Cash on hand

[nothermark]

Precisely why cash is king. In emergency (for you) situations service vendors like tow trucks want to be sure they get paid. Cash does not get canceled the next day. Same deal with that great yard sale find or a host of other examples where folks take cash but not plastic.

[twogypsies]

A few hundred in cash is fine but you certainly don't need to carry thousands. You can quickly get cash from your account anywhere. In 16 years of full-timing we never had an occurrence to dole out a lot of cash on repairs, purchases or anything.

[goreds2]

Originally Posted by nothermark

Precisely why cash is king. In emergency (for you) situations service vendors like tow trucks want to be sure they get paid. Cash does not get canceled the next day. Same deal with that great yard sale find or a host of other examples where folks take cash but not plastic.

Tow Truck drivers may give you a discount if paying in cash.

Great point about the yard sales and add flea markets to that.

[affreeman]

Originally Posted by rrtribble

I have a fire safe in my DP which I carry a couple thousand for emergencies and those CGs that take only cash.

In the last year of full-timing I think I've spent less than $600 in cash. Sure, I always have a little on-hand, but a couple thousand would last me years.

Everything goes on the credit card -- and I do have a couple of back-up credit cards as well -- and the balance is paid automatically from my checking account each month so I never carry a balance and never pay interest.

[tcg]

I don't full time but once when we went south for six weeks I don't think I had more than 100 bucks on me. I took two debit cards, one tied to my regular bank and one tied to my investment account with a 10 grand daily limit. I figured that would cover anything.

I once had a business partner 20 or so years ago, we were good friends. One day he decided he had had enough of whatever he had had enough of.

I bought his share of our business, he sold another very successful business, everything he owned, bought a pickup and a 36 foot trailer and off he went.

All the proceeds was converted to cash and he carried it all with him. We kept in touch for several years but once his 2 kids graduated he disappeared completely. The last letter I received, him and his wife were on the way to Alaska. His daughter lived with us and worked for me in the summer while she went to college. She got married several years ago.

In some ways I admired the guts it took to do that and in some ways I thought it was a very dumb decision, carrying everything with him instead of using banks. He really was fed up and went off grid.

He had a talent and skill to barter and work things off in trade so I have no doubt that somewhere he is still giving the finger to the government and living happily ever after.

I don't recommend that approach to carrying cash.

[chertman47]

Originally Posted by katydid

Do you carry extra (above your everyday stash )cash with you in case you have an emergency or maybe just groceries and cannot use a credit card or debit card? Also, do you put it in a fire safe that is in your vehicle or motor home as you travel on the roads? We have a fifth wheel and not sure I like it in the rig as we drive in case of an accident. Pretty much our entire lives we carried minimal cash and never worried about it because we were always close to our home. Now we are full-time and I worry something could happen. I don’t want it on me personally that seems too risky ( loss or theft ).

Keep in mind that any money in a Debit Card account can be completely drained unlike a credit card. No Debit Cards in our coach. Just saying.

[Dillon_fwa]

usually have $500-$1000 in a safe bolted to floor, and 6 different credit/debit cards, so should be covered. not worried about theft [Moderator Edit].

[grindstone01]

Originally Posted by Dillon_fwa

usually have $500-$1000 in a safe bolted to floor, and 6 different credit/debit cards, so should be covered. not worried about theft [Moderator Edit].

[ Moderator Edit]
Carrying some cash is good but it should not be so much cash that it would seriously degrade your life style if you were to loose it.

[Dillon_fwa]

Originally Posted by grindstone01

[ Moderator Edit]
Carrying some cash is good but it should not be so much cash that it would seriously degrade your life style if you were to loose it.

agree..if they just want the cash, they can have it...anything more..we would see..[ moderator edit ]

[DB_Travelers]

We have a small safe in the fifth wheel and usually keep a couple hundred in cash, the wife's jewelry, and hand guns. It isn't fire proof, but it is at least secure when we go out on day trips, and it satisfies the law in several states that require guns to be locked up out of reach while in the state.

[SCClockDr]

We carry concealed $$$ that is. Around 2K, & we aren't saying where. That is in addition to the 1-2K we carry split between us. We tank up the first of each month usually @ a military installation.

[franklin99]

Originally Posted by katydid

Do you carry extra (above your everyday stash )cash with you in case you have an emergency or maybe just groceries and cannot use a credit card or debit card? Also, do you put it in a fire safe that is in your vehicle or motor home as you travel on the roads? We have a fifth wheel and not sure I like it in the rig as we drive in case of an accident. Pretty much our entire lives we carried minimal cash and never worried about it because we were always close to our home. Now we are full-time and I worry something could happen. I don’t want it on me personally that seems too risky ( loss or theft ).

We usually carry 100 in cash and the rest in debit, credit cards and checks

[elizabethcar]

We never carry more than a couple of hundred and we keep it on our person(s). I cannot imagine posting on a public forum that there is $$$$ in our RV.

[ByeTheWay]

We carry about a grand for the unexpected situations. And it has come in handy. We do have a safe.