The practice of keeping cash in places other than in banks is fairly common. For convenience to psychological reasons, people have found creative places to safeguard their money. Most of us know of the usual suspects: sock drawers, couches, mattresses, stuffed animals, toilets, and freezers.
Here are some unusual stories of places where cash has been found:
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$182,000 found inside metal boxes suspended inside a bathroom wall. The contractor who found the money and the homeowner could not amicably split the finding. The result? 21 descendants of Patrick Dunne (the businessman who hid the Depression-era bills) found out about the finding and were awarded portions of the money through court.
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$7,000 was swallowed by a Columbian woman after discovering her husband’s infidelity. The money was meant to go toward the couple’s vacation, but it ended up in the hospital where doctors could only save $5,700 from the woman’s intestines. She recovered, but the remaining money was split between the couple in court.
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$100,000 was hidden inside a television set. The set was given to an Ontario man by his parents, and where he proceeded to hide (and forget) the cash. The man later gave the tv set to a friend, who subsequently gave it to a recycling plant. Employees in the plant found the money when they took the set apart – ultimately, they tracked down the Ontario man and returned the full amount. A nice surprise, indeed!
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Having cash on hand at home can be useful for minor, practical purposes (unexpected home repairs, Girl Scouts selling cookies, being short on time for getting to the ATM, etc.). However, there is a cap on how much cash people should keep at home that depends on their lifestyle and financial situation. Just don’t risk the possibility of keeping too much at home and then forgetting or losing it.
