Cash

[spock123]

How much cash do y’all take on trips? I take cash, I try to hide it around. I don’t always rely on credit cards. I have never used my debit card when on the road.

[lcv800]

Always have 2 grand tucked.
Rusty

[rsdata]

Depends on the trip and where/how long I am going. The DW has a few hundred with her, and I do the same, although we both use cash back credit card for an increasing number of purchases... now using it even for fast food purchases under $10. I love getting a fat check once a year from the CC issuer. That is always cashed and is where a big stash of cash comes from. Of course always pay off the card each month.

[powerhaulic]

I usually carry $4-5000, stashed.

[dcheatwood]

I just carry whatever is in my wallet at the time. Maybe $25-$200. We're never far from a Walmart and a quick stop for gas or leg stretch and we just get cash back on debit card purchase, as needed.

[nomad297]

It all depends on if I think I may need bail money or not.

Bruce

[tfmdgm]

Just a few dollars for things I can't use a credit card for. More importantly, I keep a medicine bottle full of quarters tucked away for the laundry.

[SaskCampers]

DW and I each have maybe 200 bux. As previously mentioned Walmart is never far away to get cash back if needed.

[5er_tom]

We are now in Canada. The exchange rate is crazy. To avoid lots of currency exchange charges from credit card companies I go to a bank here and withdraw cash from the ATM. I got $700.00 yesterday and my bank in the USA only debited about $500. I have not used a credit card since arriving in Canada, all cash. Filled up the diesel truck yesterday for $210.00!!!

[dblr]

As others have said there are Walmarts and can get cash back if needed but mostly I check ahead to where we will be to see if any of the local credit unions use the shared branch system then if so just walk in and use like my home credit union.

[youroo]

You always need CASH,if someone Helps you or does you a Favor,its Hard to Tip them with a Credit Card! Youroo!!

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by youroo

You always need CASH,if someone Helps you or does you a Favor,its Hard to Tip them with a Credit Card! Youroo!!

Right. Now... how much cash?
$60-80 will generally do us. Cash back credit card covers the rest.

[Mountndream]

i always make sure DW and I each have enough for two gas tank fills up on each of us. We were rather low on Gas when we pulled into a station on the 70 toll in Kansas. Their credit card machines were down. Wife went in with Cash, i filled it up.

I use my debit Card for almost everything in the city. In fact, my phone can also function as a debit card and I use that heavily too, but when traveling, i like to have cash on hand

[spock123]

We take credit cards but we also take cash, normally two grand spread around the camper and truck. I was just wondering what most were taking. We went to Alaska last year we took more cash. I’m glad we did. DW is the banker on the road and at home, I have a tendency to over spend

[JohnD10]

$50-100 bucks...

I use cards mostly...pretty much for everything!

Much easier to track expenditures than sifting through a pile of receipts!

[Reverse_snowbird]

Depends on how far we are going and if there is a branch of our bank there.

If it's a long trip with no bank branches convenient, around $600 stashed around. Lately most of it has been in small denominations for tips.

That said.... I'm still finding money that I stashed in luggage, laptop bags, pockets, etc. from our last trip that we never needed. I mainly use credit cards.

[5picker]

I've never seen the need to carry thousands of dollars along on a trip.
A few hundred... yes... and if/when that few hundred runs out, we'll get a few hundred additional.

What do those that carry 3-4k in cash purchase with that money that couldn't be done so with a card or by stopping at a ATM/Wally World first?

[RACarvalho]

Apart from a couple of coins in the truck and a few dollars in the wife's wallet... None.
I never run with money and when I need I usually use debit card or look for an ATM if cash is needed.

[Rugged Brown]

Nice to know that a lot of campers stash cash in different places in their RVs. Makes us all targets now.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dan

Right. Now... how much cash?
$60-80 will generally do us. Cash back credit card covers the rest.

I too travel on my credit card(s). That's always been good enough but I also realize that sometimes credit card machines don't work and can be out for days. It only took once for that to happen to me before I started carrying cash too. More than just pocket change or tip money. The amount? Let's just say "enough for any possibility".

As for my "cash stash"? It's in a safe that is not only hard to find, it's impossible to get into if you aren't me (Biometric Combination). New technology safes are getting less and less expensive and more and more secure.

Remember, if you think you are being clever on where you stash your cash, thieves are even more clever. It's their profession to find it and I seriously doubt that they haven't seen all the clever methods already.

Thing about safes, if properly installed, they slow thieves down long enough that they move on rather than risk getting caught. Not a bad idea to add a super loud tamper alarm to the safe too.

As for a discussion like this making RV'ers "targets", face it. They've been targets forever. Leave your RV unattended in a remote campground, a sketchy RV park, or even a Big Box parking lot, and someone's bound to try and take advantage of the "people from out of town". Cash, Jewelry, Electronics, Tools, or anything of value that can be pawned is vulnerable.


Of course one could just vacuum seal 20-30 Benjamin's in a plastic bag, put the package in a freezer container, and cover it with some leftover casserole. Put it in the freezer and mark it "Dog Food". That'll fool em.