Learning from other people’s experiences is the cheat code to being squared away. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel when Grogg and Thol did it for you a few thousand years ago. As a result, any time there is a disaster or other time-to-use-your-preps event, I always read the blogs of people who were there and ‘saw the elephant’, as it were. Why should I learn stuff the hard way when someone else already paid for the course?
Was flipping around the internet and found this worthy read – Big Country Expat
These After Action Reports (AAR) are almost always worth reading. Did they do things right? Learn from it. Did they completely drop the ball? Learn from it. You learn from other peoples failures just as much as you learn from their successes.
Another AAR: https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2024/10/detailed-after-action-report-from-north.html
One of the common threads in these and other blog posts I’ve seen lately has been the undeniable certainty that once the ATM’s and electronic payment systems are disrupted, cash becomes the only form of payment. The lesson learned: keep a big wad of cash in your safe and don’t touch it.
I know you guys have been following other blogs that are reporting back on the situation out there in hurricane country. Share some linkage and let’s learn from other people’s experiences so we can save ourselves the pain.
Don’t forget thst since most people DON’T keep cash, they won’t have change.
Make sure to keep small bills as well as big ones, in fact as much or more than big bills – big bills will not only be hard to use, they could make you a target.
How much to keep on hand? Good question! I would say the minimum is enough to get you out of the affected area (for local disasters, power outages, etc).
Is it worth keeping coins as well? I think it depends on your situation, but I welcome input on that.
Come the time, carrying coins may be an exercise in futility – they’re not worth much now, they’ll be worth less then. Unless you’re talking of US pre-64 silver coins.
Very true, and with so little priced to use them.
As far as keeping value, some people like nickels, but I’m skeptical. I think the money is better used for tangible goods.
Pre-65, not 64. A minor quibble but I hear it said wrong a lot.
Not per multiple sites…… 1964 was the last year…. here is just one example– https://www.silverrecyclers.com/coins/1964-quarter.aspx
Appreciate the mention!
Been a long time follower/lurker. And I’m embarrassed! I realized I didn’t link you, which has now been corrected. I’ll be sure to ‘do’ Paratus w/you next year! Hope all is well! The cleanup is progressing nicely!
I enjoyed reading your AAR. Please continue to update about the experience.
Serious question for you anonymous preppers out there…how much constitutes a “big wad of cash”? $1,000? $2,000? 10% of your emergency savings? 20%? 50%?
We’re a Dave Ramsey family for those of you that get the model. And the emergency fund is ‘diversified’ in type and location.
At current interest and inflation rates it doesn’t seem to me to be worth worrying about the gradual loss of value if you hold it in physical cash, as opposed to keeping it in the bank. But I am of course, concerned about the physical security of whatever cash I keep on hand.
How much on-hand…or “physically accessible without going through an institution”…is likely enough?
Looking for your opinions…
No right answer, start with $100 in fives, next month $100 in tens, rinse and repeat. After 10 months bring twenties into the mix. No one complains about having too much cash.
Keep it well-hidden in the house, and packaged to resist damage in the even of a water leak, minor fire, storm damage, etc.
A few dozen bills in a foodsaver vaccuum-selaed pouch, several pouches inside a glass or metal container to protect it from mice and insects, hidden in a fake “sewage pipe” in the basement or hung down inside a sheetrock wall from a electrical junction box or such — even cut a hole in the drywall and seal the stash up with a drywall patch, tape, spackle and paint repair — to be broken out with a hammer or hatchet when you flee the house.
The threats to hidden cash are theft — and more so by spoiled children than by burglars — and environmental damage from water, mold, insects and rodents.
Personally 1-2k, mainly 20’s or less with a few fifties. Often useful for tips, kids birthdays cards etc. Once I get down to 1k restock to 2k, rinse repeat. Figure that can get me through a week or two for cash needs (above and beyond preps already on hand) of if we need to evac
I prefer $2k plus, enough for a serious unexpected car or house repair – it doubles as an “on hand” emergency fund, in addition to what’s in the bank.
When evacuating, factor in hotels and restaurants having issues due to increased traffic and rates will increase in cost. As will building repair supplies immediately after and rebyuilding repair begins. Benjamins vs MasterCard – no contest.
Boris 6:49 reply below concerning distribution sounds right. Don’t expect change back.
No reason not to have both on hand: keep an extra credit card with your cash stash. If you can use plastic, at least at some places, then that cash will stretch even further.
How about what you would spend on a week-long vacation? Takes into account your family size and accustomed level of expenditures
The other thing learned after the 2018 Alaska earthquake was if the power is out and your friendly ((name the store) does not have a backup power source and they long ago switched to barcode labels they have no way to price the merchandise
That is a real problem. All of your big stores are barcode label only. The last time the power went out widespread I was in Krogers. They had power (generator) but no connectivity so it was cash only.
