(I apopologize if this topic has been discussed to death already; I did a quick Discussion Board search and I didn't see anything to answer my question.)

Received a book today.  Found a $5 bill inside.  Has this happened to you?  What should I do?

My first thought was to mail it back to the sender.  But would that be weird?  Plus, I know you aren't supposed to send cash through the mail.  So then I thought I'd write out a check for $5, but that seems dumb and ever weirder.  Maybe I should PM the sender to ask their preference? 

I know it's only $5, but I just don't feel right keeping it and I'd like to think that if someone found MY money in one of my sent books, they'd at least let me know so I'd be more careful in the future!

I wasn't aware that cash couldn't be sent thru the mail.  I tuck money into b-day cards all the time.  Hmmm.

I very well may be wrong.  I've been known to accept cash from family member's b-day cards :)  I live in a different state than my family and my bank is weird about out-of-state checks, so they just send cash.

Kelly,

I'm pretty sure you are allowed to send money thru U.S. mail.  I think it's just that USPS doesn't recommend it because of possible loss/theft.  

You might want to shoot sender a pm to let them know or you could just let it be a really nice surprise when they open envelope!

Unfortunately, honesty like yours is so rare these days!

sometimes it isn't wise to send cash because sometimes thieves target cards hoping there will be money tucked inside....but nothing illegal about it that I know of!

hard call, you could just send it back and say you found it in the book they just sent you. 

I found a $10 bill and a check in the envelope of a book I received once.  I PMed the sender, making sure I had the correct address, and mailed them back to her.  The envelope was originally used for collections for a fundraiser, and then she had used it to mail to me, and the money got left in there. 

Mail back the cash, wrapped in paper so it can't be seen through the envelope.

PM the sender...they might just say send them a credit and keep the difference...if it was me I think that is what I'd say...just another option.

I was going to sugges the offer to buddy them a couple credits but then you'd be out abotu $2 in credit worth if you think of them as being $3.50 each.  I would just send it back to them in an envelope where it wouldn't show-with a paper around it like someone else said or if you have a card laying around that you can use.

I just hope that's the strangest thing you ever find in a book.  ;-) 

I look through mine many *many* times before I package them up to send because I use all kinds of things for book marks.  I just found a photo last week that's several years old. 

I think I'd PM the sender and see what they would like to do!