Shouldn’t. Most places that take cash get scads of 20s that they’ll be happy to hand back to you as change. I’ve only once had an issue breaking a hundred.
And if its a real emergency, ‘Keep the change’ will solve the unlikely issue of them being unable to take it. 
Or, i suppose, buying $100 worth of whatever.
And I generally have a thousand or two stashed. Depends on what i’ve been doing.
I keep small amounts in the car, in a zippered pocket of my purse, and of course a hidden wad of bills, about $100, hidden in the house. If I take any out, I try to replace ASAP. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I didn’t have a small emergency stash!
Do ATMs run out of money now? I recall back in the early 90s, I was in Florida when Hurricane Andrew came in and every single ATM I visited the day before it was to strike land, was empty. I kept driving and driving and no ATM had cash.
Fortunately I was able to cash a check at work, I worked at a hotel
I don’t have any money these days but it’s a risk. I recall my mum telling me always keep a hundred bucks around for bail, just in case. But even that ain’t gonna help now-a-days.
Wow - I live in California, which is definitely Earthquake country, but have never felt the need to keep cash on hand. My feeling is that I will either forget where it is, or someone will steal it. Yes, an earthquake could knock out power, but I’d be surprised if that lasted more than a few days.
That said, assuming I’m not killed or horribly injured, I’m not sure why I am unable to walk to a friend or relative’s house a few miles away, or even drive there if the roads aren’t destroyed. I’m guessing I could do the same to reach an area with an ATM where the electricity wasn’t out.
Perhaps not having hurricanes and other disasters that hit our area has spoiled me, but to me, having cash around the house is asking for trouble. Having it in your car is REALLY asking for trouble. Something tells me if it is accessible in any easy way in your car, it will tend to disappear one random day when you take your car in for repairs, and you probably won’t even notice it for months afterwards.
It’s only stupid if you let people know that you do.
Best wishes,
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Wow I thought this was a ridiculous question at first. I have no money around the house (aside from my wallet - usually <$40) and never have. Then I started thinking about what would happen if there were some kind of real disaster where the electricity was out to the whole community for an extended period. Not very likely at all, but not impossible either. Cash on the barrel-head might be the only way to get goods and services. Now I’m thinking maybe I should have a few hundred tucked under the mattress just for the truly unexpected and unpredictable situation.
Well, since I no longer have a bank account (bankruptcy), I definitely keep money around. But you know what? I did so back when I was rolling in dough too!
The place has changed a couple of times over the years, as I’ve moved and my situation has changed. I used to keep a couple of hundred in my small safe just because. Now I’ve got a large book among my 700+ books that I call “The First Bank of (author name)” Seems unlikely anyone ransacking my apartment is going to be flipping through all my books, especially when they can quickly grab other valuables and get out.
I often hear the bit about earning interest on it. Seriously, who is going to miss the paltry interest you’re going to earn on $200-$500? I also don’t feel nervous having that much money around, because let’s face it, it isn’t any great shakes. It is enough to cover a bill if needed, a small repair, a doctor’s appointment, an ounce of weed if you’re into that, a gift for someone you need to have right now, a small loan for a friend, a trip to the grocery store. Sure, maybe if you’re secure you always have that in the bank, or available on a credit card. Or maybe you don’t. Personally, it has always made ME feel a little more secure to have a small bit of cash laying around.