The film kicks off near the conclusion of the narrative, where the suspects are apprehended and interrogated. It then takes a step back to three years earlier, gradually moving forward while interspersing moments from the interrogation process.
Three years prior to their capture, Bridget, portrayed by Diane Keaton, enjoyed a stable life until her husband, Don (Ted Danson), lost his job and fell into financial troubles. Their cleaning lady, Selina, encounters issues when her paycheck bounces once more, prompting her to confront Bridget. Selina proposes that Bridget consider taking a janitorial position at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
On her initial day of work, Bridget concocts a bold plan to steal damaged dollar bills that are due for destruction. She recruits Nina, played by Queen Latifah, who operates the dollar bill shredder, and Jackie, portrayed by Katie Holmes, who transports bill carts from the Secret Service room to the shredding area. Although convincing Nina to join the scheme proves challenging, Jackie eagerly hops on board.
The plot involves Bridget swapping an official Master-brand lock on a cart in the Secret Service room with an almost identical lock she purchased from Home Depot. Bridget relays the cart number to Jackie and provides Nina with the official lock. Once Jackie retrieves the selected cart, she discards some bills into a trash can before handing it over to Nina. Nina then uses Bridget's key to unlock it, replaces the official lock, and proceeds to shred the remaining bills. Meanwhile, Bridget discreetly collects the discarded bills from the trash and divides them among Nina and Jackie in the restroom.
Their initial heist yields less profit than anticipated, yet they are emboldened to persist in their criminal endeavors. After Bridget and Don settle their debts, Don suggests they halt their activities to avoid potential capture, but Bridget discards this notion, persuading Nina and Jackie to continue. Tension rises as they come close to getting caught, leading them to cleverly deceive one of the police officers.
A twist occurs when a Federal Bank Examiner shows up at one of Bridget's house parties, only for Bridget to encounter him the next day at work. The Examiner confronts Glover (Stephen Root), who refuses to acknowledge any missing bills from his bank due to professional pride. Alerted to the potential consequences, Bridget and her accomplices scramble to dispose of their stash, but law enforcement closes in before they can eliminate all traces. While Bridget manages to evade capture, her accomplices are not as fortunate.
Following the bust, Bridget employs a tax attorney to defend them, successfully securing their release from the charges. Nevertheless, the IRS demands they pay taxes on their ill-gotten gains, which coincidentally matches the remaining money. Thus, they find themselves free yet financially drained.
Eight months later, Bridget uncovers to Nina and Jackie a secret: she had stashed away a significant portion of the stolen cash in the basement of a friend's bar.
