'Do you have ‘secret’ cash in your wallet/purse?' blog discussion

dleadley

i always have a secret stash but i have them everywhere and even when i have absolutely no money i won't use them i'd borrow a tenner off a friend first because i know i'll pay that back.:rotfl: strange i know:(

Errata

MaryMay wrote: »

I always have a blank unsigned cheque in my wallet as my bank card is always in there, very useful at small shops in markets and the like who dont take cards. I also have a pound size coin on my car key ring which you can buy for £1 from charity shops for shopping trolleys.

That's a very bad idea if your bank card carries your signature.

kltoddie

I do now keep £10 or £20 in a compartment in my purse that I don't touch. Hubby has a very bad habit of taking money out of my purse when popping out to the village shop for bread or milk or something (it used to be cash only and they had no ATM, they now do have an ATM which charges £1.50 or if you do a card transaction at the till they have a minimum spend), and he doesn't always tell me that he has taken money out of my purse. This resulted in a very embarassing incident:

Went into town shopping and parked in car park. Joined queue to exit car park and pay man in booth as you drive out (only way to pay). Hand ticked over, he says, "40p love" (yes, it's only 40p/hr at that car park!). I open my purse to get out the money and the money I thought I had in my purse had disappeared. I rummage around all the compartments and door pockets and manage to come up with 36p. Car park man says it's no good and I will have to go to a hole in the wall. At this point no-one can get into the carpark until I come out because it is full up, and there is also a very long queue of other cars waiting behind me to get out. DD is also in the car with me and saying, "What's wrong Mummy?". I point out that I can't actually reverse back or go anywhere other than out. He eventually lets me out, and one of the car drivers who was waiting to get in shouts very loudly, "THIEF!".

Ooo the shame. Since that day I've kept the secret £10 or £20 in a compartment in my purse I know hubby won't be bothered to rummage through...

KT

slick_detective

Errata wrote: »

That's a very bad idea if your bank card carries your signature.

Does anyone know why banks tell you to put your signature on the back of your debit cards?? cos it tells you to , but i don't see the point so i haven't signed mine should i sign it? is it best to sign it or not to sign it???

Tealady_2

I have a cash stash keyring as well which has £20 in, OH has the same and DD has one with £5 in. Just means we can always get home if needed especially DD as has lost her train pass before and struggled to get home from school.

Butterfly_Brain

slick_detective wrote: »

Does anyone know why banks tell you to put your signature on the back of your debit cards?? cos it tells you to , but i don't see the point so i haven't signed mine should i sign it? is it best to sign it or not to sign it???

Yes absolutely you should sign it:eek: . Because if it is stolen anyone can sign it and you will not be covered for anything

Butterfly_Brain

I have a £10 note in the bottom of my bag so if my purse is every stolen I have something to get home with but I also keep £5 in change in my pocket just in case my bag is stolen!

Psykicpup

Just in case I'm not the only one who thinks the keyring stash is a good idea ... I have found them on ebay too http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw='stash+cash+keyring'

lilian1977

datostar wrote: »

A German friend of mine was in the habit of keeping 50 Euros or so in his passport until he got a serious telling-off from a UK Border Agency official at Dunkirk Port.
1. It could be taken as an attempt at a bribe.
2. It could fall out without being noticed while being scanned. This could mean an allegation of theft against the official, or if found in the booth after he ended his shift there would be an enquiry as to how it had got there.
Valid points, we thought, and he's found another spot for his little stash.

Incidentally, when I worked on Police Traffic Patrols in the 1960's/70's, in the days of the old book style Driving Licences, it wasn't unusual for there to be banknotes tucked in the back of the licence when it was handed over. I was never in doubt that this was often an attempted bribe, and there was usually something wrong with the car or the documentation. I used to give them the money back and say something like, "You must have forgotten about this" and carry on with the check.

I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but take care if it's still in there when officialdom wants to inspect the Passport. In some countries it might just disappear (although that might speed your progress too).

Good tips, thanks. I actually have one of those passport covers so it's in the document section at the back - I take my passport out of it every time I need to show it or have it scanned so I think I'll be ok, but I'll bear it in mind!

earthmother

I have two lots of secret cash.

One lives in a zip section of my purse - that is 3x£1, 3x50p, 3x20p and 6x2p coins, which equates to the right change for three kids on most supermarket rides/egg machines and the coppers are for the 'gravity well' charity box in the local Co-op (2ps roll best - keeps them occupied while I pack and pay). It also doubles as a few days of basic groceries should money be really tight.

The other is £40 that lives in a drawer at home - this is our emergency fund - DH has had several blue-light ambulance trips in recent years due to poor health, and this is enough to get me and the kids on public transport from our village into the town, take the kids to grandma's, get me to the hospital (and fed from the vending machines), and stick £10 on DHs phone so he can keep in contact once he's out of the woods and we've had to come back home. TBH, it hasn't been replaced since the last run at Easter, but I'm hoping I won't need to either, at least not for the same purpose.