Keeping emergency cash at home

[Bestwifeever]

Almost all us depend on accessing our money via the internet but what your internet is down or even worst our internet gets hacked and is down locally, statewide or even nationwide for an extended period of time so no ATM or credit card use, how much emergency cash do you have stashed in the house.

PS: To improve my emergency plan, please message me your address and location of any loose cash lying around.

You go first.

 

[audreyh1]

We have had Bank of America lock our accounts for 3 weeks, so no ATM, no bill pay, no nothing. We know we can live without using money for almost a month.

We don't have any cash at home.

So rather than stashing cash, have you not bought a single thing nor spent any money for a month? Could you do it?

Probably not. Fortunately we have other checking accounts we could move to and have them quickly funded from yet other savings accounts if Bank of America locked our accounts for 3 weeks.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

Usually about $250 is all I keep in cash.

I have accumulated about 400 oz. of silver bullion coins over the years. My dad used to give coins as Christmas & Birthday gifts and I just held onto them. They're locked in a gun safe.

Rather than keeping a lot of cash on hand, I try to keep the items on hand that I would need to use the cash on.

I live in the woods and am more concerned with keeping enough gas for the generator and lp for cooking. I keep at least a years supply of wood on hand and several gallons of water. Also, don't forget to keep the bar stocked

 

[MRG]

A few hundred dollars. Many thousands rounds of 45 ACP.

 

[Dtail]

I lived through Hurricane Ivan and countless smaller hurricanes and tropical storms.

Cash is the only medium when the power is out for a week or more and you need to keep the generator running.


During hurricane season, $2000+ in a fireproof gunsafe. Enough to keep the house running, or to head out to somewhere safe.

This is an interesting reference, as I live in FLA. However even for Hurricane Irma, I had plenty of time to take out >1,000 in cash before it hit and all the ATM's and power were up right after. Then again it only hit as ~ Cat 1 in my area.

 

[easysurfer]

Almost all us depend on accessing our money via the internet but what your internet is down or even worst our internet gets hacked and is down locally, statewide or even nationwide for an extended period of time so no ATM or credit card use, how much emergency cash do you have stashed in the house.

PS: To improve my emergency plan, please message me your address and location of any loose cash lying around.

Sure, I'll tell you. The emergency cash is stashed in a mason jar buried in the backyard. But first you have to get past an electric fence made to give a big jolt. Oh yeah, there's also 3 pit bulls guarding the area. Let me know when you are coming over, so I can activate the security cameras .

Note: all this in jest.

 

[Retiredmajor]

We keep several thousand at home. I used to work for an electric utility in the Midwest and over the years saw many instances of wind storms, ice storms, and a few tornadoes that took power down for weeks at a time in a given area. Knowing it can happen, I keep cash and some food and water supplies handy. In emergencies, cash is king.

 

[brewer12345]

Sure, I'll tell you. The emergency cash is stashed in a mason jar buried in the backyard. But first you have to get past an electric fence made to give a big jolt. Oh yeah, there's also 3 pit bulls guarding the area. Let me know when you are coming over, so I can activate the security cameras .

Note: all this in jest.

We are up to 3 dogs of our own, plus we are watching my sister's 120 pound great Pyrenees this weekend. Come by tomorrow.

 

[REWahoo]

How much cash I have at home is not something I want to discuss on the interweb. I will say how much cash we found buried in a casserole dish in FIL's barn after he passed away a few years ago: $15,000, nothing larger than a $50 bill.

He had no dogs, but we found three handguns in the house, all with a round in the chamber.

 

[Oz investor]

I would keep several thousand in the house, but where? I can't figure out a really good place for it.

under the carpet is not good for paper notes ( stains and water damage ) i have not tested the polymer notes in the same place .

near HOT appliances is not a great idea either but might work for coins .

vary hiding places ( more than one ) should fit various needs quick emergencies .. something that needs immediate cash recovery , and 'rainy day ' where you might take say up to an hour to recover the cash ( normally a larger amount stored )

 

[LOL!]

