Keeping “emergency” cash at home…

I keep a bit of cash around just in case I have to get a tradesman in then I can give him half a crown to buy him and his mate a few beers.
Not had tradesmen in for a while though.
 
ANDARIAL said:
yeah banks are getting cheeky now
FFS its my money NOT theirs limits on paying in and taking out via card etc
They would love to make everyone use card so that they know what you spend on and can pester you with ads etc ;)
Don`t get me wrong card is sooo convenient but if i want to withdraw £5000 in bank i expect to be able to,not be subjuect to the spanish inqusition.i.e. why do you want the money,where are you going to spend it etc etc :(
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Technically and legally speaking the money you hold at a bank is a bank's liability to you, and it's not your "money", you are just the beneficiary of their liability. If you want real money you would have to hold physical gold.
 
I’ve always held a chunk of cash around the house for emergencies or quick one off payments to tradesmen, gardeners, etc. I always think those that don’t have some cash haven’t learned how the world really works :D
 
I actually do have some cash at home

I have 2 big tubs of historical bank notes, historical coins that i inherited from my late grandad,

some of them dating back to WW1 times, WW2 times,

really old notes from around the world, i think i even have some coins dating back to 1900-1910, maybe a couple of pre 1900 coins
 
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PlacidCasual said:
The World remains physical and ultimately cash is resilient, even if the lights go out or rather the computer says no, which they seem to do every now and then. We keep a few hundred quid in the house and I try to keep £20-100 in my wallet.
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If it gets to the point that the lights have gone out for any extended length of time, then that cash is going to become as worthless as the plastic your bank card is made of :p
 
Coins that's about it. I'm all for a cashless society. Less hassle, Safer, quicker and more importantly fairer. Give it a decade or so for the generations to catch-up/ snuff-out and cash will be relegated to bank vaults and coin collectors.
 
The most recent cash i have placed in my home is a czech koruna coin.


Even though when i went over i paid on a monzo card for everything over there. I used no hard money.

One of the bars i went to they pay you cold hard cash for bringing back your glass

I thought that was a spiffing good idea to be fair
 
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Haggisman said:
If it gets to the point that the lights have gone out for any extended length of time, then that cash is going to become as worthless as the plastic your bank card is made of :p
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You’re missing the point @PlacidCasual is making. It doesn’t happen often but there have been occasions when card systems at a supermarket go down and it becomes a cash only system.

Also I get many occasions when tradesmen prefer cash - debate the reasons if you wish - and they get it. Means that any time I need a follow up, I’m top of the list.
 
I almost never use a card.

I have had a card declined before even though i had enough money in the bank.

The account had been locked due to the Bank thinking an earlier transaction was fraud, even though it was not.

Super embarrassing having to phone my Bank in a store in front of a bunch of people.
Never again.
 
dave28 said:
I almost never use a card.

I have had a card declined before even though i had enough money in the bank.

The account had been locked due to the Bank thinking an earlier transaction was fraud, even though it was not.

Super embarrassing having to phone my Bank in a store in front of a bunch of people.
Never again.
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Why not have a primary account and a bank up account ?


Its better than handling bank notes

Think of all those people who have had a scratch on their bum then paid for their shopping with a cheeky £20 note.

I wouldnt want to touch that
 
Bluecube said:
You’re missing the point @PlacidCasual is making. It doesn’t happen often but there have been occasions when card systems at a supermarket go down and it becomes a cash only system.

Also I get many occasions when tradesmen prefer cash - debate the reasons if you wish - and they get it. Means that any time I need a follow up, I’m top of the list.
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No, I get that point, but in that scenario, I'll stick with my current "emergency" plan of having some food etc. in reserve at home, and so eliminate the need to worry about being able to buy anything in the first place (the supermarket isn't going to be open with no lights on, no fridges/freezers etc. running anyway).

robfosters said:
Normally keep about a one’er in the drawer just in case. My local Indian and Chinese restaurants are a bit cheaper if you pay by cash.
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Of the 3-4 Chinese & Indian we "regularly use", only 1 of them takes cash only. Guess which one we very rarely use at all ;)
 
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slinxy said:
Hi all

Do you still keep any cash at home in case of “emergencies”?

Back in the days I would keep a reasonable amount at home in case I couldn’t get to a cash point and needed more cash than I have in my wallet for such things like;

Taxi home,
An unplanned take away,
Birthday/festive gifts,
Buying the odd second hand item locally, going to carboots,
Paying people back,
Cheeky visit to the casino, bookies or even the pub.
Food shop in case I lose my wallet and cards..

It’s just for safety in mind but it seems that i’ve not needed to dip into this pot now for years, as people/shops/services are more willing to take digital transfers more and more and I’m tempted just to bank a large chunk of it and reduce the amount I have “just in case”..

Anyone else have a reasonable amount at home or do people tend to rely on the electronic payment systems now?
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Yes. Incase I lose my card(s) I have enough to pay for a weeks shopping and fuel basically enough to cover the period before a new card gets to me. And thats just common sense.
 
Blackjack Davy said:
Yes. Incase I lose my card(s) I have enough to pay for a weeks shopping and fuel basically enough to cover the period before a new card gets to me. And thats just common sense.
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Again i dont really see the point in that these days


google pay on phone?

Apple pay on phone ?

second bank account with a different bank (keep the balance at zero ?) just have online banking, and keep the card at home?


hell if you loose your card, its unlikely you will lose your phone at the same time

If you are unfortunate enough to lose your wallet , and your phone at the same time, and your keys to your house so you cant get a backup card in the draw

you could even go to a bank these days and withdraw emergency money from them without needing your card.


I guess i can see the appeal of keeping a couple of quid in a draw though cash, i just done think i ever needed to do this in the past 5-7 years? and I am always loosing stuff ( i have been in situations where i have lost bank card or damaged it before)



I think the only time i ever pay cash is maybe to save on paying VAT when paying for things like car service. If I am doing this though its a quick swift visit to the cashpoint before picking up my car
 
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Gray2233 said:
I've literally never experienced that in my life, I've had card readers be down but never the tills themselves.
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Happened a few times here in Hampshire at big supermarkets. Big powercut 1st time. Couldn't buy anything. 2nd time tills were down due to network issue or something, weren't accepting any transactions.
 
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