# Walking-around money, or The Muggers' Target Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 7, 2005, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771 "2005-02-07T06:19:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/21 "2005-02-07T17:08:01Z")
Usually I carry $0 to $100, precisely because I fear getting mugged. Living in Oakland, this is not an unreasonable fear. ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/22 "2005-02-07T19:26:19Z")
I get an “allowance” of $30 per week, which I usually don’t spend since I use credit cards more often than not. I let the cash build up until it’s over $300, then I take out a couple hundred and stick it in the bank. I like to have a good bit of cash just in case something comes up that I can’t use a credit card for. I don’t have an ATM card and I don’t carry a check book, so I need to have some backup funds. Right now I have about $130 in my purse, since my daughter took $60 from me for a trip over the weekend. Mugging is not a big worry around here. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/23 "2005-02-07T19:33:46Z")
Never been mugged. I don’t like credit cards, so if I have easy access to the no-fee ATM I take out 100E as often as needed. I do most of my clothes-shopping back in my home town, where stores don’t have a problem with me going in cashless, picking the clothes, then going to the ATM and getting the bags when I pay. If I won’t have easy access to the ATM, I take out 500E, which is my max. When I travel to countries with other coins, I try to carry only as much cash as I think I’ll need. Extra change gets deposited in those donation boxes at the airport (but not notes unless I really think I’m not going back). ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/24 "2005-02-07T19:59:38Z")
Usually $40 (Canadian) or under. If I have more, I either haven’t been to the bank yet, or I have and need the money for something, though since I now have a cheque-book, the second instance happens less often. I pay for most things with Interac, but keep some cash on hand for really small purchases or places like Tim Horton’s which don’t take Interac. Plus, it also helps to control my spending, in a weird way. ---
**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:** [February 7, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/25 "2005-02-07T20:32:31Z")
Practically nothing, except that I spend between $15 and $20 on lunch every week, so how much I have depends largely on when I last visited the ATM. Otherwise there’s just not much that I need cash for, and if exceptions do arise we have my credit union at my work site, and a couple of ATMs. OTOH, though I do use my debit card for almost everything, I now try to remember to get cash, including some small bills, before going out to a restaurant. When the waitperson bring the check it’s convenient to be able to plunk down the correct amount of cash and leave, rather than use a card and have to wait for them to run it and bring it back to you. ---
**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:** [February 7, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/26 "2005-02-07T20:47:22Z")
I pay cash for gas, and write checks for nearly everything else. I pay some bills online. So I carry approximately twenty dollars, which is about what it takes to fill up my car. It certainly puts a brake on my impulse spending, or it would if I had many impulses. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/27 "2005-02-07T22:01:51Z")
Usually about $25-$30. Enough to get takeout with friends or grab something in the coffeeshop if I want. I keep a Secret Stash of Cash in my room, because seeing how I’ve yet to switch to a bank here in NM, it’s just easier to cash my paychecks on campus rather than deposit them via mail. It’s quite a hefty stash, and rather cleverly hidden, if I may say so myself. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/28 "2005-02-07T22:31:40Z")
Since I look like a mugger myself, I carry whatever I got from the bank to cover for the next couple of weeks… anywhere from $100 to $1k, unless Vegas is involved…then I don’t want to talk about it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/29 "2005-02-07T22:35:14Z")
I usually have between $20 and $100 cash in my wallet. I have kids and fast-food drive-throughs usually don’t take plastic! 😉 I use my main credit card for everything, then pay it off with one check each month. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/30 "2005-02-07T23:44:39Z")
Oh man I am going to miss NZ - I can head out here with a single card in my back pocket (no wallet or bag) and be sorted for a day shopping or a night out. Both my credit card and debit card are loaded on the same card, and since just about every store here (the corner dairy, retail stores, restaurants, cinemas and some taxis) take EFTPOS (debit card) I can go a good week without handling cash. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/31 "2005-02-08T00:03:53Z")
