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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I found some money...

205 replies

cooksomeeggs · 09/04/2019 07:32

We are currently on holiday, arrived yesterday. Had to make up the beds and when I pulled the mattress up, I found an envelope with £175 in it. On the front of the envelope it had a woman's name on it.
Obviously someone has left this behind and I would have been devastated if I had lost that amount of money. My husband and I agree that if we handed it in (to the complex/police), it probably wouldn't reach the owner. Would I be unreasonable to give the money to my friend who is raising money to support a charity?

OP posts:
BeanTownNancy · 09/04/2019 09:57

For anyone who travels with envelopes of cash with your name on I think you need to reconsider your method of holiday finances

Got wedding gifts in USD, took said cash on honeymoon. In an envelope. Didn't want to be walking around Disney parks with hundreds of dollars in my pocket so left it in the hotel room. Was lucky the room had a safe but if it hadn't I probably would have hidden the envelope somewhere rather than take it out with me every day and risk losing it.

M4J4 · 09/04/2019 09:59

Under the mattress would be a poor choice given the sheets get changed frequently.

Mememeplease · 09/04/2019 10:00

I'd have just told them you've found something and if anybody can identify what it is them you are more than happy to return it.

But well done on being honest. We've just notified the police about money we've found. We very nearly went the charity route for the same reasons as you. If we get to keep it we'll still donate it.

alittlesnow · 09/04/2019 10:01

Who the hell carries nearly £200 around in an envelope as their 'holiday money?' Confused

There some incredibly naive people on here if they think this is just someone's 'holiday spending money' that has been left behind.

I have been on many holidays (abroad AND within the UK,) and I never have more than €50-60 (£50 ish) in cash. And I certainly don't carry it around in a bloody envelope.

I know several people who work in hotels, and they occasionally sometimes find money (in envelopes/jiffy bags,) that people have left in the room (in a drawer or under the mattress,) and it is almost always dodgy. (Drug money or prostitute money.)

Can't believe anyone thinks it's just someone's holiday spending money.

And yeah, I absolutely would keep it. The chances of it getting back to the person who left it is slim to none, and as I said, it's dodgy money anyway.

Original poster
cooksomeeggs · 09/04/2019 10:01

@cryalot it's a fair assumption based on several past experiences etc.
Just to explain again (as I have done several times up thread) the moneys been handed in.
@familyofaliens no harm was done by asking about giving the money to charity. I never saw the money as mine and the issue has been dealt with. Have a great day :)

OP posts:
alittlesnow · 09/04/2019 10:08

Stop explaining yourself @cooksomeeggs you don't owe anyone an explanation, the money is almost certainly dodgy, and the majority of people would keep it (despite many people saying otherwise.) Grin

Enjoy the rest of your holiday. Smile

JinglingHellsBells · 09/04/2019 10:10

I once left an expensive item of clothing on the hook in the bathroom of a 4* UK hotel. I realised a few hours later when I got home. I phoned immediately.

They had not found it so my assumption was the person who cleaned the room took it.

2birds1stone · 09/04/2019 10:15

I think it was a gift, maybe to the daughter for her holiday and she just took the money in the envelope as it was.

Or the person gets paid cash in hand and this was her wages

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 09/04/2019 10:28

I don't see that it's necessarily dodgy money.

It could have been a gift, e.g. a relative wanting to help with holiday costs, hidden because they didn't want to walk around with it, and forgotten when packing up to leave.

Such things do happen. I've heard of people forgetting the passport or cash they left in a hotel room safe, and holiday lets don't normally have safes for valuables..

whitesoxx · 09/04/2019 10:29

@alittlesnow where do you carry your 50 euros then?

175 isn't a lot of money. That's only a days spending money for my lot if self catering.

The currency exchange give it to me in an envelope and I keep it in that. It's not so strange

Original poster
cooksomeeggs · 09/04/2019 10:34

It didn't look dodgy, more like it had been dropped and forgotten about.
I often put money in the same envelope and put it somewhere safe so I don't have to carry it around.

@alittlesnow thank you! We are having a lovely time :)

OP posts:
79problems · 09/04/2019 10:36

Only one person has said they’d keep it - how very Mumsnet Grin

alittlesnow · 09/04/2019 10:41

alittlesnow

who the hell carries money around on holiday in an ENVELOPE?

@whitesoxx

where do you carry your 50 euros then?

I know this may come as a MASSIVE SHOCK to you, but I carry my cash around IN MY PURSE.

I know, radical yeah! Wink I mean who DOES that?! Confused Putting my money in my purse. What a weirdo eh?!

@79problems

Only one person has said they’d keep it - how very Mumsnet! Grin

Isn't it though?! Grin The parallel world of mumsnet strikes again!

@cooksomeeggs glad you're having fun. Hope the weather stays nice! Smile

whitesoxx · 09/04/2019 11:03

No, not a weirdo but you seem astounded that anyone would have money in an envelope.

How is a purse any more secure than an envelope? The currency place give you the money in an envelope so it's not that weird to just keep it in there.

whitesoxx · 09/04/2019 11:05

And to be so certain it's "dodgy money".

Was the almost 300 euros I lost (and had returned by honest hotel staff) dodgy then?

thecatsthecats · 09/04/2019 11:08

Yeah, well, I can only answer honestly for me. The me who would also keep a dropped tenner or twenty if I found it in the street with no obvious owner.

The me who recently had a wedding, and was given sizeable amounts of currency as a gift (too much to carry around safely during the day), therefore had to find a variety of safe hidey holes, in spite of my usual method being withdrawing cash on a credit card.

The me who has had plenty of things returned to me, been called by hotels to check things weren't mine, and has a mum who has had dozens of purses returned to her.

Just because you live in a world of drugs and prostitutes instead of naice gifts doesn't mean we all do Grin

ClingFilmApplications · 09/04/2019 11:24

There some incredibly naive people on here if they think this is just someone's 'holiday spending money' that has been left behind.

It's exactly what I do, so there's nothing naive about it at all. Perhaps this may surprise you, but not everyone in this world is 100% identical to you.

Chocolatecoffeeaddict · 09/04/2019 11:26

I'm not sure what I'd do. It's a lot of money but it's not thousands. A relatively small chance of it getting back to the owner. If I'm being completely honest I'd probably keep it. If it was thousands I'd hand it in.

Chocolatecoffeeaddict · 09/04/2019 11:28

Just a thought though, maybe it was the cleaner's wages.

Contraceptionismyfriend · 09/04/2019 11:33

I'd keep it.

Original poster
cooksomeeggs · 09/04/2019 11:54

@Contraceptionismyfriend I handed it in!

OP posts:
Contraceptionismyfriend · 09/04/2019 12:03

Well done. Just saying what I'd do.

NoSauce · 09/04/2019 12:07

I couldn’t keep it. No way.

SandAndSea · 09/04/2019 12:18

@alittlesnow - I've put cash in an envelope before. Quite a few places have safes in the room now - maybe under the bed was the alternative to that? (I'm honestly not a drug runner.)

Nearlythere1 · 09/04/2019 13:06

That money is never getting back to the owners if you hand it in. Keep i and check tripadvisor to see if anybody matching the name posts?