Well, I think it's advised to keep some cash on hand in case you can't get to the bank or ATM, say in a natural disaster. I kind of think it's odd, since anywhere you're likely to go is also going to be affected, so how are you going to need the cash? But I suppose it couldn't hurt to have some on hand in case you need to buy some gas from someone or something until order is restored.

I don't keep cash stashed in the house, but DH does. I just collect the change that accumulates in the laundry or the bottom of the hamper! If I have cash, I'm more likely to spend it on little things like a coffee or a snack, since I don't like to use my debit card on something under $5.

We keep our $ in the bank, yes interest is zilch, but it's safer than at home.

I never have cash, nor do we have a stash at home. Perhaps I should consider having it "just in case". I charge everything so I have a record of my spending (it is paid off every month). It really annoys me to see lots of Starbucks charges, for example, on my statement so I think twice before wasting money there when I can brew coffee at home. If I had cash I would probably go there and forget about it.

Yes- enough to last a long time, and it's in a secure place. But this isn't new. We've had this for 15 years and have never touched it.

Yes, we've always kept a good size emergency stash at home.

On days when the stock market dives I wish we could keep it ALL at home, but where could you store it? A safe? A drawer? A lock box buried in the backyard somewhere? But to answer the question, no, We hardly ever have cash on us anymore.

I kept a few hundred dollars cash on me when the hurricane was supposed to hit this area. After it came through, I did go out for lunch - the area had no power but a few restaurants had generators and limited menus and accepted cash only. I was glad to have it!

I do try to keep a little cash on hand, and, if we're threatened with a hurricane, I withdraw more being sure to include some, small bills. In the aftermath of a hurricane, there's likely to be no electricity. However, I've seen gas stations open with generators, and grocery stores open to allow a few people to enter at a time with flashlights. In these cases, you have to pay cash--no checks, no cards, etc. Naturally, prudent people make sure they have plenty of gas, water, and food, but emergencies happen.

How I wish I'd done so. The economy from 15 years back has killed me through the years when stock market dumped. Never have been able to recoup and I wasn't in any testy investments. This last round definitely reminded me that putting it all under the mattress would have gotten a better return. Don't care what the economics say...the mattress is still a better place.

I keep some, but not anything significant. A few hundred dollars in cash, easily accessible won't see us through any kind of real crisis but it's nice to know it's there and once in a while comes in handy for a moving quickly on a CL ad or house sale. Now that's MY kind of emergency fund!!!

I had cash stashed away for an emergency. Didn't spend it for years and years. Then came the day of our daughter's wedding- right before it we realized we didn't have much cash but needed to tip the servers and others. I didn't want to, but I finally admitted to my husband that I had this stash, but I didn't want to use it because I was saving it for an emergency. He said, this IS an emergency!!

A few weeks ago, I found $200 that I had hidden inside a clock, saving for an emergency I guess. So it's possible I have other cash stashed away, I'm just not sure where it might be!

Are you worried that the banks might fail? Never gonna happen. A couple hundred dollars is the most we ever have. I suppose if there is no electricity for a few weeks in the whole area - as sometimes happens, like after a hurricane - we might be in a fix, but other than that, it isn't worth the risk of fire, burglars, forgetfulness!

And if no one has electricity, the restaurants won't, either, so where would we spend cash?

The fierce snowstorms and blizzard we experienced in Virginia 2 winters ago make me think of one instance where cash-on-hand was beneficial to some of my neighbors.

The snowfall was tremendous, and people who went out to shovel their steps and sidewalks were likely as frustrated upon first look as I was. So much work to do! Walking down the front steps was treacherous, as I couldn't even guess where the steps were.

The first snowfall, people did a fair job clearing their cars, pushing the snow to unused parking spots and piling it high.

The snow kept coming overnight. And so did the plows. Whose blades were angled to clear the streets. Where did all that street snow go? Right up against the backs of our cars. Packed solid. It was a bear to free our vehicles.

