cash on hand; ready money; spending money
Refers to money that is immediately available for use, such as cash kept at home, in a wallet, or petty cash for daily expenses.
I check the cash on hand before a trip.
I didn't have enough cash on hand, so I withdrew some from the ATM.
現金 is the general word for 'cash', while 手元金 specifically emphasizes money that is physically at hand and ready to use.
小遣い is 'pocket money' or 'allowance', often implying a regular amount for personal spending, whereas 手元金 is simply the cash you have available at the moment.
Standard kanji spelling.
Variant spelling using 許 instead of 元; less common but still seen.
Compound of 手元 (てもと, 'at hand') + 金 (きん, 'money').