I would like to see the same poll in terms of monthly income (or expenses) and not just total amount.<p>I would post it myself, but I need 81 upvotes to this post to get me there.
I assume by 'in your bank account' you mean liquid? It really doesn't make sense to have more than the money you use between deposit periods (plus a reasonable cushion) in a checking account. I keep $1,000 in my savings so it's not empty, but I never use the account.<p>I keep 200% of my average spend between deposit periods in checking and move the rest to a 'holding' account that's a money market account (higher interest). If I need to contribute to my IRA, pay real estate taxes, make a large purchase, etc. I pull from here. I'll also use this money to make some investments that I consider liquid (i.e. have Apple now, just sold Tesla).<p>There's more to it, but this system works well for me. I had an issue when I first got married because my wife is a bit more of a...liberal spender than I am. I have it set to always payoff my credit card statement balance every month and was surprised a couple of times how somebody could reasonably spend that much in a short period of time. But then again, this is coming from a guy that drives a Honda Civic, spends a few hundred a month in food, exclusively wears ~$17 jeans, and loves $3.77 Costco lunches that include a slice of pizza, hot dog and a drink (awesome, right?).
For everyone that voted over $150,000, please invite me over to your house so I can stomp on your couch with my muddy boots.<p>You can always buy another one you rich motherfucker.
I have to pay self employment tax since I'm a graduate fellow, so I have a larger amount in my bank account than I own. My vote reflects the money I own.
The minimum possible. If you recognize that banks are part of the problem, you don't want to finance them... Unfortunately, they've had laws passed to make having a bank account mandatory for some important operations, so you cannot avoid them entirely, but that's not a reason to give them all your money.
Obviously it various depending on our paycheck cycles and when the larger monthly bills get paid. But I have to keep a little bit extra in reserve because the mortgage on my rental house is due before I get that month's rent from the tenant.
Checking? Savings? Today vs. Tomorrow?<p>Today:
Checking: ~$2400
Savings: ~$250 (I'm just getting started and paying off major student loans ~$120,000 to go...)<p>Tomorrow:
Checking: $5200
Savings: $325
Is this really meant for just bank accounts (ie. checking+savings)? If so, I don't understand how anyone is answering more than $10,000. Nearly all your assets should be invested, with just enough cash to handle immediate expenses.