# How much cash do you usually carry with you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 18, 2005, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cash-do-you-usually-carry-with-you/317504 "2005-08-18T00:09:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cash-do-you-usually-carry-with-you/317504/41 "2005-08-18T19:38:28Z")
$10-$20. My bank is everywhere, and charges only fees for non-KeyBank ATMs, etc. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cash-do-you-usually-carry-with-you/317504/42 "2005-08-18T20:10:35Z")
I very rarely carry more than $20. Right now? I’ve got a nickel. That’s it. The less cash I carry on me, the less likely I’m to spend it on something non-essential. I think it was three days ago when I had more than that nickel on me (and it was $5, then.) If I’m going somewhere where I foresee the lack of cash as being a problem then, sure, I’ll stick a couple hundred in the wallet. As for ATM fees? It’s rarely a problem. I’ve got my money across two of the largest banks in the US, so it’s very rare I’m somewhere that I need to pay a fee. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cash-do-you-usually-carry-with-you/317504/43 "2005-08-18T20:19:48Z")
Less than 20$, if any. I once had not quite $5000 in cash in my pocket for an afternoon however, after cashing an income tax check. Me and my ex did the little Wayne’s World 'We’ve got $5000" dance on the way out of the bank. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cash-do-you-usually-carry-with-you/317504/44 "2005-08-18T20:36:43Z")
> [@amaranta](#): > > I used to be an all-debit card person, now I rarely if ever pull out the debit card. I can’t stand the fees. What fees? I usually carry between $10 and $110, depending on how long it’s beeen since I’ve been to the bank. I use my credit card for as much as possible. The most I’ve ever carried was $5500, when I was buying a used car. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cash-do-you-usually-carry-with-you/317504/45 "2005-08-18T20:54:57Z")
I regularly carry $0-5. Occasionally up to $10, maybe even $20. :eek: I use my debit card (check card) almost everywhere. It helps to have all my expenses paid by one (trackable) source and I find I piss away less money if I use my card. It also has helped in general with going to less fast food places, since most of them only take cash (although that’s changing, which is both good and bad for me ;)). ---
**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:** [August 18, 2005, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cash-do-you-usually-carry-with-you/317504/46 "2005-08-18T21:18:13Z")
I break a twenty, and when I have less than $5, I break another twenty. On shopping days, anywhere between $40 and $250, depending what I’m buying. The most cash I’ve ever had on me was $8,125 in collected rents, in a month where the Big Boss and My Supervisor were both out the first week. I couldn’t deposit it until the payment was verified. I carried it to work that day in a brief case chained to my wrist. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cash-do-you-usually-carry-with-you/317504/47 "2005-08-19T03:33:37Z")
Usually 80.00 or less. That’s the increment I usually use at the ATM. Most ever was $3500.00 for a couple days while I tried to convince a co-worker to sell me his truck. I thought showing a wad of cold hard cash would do the trick. It did! ---
**Author:** ![gfloyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d2c977/32.png) [@gfloyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gfloyd)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cash-do-you-usually-carry-with-you/317504/48 "2005-08-19T08:07:07Z")
I usually have somewhere between 20 and 120. When I start getting my stipend in the fall, I plan to do what my parents have always done, withdraw 200 and go back to the bank when you run out. Considering that I use plastic for most things, that would last me a month or more of bus fares, sandwhichs and incidentals. Right, 200 dollars is two weeks pay, so I don’t tend to do that. I think I have about 75 in cash right now, plus another 100 for an emergency in my sock drawer. Safe hiding place, I know. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cash-do-you-usually-carry-with-you/317504/49 "2005-08-19T12:29:58Z")
I rarely have more than $20 on me. I seldom use public transit and my debit/credit card works _everywhere_. But that may change. When getting the bill in a restaurant, I really like being able to just put the money down and walk out, instead of waiting for them to run the card through. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cash-do-you-usually-carry-with-you/317504/50 "2005-08-19T13:39:22Z")
I am known in my circle of friends as The Cashless Wonder. I almost NEVER have cash on me. Right now I have twenty bucks in ones and fives. I’m not quite sure _why_ and _how_ though. We keep two grand in the house just for emergencies. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cash-do-you-usually-carry-with-you/317504/51 "2005-08-19T17:46:20Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#): > > We keep two grand in the house just for emergencies. And your address is? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kakkerlak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bb73d2/32.png) [@Kakkerlak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kakkerlak)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cash-do-you-usually-carry-with-you/317504/52 "2005-08-19T18:38:41Z")
When I had an ATM from a small bank and would pay a $1 - $1.50 service charge every time I went to another ATM, I got in the habit of withdrawing $200 at a time so I didn’t have to go as often. That’s now my standard even though I bank with B of A and they have ATM’s nearly everywhere in Seattle. Right now, I have $36.00 in my wallet. Must be time to visit the ol’ red and blue again. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cash-do-you-usually-carry-with-you/317504/53 "2005-08-19T19:41:42Z")
Twice a month I take out 300 dollars. I spend that on lunch, breakfast and dinner. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-cash-do-you-usually-carry-with-you/317504.md?page=2)