I wish I had a million dollars in my mattress. My suggestion for surviving any of these calamities is to have a genie that grants wishes, it's much better than money.

 

Before you call him a man? "©"

 

I heard American mafia uses "Tide" as a currency - always can be sold/exchanged

 

sounds good unless there is a bank panic of some sort, which is historically accurate, they often accompany other types of instabilities in the civil order..

just like you don't just stock up on 100 cases of instant noodles and think your dietary needs have been looked after, diversity in assets is desirable. some cash, some old coins, some booze, some chocolate, some batterys, some detergent, or bar soap (which last forever) all make good trade goods, when you need something from someone who can't or won't take cash.

There is no correct answer to this quiz, its just learning what works for each other, so we can learn and replicate it in our lives where needed and practical.

Toilet paper lasts a long time. I'm just using off the horde I stashed during the banking panic of 2008. Turns out its actually better quality than the stuff from this year. Think I have one 10 pack left to go and I'll be current on the toilet paper inventory.

Light bulbs, but I'm hogging all the incandescents for myself, I'll gladly swap LED bulbs for other goods though..Light bulbs keep forever if you have some shelf space. I've got halogens and special purpose lamps going back to the 1990's, still work fine when I need one.

sterile bandages keep for a long time especially if you keep them in zip lock bags to keep them dry. They can be handy for trade goods as well and aren't terribley expensive in bulk.

Antibiotics and antibiotic creams etc, have a shelf life, so while its nice to have some, you have rotate your stock or its worthless. Aspirin and other common pain pills can be a good barter item, but like bandages must be kept dry or they are useless.

Knowledge is a good thing, especially printed knowledge, text books that work without electricity. Things like an old boy scout manual, have a lot of good practical knowledge, from how to tie knots, or how to make a fire, to cooking and other skills. They are only a few dollars on ebay or at thrift stores, and don't take up a lot of shelf space. A good rechargeable radio, like this Retekess model is very handy. It uses a noikia cell phone battery, that can be recharged in the radio from a common 5v usb power supply. it lasts for a week or more with occasional use. Pickups up am(mediumwave in the rest of the world) fm, and shortwave, also plays mp3 from an sd card and records over the air broadcasts to sd card, has a mic for recording notes, guitar practice or emergency messages.. its around 23$, but frequently on sale for 15$ or less. spare battery is about 5$ - no clock or alarm, but the boyscout manual will teach you how tell time by the sun...(doesn't work at night, and neither do i)

 

Laughs in *Madagascar* and *Ghana*

 

naw, the mafia uses cash and high ticket items.
your basic street level banking in low income (aka ghettos of various flavours) neighborhoods, often use it as government assistance is an EBT (electronic benefit transfer) which is a credit card that won't give cash, only goods. Your EBT receiptent that needs cash buys TIDE laundry detergent which is sealed at the factory (cause who wants soap leaking on everything) and that is traded at a discount depending on the market rate for cash or drugs or other contraband that can't be purchased with EBT cards.

so def low level economic stratra, jr mafia wannabes etc.

 

Genies come with their own host of nightmare scenarios if I remember correctly, sort of out of the frying pan and into the fire...

a million dollars worth of cocaine wouldn't take up as much room and would probably be just as easy to turn into whatever you needed, whenever you needed it.. even the police accept it more than American Express...

 

Boy scout handbook knowledge..



and how make a fire so you can get a burn or scald

 

Amun.. curious we still worship him without knowing it..



we say his name at the end of every prayer..

Amun..

 

But if the power and internet are down, you'll be able to get rid of it before anyone is the wiser.