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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How much cash do you keep around the house, for emergencies?

111 replies

AbsentmindedWoman · 30/09/2018 22:06

Just curious. I'm not really comfortable with cash amounts over about £30 (worry of it getting stolen or losing it somehow) so tend to just have about £20. Always enough to get emergency food/ stick a fiver on an Oyster card, but not really more.

Do you keep cash handy for emergencies?

OP posts:
Girlsnightin · 30/09/2018 22:14

Nothing. Can't think of an emergency that a debit card couldn't fulfil.

EmmaC78 · 30/09/2018 22:15

Nothing.

PattiStanger · 30/09/2018 22:18

Did you ask this same question recently, I have deja vue about this

Iirc the answers range from 0 to £000s

mumeeee · 30/09/2018 22:18

Nothing

AGHHHH · 30/09/2018 22:18

Nothing

Amaaboutthis · 30/09/2018 22:19

None why would I ?

InsomniacAnonymous · 30/09/2018 22:19

There's whatever's in my purse and my husband's wallet. We both have debit and credit cards, so cash isn't a necessity.

Processedpea · 30/09/2018 22:19

About 19.50

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 30/09/2018 22:21

Few hundred £.

SaucyJack · 30/09/2018 22:21

Nope, nothing. I can’t think of anywhere these days that I couldn’t use my plastic in an emergency.

Iwantaunicorn · 30/09/2018 22:21

My piggy bank, which has about £70 in it. Ideally I’d like to keep a few hundred hidden somewhere safe at home, but can’t think of a good enough hiding place, or a reason to do it.

PortiaCastis · 30/09/2018 22:21

Only what's in my purse so about 71p atm, still that's a lot more than some poor souls waiting for U.C.

Haireverywhere · 30/09/2018 22:21

£20 in the hallway cupboard in case I need to pay for one of the family's taxis home or I have forgotten to get cash for something.

DitzyBrown · 30/09/2018 22:22

We have nothing in cash everything's card sooooo nothing in emergency bar the silver and bronze coin collection we have sooo in a cash emergency we'd be awful! I know this is bad after reading certain things lately but we really don't have extra cash to withdraw to keep.......we get paid all bills go out we pay by card every penny counted for .if I took 10 out the machine we'd be 10 down for something :( scary life!

AfterSchoolWorry · 30/09/2018 22:22

None.

Emergencies are luxuries I can't afford!

EdWinchester · 30/09/2018 22:23

Nothing

SabineUndine · 30/09/2018 22:24

None. I read a newspaper article recently about someone giving an acquaintance the £100 cash he and his wife kept for emergencies and I was gobsmacked. I keep whatever is in my wallet and that’s rarely more than £30 or so. Sometimes it’s a few pence.

HollowTalk · 30/09/2018 22:24

This exact same thread was on here a while ago. Some people (preppers?) had hundreds of pounds. Others had ten pence down the back of the sofa.

Borisdaspide · 30/09/2018 22:25

Probably less than five pounds between us. There's a cashpoint fifty metres away though, and DS's piggy would have thirty odd in a total emergency.

Notatallobvious · 30/09/2018 22:26

Someone asked this exact question a couple of weeks ago. The general consensus was no need to store "emergency cash".

Original poster
AbsentmindedWoman · 30/09/2018 22:26

Nope, wasn't me who asked before and I must have missed that thread.

OP posts:
KatieMarieJ · 30/09/2018 22:27

I always keep £20 in the car (not in the glove box or somewhere obvious) so that in the event I lost my wallet I have enough to get petrol if needed. I also try to keep another £20 on my keyring (in one of those little capsule things) for similar reasons.

We often travel to the US and at that point I always carry $100 in my bra at all times (again just in case).

I'm just realising I'm a bit of a worry wart. Not including "savings jars" type things for me and the kids, we have at least £500 at all times as a just in case the worst happens fund. It'll be enough to pay a plumber or get a hotel etc. The stupid bit with that is we are insured.

seventhgonickname · 30/09/2018 22:28

£1and £2 pound coins in a mug in the cupboard.Its a habit ,I use the coins for parking ,for DD emergency charity things at school.For DD if she needs to go to the shops before I get home for milk/bread and for raiding at the end if the month If I am skint

happymummy12345 · 30/09/2018 22:28

None currently. Was only saying to dh that we should start keeping even £20 though. Especially with a toddler.

donajimena · 30/09/2018 22:28

About 40 quid. Enough to top up the electric, gas buy wine and fags. I don't smoke or drink anymore nor do I have prepayment meters. I just remember being penniless and how shit that felt .

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