Not cash, but I ordered Solar this morning.....!

 

people have already started going crazy, there has been a strong erosion of people's abilities to understand and react to reality as the nature of reality has been manipulated over time via control of social media and news outlets. I won't discuss why this was done.

Just the reality is that ironically, our perception of reality has been heavily warped causing or amplifying common neuroses to a frightening level. There is a fragility to thought and emotion common in the world these days which makes people easier to control and to frighten.

your statement shows, some elements of this, though this is common in every disaster, its a human desire to think of the world in the terms we are most use to. A train derails, and people are worried about getting to work on time. In the face of catastrophe, often the mind returns to the mundane as a tonic or antidote to the madness they are witnessing. Instead of being overwhelmed by the moment, the brain latches on what was normal to stem the tide of upwelling emotions and thoughts. ie "Should I pick up milk on my way home tonight?" while workers are doing triage all around your.

But we must remember disaster of all kind scales to many levels, disaster can be trivial, "they've shut off the water to the flat", to "there is no water supply in the city currently", to "the country is in an unprecedented drought and famine is expected", to "the city is in flames" etc.

Whilst a currency cushion helps with small, short, emergencies and disasters, the cushion will erode over time, and the disaster can itself become worse over that same time period. The cushion merely serves to allow one to continue to function at a high enough level to plan one nexts move and gather intelligence and opinions about the best options going forward.

Panic helps no one. and it is much easier to panic if one has no reserves to deal with the emergency of the moment.

One thing we can be sure of is, the world changes, and while we can't plan for every eventuality, we can certainly try to cover the most obvious disruptions by planning and saving and thinking about the possibility that tomorrow may be a lot different than today was.

 

good luck, I hope to have a homestead with a stream of sufficient size to run a microhydro turbine one day...

 

When the power goes out, the supermarket doors won't open, the ATM won't dispense cash, and you won't get gas at the gas station...! Remember that there's a lot of poverty out there, and don't keep waving around large amounts of money or bills...!

 

How many roads must a man walk down

 

I appreciate your post, since this has been brought to my attention by yourself, I've started stocking tins of AI next to the electric can opener so I can be ready for any emergency, also bought microsoft server 3000 in a 5 gallon bucket, shelf stable for 30 years. Now if I can just find some cat6 thats shelf stable for 30 years, I think I'm covered on that front.

 

this is good advice any time and any place..

I don't have gold bars, but I do have old silver quarters and dimes which would be much easier to barter with due to small denominations.

I think it goes without saying one should strive to have at least 7 days food and water in the home as well as blankets, candles, and radios, playing cards, pencil and paper, medicines and bandages. If you have the room a camping stove and fuel will be more useful than a microwave without power.. (best to use it outside if possible, if not open a window )

If you already own those items and can put hands on them readily, there is usually little need to spend that emergency cash. But if you must spend that emergency cash, make sure you store many denominations not just a stack of 500 Euro notes...so you can smooth over your emergency conditions not create a new one by getting robbed or worse.


for those who still know what a tin can is, here's a great recycling project that also ensures you can boil water and make top ramen in a pinch.

 

Spoken like a true American who has no idea what goes on in other countries and thinks everything everywhere is the same as in the US.

 

happy to be the focus of your daily hate, if it lessens your burden of actually having to learn to get know someone before making them the burden of all your innate unreasoned prejudices..

Why the internet will never be used for discussion, when it can be used a universal instantaneous 2 minute hate right out of Orwell.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Minutes_Hate

 

6 months cash minimum for an emergency... But for a civilization ending emergency cash is toilet paper. For that you'd need water, food, bullets, meds & shelter.

 

If you're short on cash, buy 100 tealight candles on sale; you can heat a can of food with just three.
Don’t forget matches or disposable lighters.

Making coffee with tealight candles - It's that easy!

How to Use Tealight Candles to Cook in an Emergency

 

I think 6 months cash is a great goal, it was something we were taught growing up by our parents, the schools and the media. Those days are gone. financial literacy is not given much thought any more.

6 months cash can be hard to accumulate for some folks, and when faced with the impossible, many give up or despair. Thats why 1 week is a goal that many more can meet, an in doing so, learn how to save and eventually acquire that 6 month cushion, simply by inertia and habit and continuing to do what works.

6 months cash will certainly make one look at lifes problems differently.

cash is, as you say, only one asset that is essential in catastrophic response situation, what you need and how much depends on a host of factors, such as family or living unit size, location (high ground, low ground, urban,suburban,rural, desert, mountain,latitude, altitude,attitude, etc)

 

Keep in mind that many people have no supplies at home at all. 1-2 days maximum. When supplies run out, the father and children will go to those who have some. Those who know about their supplies will come to them, knocking, ringing, and begging.

If they're out alone, there's a high probability they'll become victims of criminals. During extended blackouts, emergency laws with nighttime curfews will be imposed. Anyone who doesn't comply will be sent to a detention center, a sports stadium, for example...!

 

I've been to a sports stadium in normal times and found it quite punishing in itself.

 

I think we're dancing around the real issue here, no one has mentioned the word yet so I will... zombies

 

It always depends on where you live and how many people you feel responsible for.
We are two people and a dog, but in an emergency, all our children and grandchildren will join us.
So there will be 10 of us.

I'm not a prepper, but a few years ago the Office for Civil Defence issued a recommendation that I think is good.
So, as we live in a rural area and have got a pool that is always filled with drinkable water and in the cellar we have a stock of durable food and dried food for 10 people and 1 dog for 4 weeks. A shower and heating system that works independently of electricity, a accu buffered photovoltaic system and 5,000 litres of liquid gas in a tank and some small liquid gas ovens with gas cans for cooking and heating. Plus some weapons.

I don't think it makes sense to hoard more than a bit of cash, because if the administration collapses, cash is quickly worth nothing.
Goods, such as petrol and diesel, gas ovens, gas cans etc. are much more valuable in that case, or a small amount of gold plus a Precision scale.

 

Last edited: Apr 29, 2025 at 5:31 PM

Here we have the model Islamic terrorist who drives his rental car into crowds.

 

Six months in CASH? Physical bills that loose value every day? You guys keep 10k under your pillow?

If society collapses, people rioting and looting, how exactly would that help? The first random group of guys can steal the money, even children if the team up.

And if there's a personal emergency like losing your job, car or flat, wouldn't it be much better to have the money on an account?

If society breaks down a network of good people, a house away from the city and lots of food would be much more helpful then cash IMHO. We have a little off grid cabin and garden here in the city so we can get water and electricity always but I think I'd prefer to be outside of the city.

And for the other kind of emergency I have enough money for six month available on my account.

 

As soon as the cash register is without electricity cash could be basically worthless unless we're talking about black market.

 

Last edited: Apr 29, 2025 at 6:09 PM