Britain has an estimated £24,000,000,000 stashed in surprising places

More than half of adults still keep physical cash stashed around the house – for good reason (Picture: Getty) Brits are sitting on a staggering £24 billion in cash at home – with notes stuffed into wallets, safes, jars, bedside drawers and even underneath mattresses.

More than half of adults still keep physical cash around the house, with those who do holding an average £822 each.

The poll of 2,000 people by Investments by MoneySuperMarket comes just days after Defence Secretary Wes Streeting urged households to keep some cash at home as part of basic preparations for an emergency.

Families were also encouraged to consider having bottled water and tinned food handy in case they temporarily lose access to electricity or online banking because of disruption, including power cuts, extreme weather or cyber-attacks.

And judging by Britain’s enormous cash stash, millions of households may already have at least one part of their emergency kit sorted.

The most popular place to keep money is a purse or wallet left at home, used by 35% of those who keep cash.

But others favour rather more traditional hiding places. One in seven use a safe, 11% keep money in a jar, 10% use a tin and 8% tuck it into a bedside drawer. A small percentage even still keep cash underneath the bed or mattress.

For most, there is already an emergency-preparedness logic behind keeping it there – with 34% saying the cash is for emergencies. 26% use it for everyday purchases.

But Britain’s attachment to cash goes far beyond the money tucked into kitchen jars and bedside drawers, research has found.

Research for MoneySuperMarket found the average Brit has £18,061 held across savings, ISAs and current accounts, but many stop short of investing out of fear.

Kara Gammell, Personal Finance Expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: ‘While the value of investments can go down as well as up, holding all of your long-term money in cash can also have drawbacks if inflation – or the cost of doing nothing – reduces its spending power over time.

Kurt Geiger’s new Notting Hill collection is a love letter to London’s chaotic weather

I’ve found the Hoover gadget that could make cleaning your floors so much easier

I tried L’Oréal Paris’s new PDRN serum and my skin looked glossier after one use

This new Cricut gadget turns your favourite photos into stickers in minutes

From kitchen hatches to burgundy walls – the biggest home trends for 2027

‘Once you’ve got emergency savings covered, investing regularly over the longer term could help your money work harder towards your future goals.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Arrow MORE: How will the higher energy price cap impact your bills?

Arrow MORE: Martin Lewis reveals how to tell if you should save or overpay your mortgage

Arrow MORE: My wife wants me to give her financially reckless sister a £400,000 loan

Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.

Enter your postcode so we can deliver content close to you Close