How much cash would be good for a Bug Out Bag?

I'm trying to build up to $1,000 in small bills ($1's, $5's $10's & $20's) for my "at home BoB"

On the road and on the boat, I have the cash that I'm carrying for the trip and between $10 - $20 in quarters.

IMHO small bills no larger than $20's, I have $5's and $10's in my bag, $500 worth. You need to determine what's uses you may have for the money in a bug out situation and how long you expect to depend on it.

I guess it would vary, depending on the specifics of the situation ... maybe $100 or less for short-term, and I would think somewhere in the $500 to $1000 range might be good for a more long-term event.
I would opt for carrying smaller bills; heavy on $1s, $5s, and $10s, with nothing over $20 bills.
And spread the cash around amongst your carry if possible; so there is less chance of losing all of it at once.

Some coins may be useful, if you expect having to feed a machine that does not accept bills.
And, I suppose you might want to carry some old Silver coins; if the bug-out involves some sort of economic collapse scenario. [Yikes !!!]

More is better, but once you get over £1000 or so, inflation and/or loss of interest start to make it expensive and I think the law of diminishing returns sets in.

I have heard some paranoia about a "banking holiday" as one response to the financial crisis. I've not managed to get my head around what that would look like. For example, this Chris Martenson scenario talks of access restricted to "$250 over every 48 hour period", which sounds reasonable and I don't see much need for large amounts stockpiled. Elsewhere on that site he recommends keeping a few months supply of cash on hand, which seems more extreme.

More the better obviously, and if you can survive the loss of bank savings rate (mine is 7.5% for the first $750, but something like 3.25% for amounts more than that).

One way to accumulate the money - every night, I come home with loose change and dollars in my pocket. I put the $1s and sometimes the $5s and $10s in a drawer. Its done, and the way things work my wife draws from it as necessary for the kids or pizza, and so do I, but it does accumulate over time. $1 bills seem to be the new quarter, you can accumulate them and not miss them if you set them aside. Every now and then I also pocket a $20 this way, and as a result have $750 set aside in small bills, over $100 in ones, and a roll of quarters in each vehicle. I also have $100 in small bills set aside in my car, though I expect that to get stolen during a breakin, but it has been a good idea at least twice to have ready cash in the car. Just accumulate it as you go, as you can. For a long while I stopped at $500, then recently upped it to $750 cash.

I think this is one of those things that is going to be purely situational. I know for a fact I have heavy expenses coming if my wife cannot get her meds from the house for some reason. However if I am alone and trying to get to my family, I won't need nearly as much. (Unless I am in Siberia trying to get back to Texas!!)

I keep a regular cash stash and a medicine cash stash due to the expense of her scripts.

Currently the BOB has $300.00, of which $275 is small bills, 1, 5, 10, & 20s, and the remainder is quarters. A widely accepted credit card on a major bank is also included for the occasion where the event is a personal emergency and not a true "bug out" scenario. Other resources available through a good local "partisan" network if needed. It's great to have like minded friends.

I believe Doug recommends at least $100 in small bills (5's, 10's and 20's) and a roll of quarters in his 3 day scenario/podcast outlined on equipped.org. The max I've seen is $1000/BOB. It is definitely situation and location dependent. I would at least like to have enough on hand to pay last months rent and a train/bus ticket if need be.

We have $500.00 in cash
2x $20.00 phone cards
3 x $50.00 non-expiring giftcards for a 1) national chain restaurant, 2) national hardware/sporting goods chain, 3) national chain grocery store.

All the above is just not for the BOB...chances are we would use the above when any type of large enough local weather related event or local human caused event that would prevent us from getting to a bank in time but no with need to evacuate the immediate area.