I take out $300 USD each week and use over half of that to pay my child-care provider in cash, so there’s usually around $150 walking around money to play with weekly. School lunches take cash, lunches at work, as well as my constant offering to the caffeine deities cleverly hiding in plain sight disguised as vending machines. No real mugging concern in my daily life. I never write checks, maybe three a month and usually wind up using plastic all the time, so my weekly $300 habit winds up rolling over and I skip every fifth or sixth week’s withdrawal. Now that I think about it, that’s pretty dumb, it’s just a habit. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/32 "2005-02-08T00:29:30Z")
I have no fear of mugging where I live, less it’s by a black bear. Now that I have a debit card, I carry less cash. Perhaps 40-100 USD. It seems that the transactions with the debit card go pretty quick now. I used to hate it when people held up the line for a $5 purchase with a card. Now, it’s not so bad. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/33 "2005-02-08T00:30:16Z")
On the 15th and 30th of each month I take out 300 dollars. I use this for lunches, and groceries and drinks. Everything else goes on the credit card. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/34 "2005-02-08T01:14:36Z")
I always pull out $80 from the ATM and wait until it’s less than $10 before I replenish. Since I charge everything I can, it takes me a while to get through it (though my wife never ATMs so she’ll get whatever she wants/needs through me). Most of it goes to movie theaters that don’t take credit cards (mostly rep houses) and then concession stands. Don’t really use cash much, which makes collecting the state quarters a problem. ---
**Author:** ![pasunejen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/35 "2005-02-08T01:25:07Z")
Precisely $0, unless I’ve just gone to the ATM to get cash for cab rides to and from the airport. Or unless I know I’m going somewhere where credit cards aren’t accepted or create a big hassle. It’s not due to the mugging factor, it’s just that I’m lazy and only go to the ATM when it’s absolutely necessary. ---
**Author:** ![gfloyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d2c977/32.png) [@gfloyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gfloyd)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/36 "2005-02-08T03:38:08Z")
Well, it depends. I live on campus and buy gas on credit to build a credit history, as I have no other real expenses. There are times when I have upwards of 100-150 USD, and times like tonight, where I have 6. I don’t spend much money at all, and any money my parents give me is in cash (like a 20 once every couple of weeks for gas), so I rarely go to the bank, other than to deposit my check, which I wouldn’t have to soon, with directed deposit. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/37 "2005-02-08T04:51:00Z")
Typically I carry about $50-$100, also I generally keep roughly $300 in cash at home. I discovered this is neccessary when you have kids. Did you know if lil Johnny breaks your neighbors window, most Glass Co.s wont take a check or CC, especially if it happens on a weekend. Also I don’t do traditional shopping other than staples (rice, , beans, salt, sugar, etc.) I live less than a block from a grocery store, so I like the flexibility of picking up fresh produce and meat as needed or basically daily. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/38 "2005-02-08T07:46:10Z")
The only time I ever carry more than about $40 is when **Hamish** has given me his half of the rent, and then it’s to take it straight to the bank. I usually carry between $5 and $20, much of which (this being Canada) is often in change. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/39 "2005-02-08T07:48:13Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > And another thing…you peopel carry change in your _wallets_? How on Earth is this possible? My wallet barely has roomfor cash and cards! There are no ‘pockets’, just slots. And even if it could carry it…the thought of change in my wallet unnerves me. It’s so odd shaped and hard, it would be like sitting on rocks! My wallet has a little zippered change compartment. Also, I carry my wallet in my front pants pocket or my jacket pocket, as I don’t like the thought of sitting on it under any circumstances. I do not need an asymmetrical butt on top of (or underneath) everything else, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771/40 "2005-02-08T09:47:12Z")
I rarely carry cash over $20 US. Like many others, I have a debit card, and their acceptance is becoming so widespread. I carry cash if I need some money to put on my card to do laundry with, or I’m lending someone a little money, or I have to give my parents bill money. I don’t keep a large amount of money with me. I do carry ten or so ones in my wallet for tips if I go to a restaurant, but I pay the bill with my card. I have a snazzy leopard-print wallet mostly full of things like business cards and savings cards. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-around-money-or-the-muggers-target-thread/288771.md?page=3)