How much "CASH" should a prepper regularly carry on themselves...???

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Sourdough

"Eleutheromaniac"
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In a cabin, on a mountain, in "Wilderness" Alaska.
Not asking about yourself, or how much you carry. Asking your opinion on how much other people should carry on their person for emergencies.

Example: Suddenly none of your credit cards work, and no one else's credit cards work either. The ATM machines don't work either. All the banks are closed (temporarily) just till the power comes back on.

Not a big deal, actually you nor anyone knows what the hell the problem is. Roughly how much cash do you think most other people will wish they had on them.
 
I generally don't carry a lot of cash when I'm close to the house, ~$100. If I'm traveling I carry about $100/day- everything else is plastic... I do keep stashes of cash at the house, but even those are less than $2,000 combined.
 
$240, Don't carry much because when the popo get you they wanna know what you are doing with more then a few bills.

Used to carry 15C on me all the time when I traded a lot.

On an equipment run 20G. Now they will keep it and you have to prove it was yours and all kinds of crap you will never get it back from the court they split it up as soon as it comes in the door.

Always bought fuel cash because of the discount.
 
I think many, maybe most people (now) are terrified of cash. That is to say, they think bad people can just look at their face, and their face communicates, fear & "I HAVE ABUNDANT CASH, please don't hurt me".
 
It takes a $100 just to fill the truck up these days....one fill up might not get you far enough away from a shtf deal and out of harms way.

I have burnt both tanks dry just hunting up my hounds in a day and had to fill up to get home...an thats just having fun...hate to think what it might cost in a 'real situation' to be safe or get to safety.
 
I remember the 70s, gas was $0.50 per gallon, then the embargo and panic hit, gas jumped to over a dollar a gallon. Now days new, panic, and price rises travel at the speed of light. What used to take a couple of weeks now happens in a day. My point is that in a real SHTF event you can expect the price of fuel to more than double over night. Food prices jumped a lot during COVID, but it was death by a thousand tiny price increases, with computers and bar-coded food containers I could see how they could raise the prices very quickly in a real SHTF event!

Thinking about this makes me think my cash stash may need to grow...
 
As many on this forum know Nov.17, 2023 I was thrown into a surprise SHTF reality. I learned vividly how cash can instantly alter one's safety & physical security. Not to mention "quality" of life.
 
I carry $300.00 in small bills; nothing larger the $20's in my EDC pack. Between $200 and $300 more in my wallet, and my EDC carry in my money clip.
 
For this question, are we to assume that fiat money will still have its current value? Or, are we talking about a situation where perhaps our car breaks down somewhere far away and all we need to do is get home? If that's the case, I don't see why a checkbook and ID wouldn't work to buy gas or a car repair or a meal at a restaurant.
 
Cabin Fever said:
I don't see why a checkbook and ID wouldn't work to buy gas or a car repair or a meal at a restaurant.
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I would not want to risk assuming that was an available option. For example (at least in Alaska) one might need 15 or 20 gallons of fuel, so they would be begging anyone for fuel, people not in any business. I would never-ever take someone's check who I had less then 20 years of personal friendship.

The nearest Fuel Station to me is 40 miles. I doubt then take checks.
 
Morgan101 said:
I carry $300.00 in small bills; nothing larger the $20's in my EDC pack. Between $200 and $300 more in my wallet, and my EDC carry in my money clip.
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Everybody is answering his question wrong :(.
Sourdough said:
Not asking about yourself, or how much you carry. Asking your opinion on how much other people should carry on their person for emergencies.
Not a big deal, actually you nor anyone knows what the hell the problem is. Roughly how much cash do you think most other people will wish they had on them.
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My answer: Other people need to carry $500 ...in case I need to borrow some🤪.
 
I have a wallet in my truck that has around $100 in small bills.
That has came in handy on a couple of occasions.
Stopped for gas and their card readers were down so I had to pay with cash or walk home.
Bought a cup of coffee and all I had was a $100 bill and she couldn't make change that early in the day.
Most of the time I carry between $300 and $1000 in cash.
We will be taking extra cash on our trip just in case. Somewhere around $2000 to $3000.

