As part of our preps, we have elected to have a fairly large amount of cash in our home safe. The reason is simple.
If the grid goes down, or we are subject to an EMP, or massive CME, the ATM's won't work, the banks will be closed, and cash registers won't work.
Stores will immediately demand cash vs checks and credit cards, and nothing else. They will CONTINUE to accept cash for as long as the store owners believe that the power outage is only temporary. After than, all bets are off.
That gives those who have prepared, and have an ample stash of cash an opportunity to be able finalize buying the last few items that may be available for some time to come. Most people don't have more than a couple of hundred dollars at most in cash at home. They will not be able to buy much with that, and there is also the potential for greedy store owners to price gouge, further reducing buying power.
Having a large stash of cash may provide the opportunity to fill in those missing items, and add to their existing stockpiles for the last time. There is no guarantee that gold and silver will be accepted in the near term.
Realizing that many cannot afford to keep much cash at home, as a prepper, it is imperative that all attempts to squirrel away as much as can be possibly afforded may be critical when the SHTF. It needs to be spent in its entirety as quickly as possible after the grid goes down for any other reason than a thunderstorm, tornado, earthquake or hurricane. Virtually any other cause is going to be catastrophically long term.
My wife and I have already mapped out the stores we will immediately go to and fill our SUV with supplies in the event that any of the potentially long-term situations occurs. That is an important part of the prep as well.
The mapping should be from FAR to NEAR...meaning you go as far out as you are willing and work your way back to your home or bugout location, stopping at the stores you have identified as having the items you will likely need.
For us, that means starting at Home Depot and Lowes, followed by our local gun store, Walmart, Dollar Stores, and Publix...with a few smaller in between. The plan is to arrive home without a dollar in cash to our name.
Good luck with YOUR plans.
If the grid goes down, or we are subject to an EMP, or massive CME, the ATM's won't work, the banks will be closed, and cash registers won't work.
Stores will immediately demand cash vs checks and credit cards, and nothing else. They will CONTINUE to accept cash for as long as the store owners believe that the power outage is only temporary. After than, all bets are off.
That gives those who have prepared, and have an ample stash of cash an opportunity to be able finalize buying the last few items that may be available for some time to come. Most people don't have more than a couple of hundred dollars at most in cash at home. They will not be able to buy much with that, and there is also the potential for greedy store owners to price gouge, further reducing buying power.
Having a large stash of cash may provide the opportunity to fill in those missing items, and add to their existing stockpiles for the last time. There is no guarantee that gold and silver will be accepted in the near term.
Realizing that many cannot afford to keep much cash at home, as a prepper, it is imperative that all attempts to squirrel away as much as can be possibly afforded may be critical when the SHTF. It needs to be spent in its entirety as quickly as possible after the grid goes down for any other reason than a thunderstorm, tornado, earthquake or hurricane. Virtually any other cause is going to be catastrophically long term.
My wife and I have already mapped out the stores we will immediately go to and fill our SUV with supplies in the event that any of the potentially long-term situations occurs. That is an important part of the prep as well.
The mapping should be from FAR to NEAR...meaning you go as far out as you are willing and work your way back to your home or bugout location, stopping at the stores you have identified as having the items you will likely need.
For us, that means starting at Home Depot and Lowes, followed by our local gun store, Walmart, Dollar Stores, and Publix...with a few smaller in between. The plan is to arrive home without a dollar in cash to our name.
Good luck with YOUR plans.