But, then comes a pickup or two down the road, carrying some men who decided this was a great money-making opportunity: They'd shovel you out!

I don't know how much they charged, but I know that some older people as well as neighbors who just didn't have the interest or continued stamina in doing the shoveling were very happy to see them. And clearly these guys did not take checks or credit cards!

As for me, I don't keep a stash of cash (with the exception of the leftover bills I got for a recent tag sale -- I had enough to keep me away from the ATM for a while).
My dad used to keep money in the house. Maybe because he grew up not having a lot, or not trusting banks, with family who went through the Great Depression, or family money squabbles. But he also never wrote checks, and unless it was for new tires or auto repairs, perhaps, I never saw him use a credit card -- never. Altho there were never "financial lessons" he was outwardly teaching us, I suppose his "do as I do" lesson was to always use cash, to never buy something on credit if you can't afford to pay for it now.

When the kids would come home from college, he'd always make sure we had a $20 or whatever in our hand as we left.

I don't think it's a good idea to make these personal facts public over the internet... Be careful y'all!

My grandmother did this--$20s in books, etc. When she died, my mother and aunt were like little kids on an Easter Egg hunt--everytime you turned around, you'd find a couple of $5s in a vase or something.

Yes, we keep a stash of emergency cash on hand, always.

I grew up in Venezuela and there was a slang word for cash there: effectivo. Which translated to English, means pretty much what it sounds like: i.e., an effective way to get what you need, when you need it, under any circumstances.

Our effectivo stash is intended to provide purchasing power in natural (not political, as in S. America) upheavals and disasters.

Even when power is out and regular shopping is disrupted there will still be needs and at the same time people with supplies they want to sell. That's exactly the situation where Cash is King. No one will want to take a check since they can't get the funds quickly (even if the check is good).

What might you need and possibly be able to buy in an emergency? Gas, ice, food (human and pet), water, transportation away from an affected area, medicines, (and booze or tobacco, which can loom large if you use them and run out), and even shelter. Some people will have more than they need of one thing and be happy to exchange it for cash to purchase something else.

The cash is also useful in occasional, non-emergency situations such as the example above of unforeseen tipping at a wedding. But you have to remember to replace it promptly afterward. We don't use ours as a normal day-to-day cash reserve, however. It just sits undisturbed, usually for many years.

We don't think of it as protection from bank failures, or failed investments. It's there for times when we can't access banked funds. A few hundred dollars might go for a day or so, but you might need quite a bit more than that in any longer emergency. The stash can be built up over time.

L

As others have said, living in a hurricane zone, yes we always have cash on hand. In fact it's one of the checklist items we take care of before every storm: gas in the cars and in our storage cans for the generator, propane for the grill, canned/nonperishable food and cash. As has been pointed out it is EXTREMELY useful to be able to buy what one needs with cash when power is out and credit cards aren't being accepted.

No stashes of cash here. One of my grandmother's friends was a different matter. This was long before ATM's and debit cards, but checks and credit cards were common. From her appearance you'd never have guessed that little old farm woman was quite wealthy. She owned a lot of things, including large herds of very desirable cattle. I don't know why, but she believed in cold, hard cash. Literally. As we were leaving to go shopping, she opened her chest freezer and pulled out enough cash to pay for the piece of furniture she was going to buy that morning.

For some reason, I feel the need to stockpile chocolate bars, wine and olive oil but cash, no.
I'd probably dip into it anyway.
Dh manages the money, he's much better than I, he never wants to buy anything (And he's very meticulous and astute). A splurge is two shirts at Goodwill instead of one. Twenty minutes on the internet and I want everything.

We have always kept cash at home. Not a huge amount and not necessarily for emergencies, but I can see where it might come in handy. We come up with some good hiding places. Funny thing is years ago when we sold our last house, we were cleaning, etc. and remembered a lock box we had hid in the house. In going back for the box, hubby also found several hundred dollars we had hidden - and then forgot about. LOL

Bumble, I think you need to go shopping for your hubby. Sounds like he deserves a splurge!