In emergencies, cash is king.

I'd like to explore how cash is king. I have also lived through many disasters where homes were destroyed and power was lost. So far in none of them did I need to use any cash. Stores were not open or were destroyed. Cash did not get power on to my home any faster than usual. People would give one food and supplies and would not accept cash.

So my experience is that it is a total myth that cash is king.

With all the fires in the USA, there has to be a lot of experience now with disasters and leaving.

What is king is a way to get out of the disaster area such as a fueled-up SUV and maybe a chainsaw.

 

[Oz investor]

How much cash I have at home is not something I want to discuss on the interweb. I will say how much cash we found buried in a casserole dish in FIL's barn after he passed away a few years ago: $15,000, nothing larger than a $50 bill.

He had no dogs, but we found three handguns in the house, all with a round in the chamber.

DAMN !! i would have been happy to help him use those rounds wisely

been burgled a few times myself ,

 

[imoldernu]

$100 wallet
$100 hidey place

 

[prototype]

Runs between ~$200 and ~$800 not including giant change jar with probably one or two hundred dollars in it.

 

[GrayHare]

Anyone doing this for emergency spending would be wise to keep a mix of denominations so that you don't have to spend a whole $50 for a loaf of bread because the merchant has nothing smaller with which to return change.

 

[Koogie]

Used to keep 2K in cash at home. Over the last 5 years we've dipped into it here and there when we needed to pay a tradesperson, etc..

It's 400 bucks now.

 

[6miths]

The guns are probably worth more than the cash...

That's most certainly true.

And probably much more likely to cause you to be burgled than a stash of cash in my neck of the woods. Of course very few have guns in their homes here, especially handguns.

 

[Koogie]

And probably much more likely to cause you to be burgled than a stash of cash in my neck of the woods. Of course very few have guns in their homes here, especially handguns.

Probably true in Toronto. Thankfully, not all of us live in Toronto.
Meanwhile, lots of regular Canadian homes house gunowners. Including mine.

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

 

[RockyMtn]

depending on how well I've been playing on the golf course, usually around $1500-$2000!

 

[NYEXPAT]

I am old fashioned and pay everything (including airline tickets) in cash as I do not like having my spending tracked. I have no set amount but probably keep two weeks worth of cash in the house and more in advance of a trip. I have a safe deposit at the bank around the corner that I pass by several times a day and can easily stock up when I need more. I am more concerned about drinking water and we always keep 300-500 litres of bottled water on hand.

 

[6miths]

Probably true in Toronto. Thankfully, not all of us live in Toronto.
Meanwhile, lots of regular Canadian homes house gunowners. Including mine.

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

Yes lots of guns in Canada but the vast majority are long guns for hunting and defending against animals other than humans.

 

[Chuckanut]

Several years ago a windstorm knocked out power for three days. The local Quickie Mart was open for business, cash only, since all the electronic stuff needed to process credit cards did not work. Other small business were in the same boat - cash or no-sale.

Since then I keep a few hundred, max, in cash to buy odds and ends I might need.

 

[Hermit]

A thousand bucks or so. Considering that I generally have 3 to 6 months of food on hand, most of a winter's worth of firewood, etc., if I need more than a thousand dollars in cash we have big enough problems that cash probably won't be much help.

I have some fives in my back pack, or I did the last time I looked. I haven't cut and split any logs for firewood yet this year. I should get around to it in the next month or so.

 

[6miths]

Have a fair bit here and there including the 'Monies of the World' jar which isn't going to be of much use if the banks are down. Silver will be my go to in the zombie apocalypse.

 

[Huston55]

How much cash I have at home is not something I want to discuss on the interweb. I will say how much cash we found buried in a casserole dish in FIL's barn after he passed away a few years ago: $15,000, nothing larger than a $50 bill.

He had no dogs, but we found three handguns in the house, all with a round in the chamber.

How did you know to look?