Years ago there was a wide spread power outage that lasted for several days.
Most everything was closed and the places that were open took cash only.
There was one gas station that opened and there were cars backed up.
The owner said the only pumps that were working were the premium gas pumps.
The price was almost a dollar more than it had been.
He was price gouging but you either payed or walked.
 
I have seen the utter shutdown of most people, when interact/ CC system shuts down. it happened for most of this country in the last couple of years. Strange enough my bulk fuel cards still worked. I always try to bring enough fuel to get me home. cash couple of hundred local more if away, but I mostly stay local.
 
Tirediron said:
I have seen the utter shutdown of most people, when interact/ CC system shuts down. it happened for most of this country in the last couple of years. Strange enough my bulk fuel cards still worked. I always try to bring enough fuel to get me home. cash couple of hundred local more if away, but I mostly stay local.
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Most other people here are well-trained to carry cash.
When a hurricane blows thru, the "Cash Only" signs are everywhere :oops:.
The people from 'elsewhere' are SOLC:(.
 
Way back before my own personal SHTF incident with MS, back when I had money. I usually kept between $5,000 and $10,000 cash on me all the time. I was running a cash based business too. But the 5-10k wasn't working or spending money it was kept separate. It was for those cash deals that pop up from time to time. I also had a thousand or so of working capital / spending money on hand at all times. Having a stash of cash can often get you some real good deals. I bought a half dozen or so things (IE: trucks, tools, equipment, guns) sight unseen or very suddenly over the years with that cash and got some great deals that way.
 
I carry more now than I did when this thread was going......just b/c cash is worth less now.
https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/how-much-cash-do-you-carry.536/

I have as much cash on me and stashed away that I think I would need in a SHTF situation. I'm not waiting for it to happen b/c by then it would be too late. I won't be caught off-guard. I have both large and small bills and change on my person and stashed. In addition, I also have at least $100 hidden in each vehicle. Yeah, I might be losing interest b/c it's not in the bank but I don't care. It's security, not working capital. I have working capital in other places.

I think it would be wise to have at least 3-6 months of wages in cash, so that amount will be different for everyone. IF it hits the fan, the bank will be the LAST place you will find me.
 
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I guess, slightly related to this discussion, I use a minimum of two banks. Said differently I always have liquid, or semi-liquid accounts in at least two local (Alaska) banks.

That came in handy in my recent drama, as both banks have branches where I finally ended up.
 
angie_nrs said:
I think it would be wise to have at least 3-6 months of wages in cash, so that amount will be different for everyone. IF it hits the fan, the bank will be the LAST place you will find me.
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I listen to Dave Ramsey... and believe we should all have 6 months covered for all expenses in a savings account. But, the safest savings account is having the money in cash - in your own possession.

So yes - no going to the bank in that kind of need.
 
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Well, I upped the on my person carry today to $200.00 All in one's & fives and a few ten's. My only regular use of cash is tipping a helpful taxi driver. I don't carry a wallet. Before today I was carrying $40.00 all in one's and fives, for tipping.
 
Sourdough said:
I would not want to risk assuming that was an available option. For example (at least in Alaska) one might need 15 or 20 gallons of fuel, so they would be begging anyone for fuel, people not in any business. I would never-ever take someone's check who I had less then 20 years of personal friendship.

The nearest Fuel Station to me is 40 miles. I doubt then take checks.
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See, that's the difference between Alaska and Minnesota. All major gas stations I have ever been to in Minnesota take checks. When we travel Alaska this summer, I'll remember to leave my checkbook at home.
 
How much "CASH" should a prepper regularly carry on themselves
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Since a prepper is by definition, "prepped", there should not be anything critical that needs to be purchased while out and about in a short term emergency situation as the initial post in this thread alludes to. So having cash in your pocket is not a big concern. I do think some cash should be kept at home - a couple thousand - that you could ration into your pocket should the short term emergency turn out to be longer term.
 
Sourdough said:
I would not want to risk assuming that was an available option. For example (at least in Alaska) one might need 15 or 20 gallons of fuel, so they would be begging anyone for fuel, people not in any business. I would never-ever take someone's check who I had less then 20 years of personal friendship.

The nearest Fuel Station to me is 40 miles. I doubt then take checks.
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And like the old saying goes..cash,grass or azz .... nobody rides for free !
 
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