Carrying too much cash...Why risk it?
 

Do you carry more than you can afford to lose
in a purse or pocket?

I carry only one or 2 days worth of cash and my ATM card in a money belt under my clothing. I have a duplicate ATM card back at the room. No cash.

Why have a duplicate ATM card?

because they literally break in two; get swallowed; demagnetize,

so, why not?

I rarely carry more than a few euros when walking on the street, but one time I did have to pay my tuition at the University and my bank could not do the transaction. Luckily, it was adjacent to a bank that could, but I had to walk across the street in a busy part of Barcelona with a few thousand euros in my pocket. Other than that, you said it best yourself. Why risk it?

I do the same as JandaO. :)

Why not have two ATM cards attached to different accounts? Almost everyone I know does.

And I do not.

They break in 2 only when you force them to and even if you do, these bankcards are extrememly tough.

My point is if, for example, your card gets swallowed, or God forbid, get's lost, the first thing I would assume you do is report it to your bank. Once you do that, the bank blocks the card from being used. Now, if as you claim that you have a duplicate and it contains the same number, then there's no way that you'll be able to use it.

Love- the duplicate card is key! If it gets stolen, then it is worthless, but if it gets scratched, demagnetized, eaten, destroyed. . . having that second one is often the difference between having money for a few days or not. I have multiple accounts like you say, but my brother doesn't as it is far too difficult for him to keep track of multiple accounts.

I do have a duplicate in case the card is damaged.
Forgot to add that I also have a different card in the room in case the other one is stolen.

I also carry two ATM cards (actually 3 sometimes) when I travel.

1 to my primary bank checking acct
1 to my small checking acct at the credit union.
and - when I remember to take it :-S a duplicate to my primary acct.

Since it’s hard to establish tone on here, let me say that I don't mean this sarcastically: Why do you care if people are carrying more cash than they can afford to lose? And why did you start a post to tell everyone how you carry your money?

I, too, have 2 ATM/debit cards with me (to different accounts) and 2 credit cards. 1 of each go with me and 1 of each stay back in the room.

Nothing ruins a vacation faster than your cc or access to $$$ not working in a foreign country.

grantop,
I was curious because I was reading a post where someone was nearly mugged and she said she was carrying too much cash and that she was going to stop doing that.
Just thought it might make someone reconsider so they would have a bad experience.
Wishing you happy travels.

correction
So they WOULDNT have a bad experience.

re: breaking in two. A male friend sat on his kept in his wallet in his back pocket ... craaack.

I stepped on mine...

both accidents.

In Germany, my FIL got his ATM card stuck in a statement printer (he didn't know the difference). Luckily, the bank opened a couple of hours later and they retrieved it and gave it back to him. Then he proceeded to do the same thing again at the next bank :)

<<someone was nearly mugged and she said she was carrying too much cash and that she was going to stop doing that>>

JandaO- That premise doesn't make sense to me... A mugger would not know how much cash a person is carrying, until after they mug them.

So while carrying cash may or may not be a good idea, I don't see that it ups the chances or something happening.

I carry quite a bit of cash myself, always have, never a problem. I can't imagine traveling with "no cash" as you say you do.

Grantop - not as bad as those threads that want to know "where you are now" or start off asking about fav airports and degenerate intyo people putting down every airport that they have been to! :-)

bill_boy writes: "They break in 2 only when you force them to and even if you do, these bankcards are extrememly tough."
Not! I recently had to get a new ATM Card from Wachovia Bank; the old one split lengthwise in NORMAL use. I am not the type person who abuses that sort of thing: don't be surprised if that happens to you. If it happens away from your home country, it could be a disaster. That's one reason I carry two ATM Cards from different financial institutions. The other I have posted here in the past: Core States Bank was being taken over by First Union: my Core States Bank ATM Card wouldn't work in Ireland even though the people at Core States had assured me that it would.

Back then, I had to resort to a VISA Credit Card for (expensive) short term loans.