In my AO, I have a gun safe in which I can safely store cash and other valuables. My only real concern is fire. The folks in NC/TN lost their homes and whatever may be in them. Obviously, they are an exception. But, when you can’t/won’t move from that type of territory, how do you plan? Just a thought exercise, I understand there’s not a “correct” answer.
We keep cash and documents in safe inside a fire-resistant document folder, available on Amazon.
Make sure it’s watertight as well! Lots of damage after a fire is from the hose humpers.
My brother had a fairly minor attic fire a few years ago. Fire damage was limited to a few roof joists and the plywood underlaying the shingles.
The water damage, on the other hand… Wrecked at least half the walls and the flooring on the main floor and in the basement, collapsed the shelving (metal frames but particle board decking) where his food and gear were stored in the basement, soaked his workshop in the basement (some tools salvageable, some wrecked, some heavily rusted but usable after lots of work to remove rust, etc). The gun safe was fortunately not filled with water — he had been doing some painting in that room and it had a heavy-duty plastic sheet over it — boxes of magazines and parts were waterlogged and the contents heavily rusted…
He stopped procrastinating after that and started storing everything in ammo cans or other heavy-duty water-tight containers. Ammo’s in US GI cans now, on concrete block and 2×6 shelves to keep it above any possible flooding and also make it far more stable and accessible than cheap big-box-store shelving. Magazines and spare parts are likewise in ammo cans where possible, or artillery propellant cans for stuff like barrels.
We do the same, albeit use those smaller, supposedly ‘fire proof’ cash and valuable boxes (easier to keep out of sight) . And someone was/is almost always at home and armed, so we’ve never worried overmuch about being robbed. Beginning about 2021 or so we started keeping a lot of cash at home – in the five figure range. We’ve since had to use a lot of it, but we keep a lot of our ‘savings,’ such as they are, in different forms and out of the bank.
Redundency,I lived through a house fire and lost most preps but had secondary storage with some overflow that was all I could count on
I think you want to be avoiding the “overstuffed wallet” look generally, but moreso when things get bad and people are getting desperate. Flashing big wads of cash can draw unwanted attention.
Maybe think about how many physical bills your wallet holds comfortably, then tailor the load to what you’re doing. Run to the store for essentials? 1s, 5s, 10s and 20s. Getting out of the area (and looking at buying larger amounts of gas, renting rooms, etc.)? Reduce the 10s and 20s, add 50s. Keep the rest elsewhere on your person / in your party / in vehicle, etc.
I’m an Old Guy, who has kids and grandkids who will not get past their normality bias. So, as a Pa and Grandpa I try and plan for them to come weeping to me in a disaster or SHTF. If you are in a similar family situation, you might wanna factor than into your cash stach also.
Do as the US Military teaches troops going into town with cash. Small bills (!, 5, 10 and a single 20) in wallet. Two 20s folded twice ($40) and three 20s folded thrice (1/2, 1/3, other 1/3) ($60) in pockets. Just reach in a pocket and know by feel the amount you are going to pull out. (Easy unless alcohol.)
Thus you do not flash a wad of cash.
Florida…Just went through Milton on the east coast near where they launch rockets. The usual preps were put to use. Tub bladder full of drinking water (60 gallons in containers as back-up) genny staged and fueled with a NATO can nearby, 70 gallons of treated fuel standing by, plus 80 in the RV. We only used it for 9 hours, but it was good for keeping the lights on and the food cold. The cooking bin (gas stove, lantern, sun shower, 1lb gas bottles) on hand to cook supper. This is only the first level of preps before it gets serious.
As for cash on hand. 4-5 thousand mostly $20’s. Sealed in $500’s in vacuum seal bags, in the fire-proof gun safe.
We were in NC when this storm spun up, so scooted back home to prepare the homestead. With all the people evacuating on north 95, gas was in short supply by the time you got to Georgia. We travel with $2500 in cash in the RV. I believe our esteemed host has said a time or two that cash will fix more problems than about anything.
Little storm damage here, some trees down. As usual with hurricanes flooding was the issue. My shop had an inch of water in it, but everything was off the floor so no losses.
Having traveled in the jungles and small towns of Central America, it’s smart to keep cash in different places just in case you get separated from your stuff. Store cash under the insole of your shoes, in chapstick containers, in the core of your hairbrush, in a hemorrhoid wipes container (no one is stealing this!), bra pocket, underwear pocket, etc. Keep a token amount in your backpack or fake wallet, in case you are robbed or need quick cash. If you need to access the rest, take a bathroom break and use the temporary privacy.
As Maxwell Smart said “The old decoy wallet trick”, cheap wallet or money clip with little money or with fake “movie money” and if necessary toss it away from your avenue of escape. Thief will go after the money while you get away. If carrying a roll of cash small bills outside,larger bills inside,make yourself a smaller target.
Preferably with old (expired) credit cards, maybe other old cards that don’t have your name/address (Blockbuster, gym, etc).