My dad told me to always keep $200 cash in my wallet for emergencies

He said that when the card machines go down you're stuck, and last week at a farmers market in Austin the whole square's payment system crashed. I was the only one who could buy produce while everyone else just stood there. How much cash do you guys keep on you for situations like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

susan_adams2d ago

Ha! Your dad's a genius, money is still king when tech fails.

cole_flores442d ago

Funny you mention that @susan_adams, because my buddy Tim learned this the hard way last winter. He was at a small-town coffee shop when their entire card system crashed during a snowstorm. They had a sign on the door that said "cash only until further notice" and the line was out the door with people just standing there confused. Tim had a twenty in his wallet from the gas station earlier and got his coffee and a pastry no problem while a dozen people just had to leave. He told me later he felt like some kind of wizard just pulling out that crumpled bill. It really made me think about how we take plastic for granted until the power goes out or the network dies. Cash is just that backup that never asks for a signal or a password.