Cash or metal?

[patandchickens]

I dunno about other people, but my "chocolate, or ammo" reply WAS meant seriously.

I actually do believe that for "liquid assets" (as opposed to squirrelling away your life savings for forty years), utilitarian items that are likely to be highly sought after and hard to find probably ARE the best currency for a stash

Pat

 

[poppycat]

Sorry pat, I only meant my response about liquor wasn't serious, not anyone else's ideas.

Really though I think having a diverse "stash" some cash, some "useful" items, and some things that people just can't seem to live without (like booze or cigarettes, heck Marlboros ARE currency in some parts of the world) would cover your bases.

 

[DuppyDo]

If the poop hits the fan, and the cash is worthless, i'd be on board with folks like Pat and those thinking the same. You can't eat gold and silver, ad people will be looking for food to eat. I think stocking up on high demand goods is a good bartering tool.
Hey, Pat how long do you think chocolate would last stored away in air tight buckets.. Kevin

 

[FarmerChick]

Cash is great for small time normal emergencies.

If "it" hits the fan---you better have what you need to survive exactly where you are....so thinking of what your skills are, what resources you can use nearby, what you have in the house, etc. is more important and how to protect it!

 

[Beekissed]

Guns, ammo, tools, seeds, and fuel....and a source of fresh water.

 

[opiemaster]

Well, I have knoiwn guys back in the malitia days, (any one remember these) back when the Cklintonns where in office and they sprouted up all over. Anyway, they were putting away CHEAP alchohol for trading ( I mean the stuff thats almost kerosene in a jug) and also medicinal porpuses. They bought all kinds of stuff and put it away for barter. Beans and rice and ammo. Some churches back then had canning machines, they would go in and "rent " the use of there canning machine and buy the cans from the churches and they would can everything into coffee cans. Sealed like they came from the factory. I was also into the Y2K thing, I had lots put away for what would never come. Seeds for the garden, water purification devices as treated water could be hard to come by. Lamp oil, wicks, cheap oil lamps (for use and barter). It all just depends on how much room you have to store your "treasures".

 

[k0xxx]

For hoarding a stash, do you guys do cash, metal or a mix? What form is the metal?

To answer the question of cash vs. metals...

I'd do a mix of the two. The cash would be best in small bills (1's, 5's, 10's and 20's). Large bills can be hard to break in tough times.

Metals would be best in US silver coinage, average circulated common dimes, quarters and halves, with a mix of dollars and eagles. If you have the resources, a small mix of gold eagle fractional coinage would be nice for larger barter items.

These are what I keep on hand. Mind you that these are not for investment, but rather bartering in an extreme situation. The amount would depend on your resources of course, but having at least some cash/metals kept back is a nice insurance policy. IMAO

 

[Hiedi]

For hoarding a stash, do you guys do cash, metal or a mix? What form is the metal?

As some people have already stated, cash and metal would both probably be good. The metal (if I could afford it) would be gold. Right now, I can not afford to purchase any at the current price. I should have bought some when it was much cheaper. This in only speculation of course; but I have been hearing many (reputable) people say there is a good chance the value of the dollar is eventually going to crash, and we may have hyperinflation, especially since our government is creating money out of thin air and circulating it to artificially try and boost the economy.

 

[xineohpoel]

Maybe a little of both. Perhaps a few bags of dried beans too! If it were a national emergency or global exactly how much would gold be worth vs necessities? Give me all your gold and I'll give you a chicken dinner!

Reminds me of an old twilight zone episode. Four bank robbers steal a million in gold and sleep in a time machine for 200 years to escape the cops. Their greed overtakes them and they kill each other till one man is left. He walks through the desert carrying a bag of gold. He finds a road and after days of walking he falls dead.

A car comes by and the occupants are curious why he was carrying all that worthless gold since they could synthesize it for 100 years and speculate that he might have lived if he wasn't carrying the gold.

 

[Wifezilla]

If it were a national emergency or global exactly how much would gold be worth vs necessities?

You can't eat gold. At least we will still be able to use dollar bills when we run out of toilet paper.