apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Under the couch cushions!

O, wait, you mean deliberately hiding money?

I always keep 1000 to 2000 Euros in a a plastic bag hidden beneatn volume two of War and Peace, on the second lowest shelf of the bookcase in my living room. Maybe I shouldn't say this because my apartment door, situated on building 7 on the most frequent street in my town, has a broken lock and I'm leaving for two weeks.

...
Seriously I just keep some loose change, in an old flower pot in the cupboard, and since today (charity sale find) in a ceramic apothicary jar.

Not much, just my tips that I keep at hand to pay for coffee, baguettes, stamps...

No. It's the worst place to keep money.

I love the pug in this picture. I keep my money (under $100,000) in the bank.

Keeping money in my house is like keeping candy, it quickly disappears

A friend who went through Katrina and evacuated for Gustav admitted he always keeps a big stash at home now just in case he needs to get out fast.

I don't usually have much cash on hand, but a few weeks ago I took out an extra few days' worth of cash and put it in a drawer in case WaMu failed and caused a short delay in accessing my account. But I doubt it was enough to contribute to a run on the bank!

In general, though, I don't. I would probably misplace the money. A friend cleaned her closet recently and found $500 in her old purse -- now that makes cleaning worthwhile!

Unless you have more than $100k in deposits you don't need to be worried about a bank failure. But maybe blogging is more lucrative than I knew...

If you were serious about keeping money out of the banking system the best way to do this is by buying gold or silver (I'm totally serious). If there were a real financial crisis paper money becomes useless.

I don't really keep money on me at all. Debit Card/ Credit is just so convenient. The more small change I have on me, the more I'm likely to spend. Let's face it, as bad as the economy is, I don't think we are going to have to grab some cash and run for the border anytime soon.

As to the room...that dresser is gorgeous! Where is it from? I love the fan and the flooring as well. It's such a classy and simple room. I'm going to have to go home and get rid of a lot of stuff in my bedroom.

No, I do keep about $100 in a drawer, but it's mostly so that I have money to refill my laundry card or in case I run out of cash to give to a delivery guy.

But maybe I should. If there's a true emergency and ATMs aren't working (like in the 2003 blackout in NY), cash would be handy.

At the end of each day, I take all of the singles out of my wallet and add them to my coffee can. Within a month, I would typically have enough rainy day cash to buy some cool accessories - new throw pillows, some picture frames, etc. - or would save a bit longer for bigger projects like refinishing thrift store furniture. I never missed the cash at the end of each day and it added up quickly!

Remember in Goodbye Lenin where they miss their opportunity to exchange all their East German marks because they'd forgotten what piece of furniture it was tucked into? With our economy the way it is, keep this in mind!

Here in earthquake country, keeping money at home is a must. $200.00 in fives and tens.

I keep a few hundred bucks in the house. When I leave, it goes with me. When I am home, it goes in a drawer that lies about halfway between my shotgun and my 9mm. So, I think it's pretty safe, especially since you have to get past the alarm system (a mutt and a Golden Retriever) to get THAT far! lol

One of my aunts' parents' died within a few months of one another a few years ago. While they were cleaning the house up, they noticed something behind the trim around one of the windows. They investigated further and found money tucked behind the trim of windows, doorways, etc! There was close to $10,000 cash stashed that way! One of my friend's grandparents died and while cleaning up their house they found several thousand dollars in cash stashed in different toolboxes, nail boxes, etc in the garage/workshop. These people were all alive through the Depression, so I guess it makes sense, but it's crazy that people stash money like this and basically forget about it or turn it into a compulsion.

I'm not worried about banks. "Bank scare" is stupid. FDIC insures $100,000 of deposits. So just make sure your total deposits in any one bank don't exceed $100,000 and you'll be fine.

Oh, and BTW, even though CC/debit card is convenient, studies have shown that people who use a card will spend an average of, I believe, 18%, more than people who use cash on the same items.

First of all, don't contribute to the fear-mongering...a bank's failure means nothing more than the name is going to change on top of your bank statements...now I'll have WaMu customers in line with me at Chase....big deal. But tell a few WaMu customers that they're going to lose everything they have in their account and you'll get someone who will believe it.

and yes, I do keep a pretty decent stash of cash, just because I prefer paying with cash to avoid the scary credit card bills or overspending on a debit card. If I get a little too much cash going, I'll deposit it. I"m more afraid of someone getting a hold of my bank account numbers than I am of someone getting into my household stash. At least this way all a bank hacker will get is a few hundred while I still have the rest. That makes me think of an interesting test though...I should have a family member go through my house and see if they can find my money..see just how good my hiding spot is!

