $10 bills in my pocket. They often come in handy for lunches, coffees and the like. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/25 "2019-05-10T13:41:02Z")
My walking around money is almost always a couple of twenties. So when I spend anything, I wind up with one twenty and \>$20 in other bills. Currently I have $17 in my wallet, because I bought something for $2 and change, and then spent $20 on flowers for my wife. I put everything on the credit card, because it is no annual fee, we pay off the balance every month, and we get cash back at the end of the year. So it’s a short-term, interest-free loan plus free money. Which is better than carrying around a lot of bills. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/26 "2019-05-10T13:42:29Z")
I used to carry no cash, ever, but since I’ve started selling eggs to neighbors and people at work, I have lots of small bills. I was thinking the other day that if my wallet got stolen, the thief would think I was a stripper! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/27 "2019-05-10T13:55:54Z")
After going through a time of extreme poverty, I now have a simple philosophy about money: I get direct deposit at work. I use my debit card for most things, except morning coffee, bus rides and laundry. When the money in my wallet is below $5, I go to the ATM and get a twenty. So I rarely have change of a twenty. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/28 "2019-05-10T14:38:48Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I usually can give change for a $20. It might be 10 ones and two fives. > > I get stuck with ones a lot. I buy a burger meal for around $7.00. Use a ten and get three ones. I do that a few times and I have a big stack. Eventually I’ll use them at the self checkout at Kroger. The bill machine doesn’t mind ones. I use the **Stana Claus** method. Buy a burger with a ten and get three ones. Next day, buy a burger with a ten and two ones, and get a five back. Third day, buy a burger with a ten and get three ones back. Fourth day, buy a burger with a five and two ones. > [@Shodan](#): > > My walking around money is almost always a couple of twenties. So when I spend anything, I wind up with one twenty and \>$20 in other bills. **Shodan** , I wish I had your magical wallet. 🙂 And thanks to everyone for playing along rather than complaining that the categories aren’t comprehensive enough. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/29 "2019-05-10T14:41:06Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > …I was thinking the other day that if my wallet got stolen, the thief would think I was a stripper! You mean other than because the thief had to reach into your G-string to grab it? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/30 "2019-05-10T15:15:52Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > My walking around money is almost always a couple of twenties. So when I spend anything, I wind up with one twenty and \>$20 in other bills. > > Currently I have $17 in my wallet, because I bought something for $2 and change, and then spent $20 on flowers for my wife. > > I put everything on the credit card, because it is no annual fee, we pay off the balance every month, and we get cash back at the end of the year. So it’s a short-term, interest-free loan plus free money. Which is better than carrying around a lot of bills. > > Regards, > Shodan This is me too. The only thing I need cash for is hotel tips. It’s a bother to get to an ATM, and then have the hotel front desk break it down for me into smaller bills. Otherwise, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, goes on the credit card. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/31 "2019-05-10T18:18:52Z")
I always have some cash on me but usually more like around $10; just enough for an emergency beer or something. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/32 "2019-05-10T18:29:22Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > My co-worker was struggling to break a twenty and no one around here could do it. Two people just loaned him $10 each to help him out. Out of curiosity, what could he do with 2 $10 bills that he couldn’t do with a $20? ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/33 "2019-05-10T18:33:04Z")
I rarely have cash, so no. Sometimes I’ll get a bunch of cash for some reason, and it’s usually more than I needed so I wind up having a little bit of cash f-o-r-e-v-e-r (unless I play poker). I generally just use my credit card for everything, so it’s hard to remember that I have cash. I took $80 out a few weeks ago – I no longer remember why – and right now I still have $18 on me. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/34 "2019-05-10T18:49:54Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > I use the **Stana Claus** method. Buy a burger with a ten and get three ones. Next day, buy a burger with a ten and two ones, and get a five back. Third day, buy a burger with a ten and get three ones back. Fourth day, buy a burger with a five and two ones. > . “_Stana Clause_ method”?😕 ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/35 "2019-05-10T18:52:19Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Out of curiosity, what could he do with 2 $10 bills that he couldn’t do with a $20? I didn’t ask but he has twin boys, so one answer is give each of them $10. For many Christmases, I had to come up with a bunch of tens to give all my nieces and nephews $50. I upped it to $60. I could pretend I was adjusting for inflation but really, I just didn’t want to track down a dozen tens. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/36 "2019-05-10T18:53:32Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > “_Stana Clause_ method”?😕 See post 18 and the username therein. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/37 "2019-05-10T18:56:59Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > I didn’t ask but he has twin boys, so one answer is give each of them $10. Yeah, that’s a good answer. Just seemed like he needed it at work for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/38 "2019-05-10T19:41:02Z")
I usually have enough cash on me. I get it from the automated ATM teller machine device $80 at a time (I would get $100 at a time, except that if you ask the AT for $100, it gives you two fifties, and how the heck do you spend those?). But I usually spend with small bills, and if I have change for a twenty, that means I could have bought whatever the last thing was with smaller bills. The one exception, which might lead me to have change for a twenty, is that I always try to keep a five and a one on me (the five in case I unexpectedly need bus fare, and the one for the doughnut donation jar after church). So if, say, I had $26 on me (a twenty, a five, and a one), and bought something less than $6, I’d break the twenty on it, to maintain my five and one. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/39 "2019-05-10T19:46:03Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > My walking around money is almost always a couple of twenties. So when I spend anything, I wind up with one twenty and \>$20 in other bills. \>20 means “more than 20”. Just nitpicking because I saw that error the other day as well, and because it made me have to re-read the sentence to see if I misunderstood the start of it. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745/40 "2019-05-10T19:53:21Z")
I have this thing about having a mixture of denominations. When I cash the smaller checks from my side jobs, I might say, “Two twenties, four tens, and four fives, please.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regularly-have-change-for-20-bill/833745.md?page=3)