A lot of people seem to put a lot of trust in that FDIC fund. If the money system falls so does the FDIC. That system is only good for a few banks that fail within a certain year. You think that Bush has all his money in a bank account? Not so much!

my grandmother hid a ton of money in her house before we had to move her into a nursing home... all the bills had been printed before I was born. I think it is part of having grown up during the depression, but the interesting point some of my family members made is that when you're hiding cash (large amounts, not like a $100 emergency stash), you're actually losing money because it falls behind inflation each year. If my grandmother had hidden, say, $1000 in 1970, it would be worth a heck of a lot less today (in terms of what you can buy with it) than it was back then. So in short, aside from a little emergency cash, I don't think it's worth it.

Daniel Porter, which floor on building 7 was it again?

Sorry "Poitiers".

Put your valuables in here and stick it way in the back of your fridge, then put some real ones in front, and you're good to go.
http://www.goneblue.com/7up20ozdisac.html

ooh, even better, at the back of the utility closet...
http://www.goneblue.com/blflinkidisa.html

I think hiding cash somewhere is a great idea, and I do, for emergencies. We are so used to automated banking that we tend to forget cash won't be available in a real emergency.

But keeping tons of cash because of fear of the economy? Well, if the economy truly, truly goes bust, in a way where nothing has value, then cash won't have value either.

I would say, without buying into the fear, it would be prudent to buy some silver and gold.....a bit here, a bit there...some cash....and have emergency things around anyway.

Food. Clothing. Shelter. Basic needs met and one will be able to think clearly. Any emergency victim knows the value of food, clothing, and shelter. And some cat food.....

I never ever carry money

Absolutely! I keep between $150 and $200 tucked away at all times. If I suddenly get sick while the cupboards and fridge are bare, I have money to order out (or pay back neighbors who pick up groceries for me). There's cash for a car-service trip to the emergency room, etc. It's got nothing to do with "fear"!

I've got an idea....how about keeping your money in a safe bolted to the house slab? At least that's how some of us in Texas do it....right in there with our guns, jewelry, and cameras...or whatever you hear desires...the important stuff you know. They sell fire resistant safes.

I don't need a reason to be burglarized.

About $200 in emergency money; this is earthquake country, and I well remember how nightmarish things were after the Loma Prieta quake in '89 when the power was out for a few days; my parents had some cash so we were OK. I don't want to be stranded without some safety cash—ever!

I heard that even if your money is insured, it might be a few months before the FDIC reimburses you for your losses. If that's the case, even $1000 might be cutting it close.

Not really, but we found some... not much, but it was a lot of fun.

Invest in economies that aren't heavily impacted by the US and everything will be fine.

good ideas!..def the post about having cash on hand due to illness and needing to order out or send a friend out..and natural disasters..and unatural disasters..the change in my 'save my a..s jar'..wouldn't cut it..

Cute PUG!

When we paid off our car I hid the title in a really, really safe spot since we were going out of town.

Such a safe spot - I have no idea where it's been for seven years.

..I just hope there are no cyber catburglars on here.

Finding 500$ in an old purse? The most I could have lost without noticing is 1$... I always know what i spend my money on and what's left!

My entire childhood my parents mom stashed cash under the tops of marble topped furniture. We lived deep in the country, far from a bank and they needed cash on hand. I would never dispose of their things without looking for money they had forgotten they had hidden. Remnants of the Depression era I suppose.

I moved into my first rental in Houston 20 years ago and sent the draperies out to be drycleaned. A wad of cash and lump of crappy jewelry had been sewn into the drapery hems. I used the same hiding place when I was younger to hide valuables while on vacation, etc. Different drapes!

My friend Taylor called me howling laughing recently. His mom was on vacation and she had a premonition that she might die. She called Taylor to tell him she had hidden a significant amount of cash from his dad in a by the 7th fencepost.

It is all insane - but a different generation!

There's always money in the banana stand.

But yes, I have stored money in a book (The Princess Bride) and it was one of the first things I grabbed in emergencies. I had about $600 in there, which came in handy when it was time to move!!

I haven't done it lately because I don't use cash anymore. It's dirty and too hard to keep track of what you're spending on.

I try to keep at least $50 on hand. I've had my wallet stolen (twice). Both times, it took a few days to receive and activate new cards. You can't always count on someone being there to loan you money...

I second the advice given out about the financial crisis. If you have under $100,000 in a depository institution (commercial bank), your money is insured by the FDIC. Savings accounts, CD's (though maybe not brokered CD's), and bonds and are still 'safe,' conservative investments.

I never carry cash, and my mom worries about that. She insists on keeping emergency money around. Which came in useful years ago, i was with a bank that merged with another bank and it took them 2-3 days to work the old accounts out. Earthquake money makes sense too!