Author Topic: Do you stash cash in your home?  (Read 25152 times)

C-note

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #50 on: December 30, 2014, 08:40:24 AM »
We run a mixed cash/debit household. We typically carry between $20 to $30 on our person. 
« Last Edit: December 30, 2014, 09:13:46 AM by C-note »

Rosbif

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #51 on: December 30, 2014, 09:12:04 AM »
I usually have about 10,000€ in used, non-sequential, high denomination bills in a safe behind my bathroom wall, the combination is 1-2-3-4-5-6. I'm out all night next Thursday. 

I may be a little paranoid, but I see a thread like this and I just think "stop telling people this". I carry very little cash, as I use debit cards for everything. I have a stash that should be enough to get out of town if the zombies turn up. I sleep a little better knowing it's there. If people are really concerned about this sort of thing, a few small gold coins are probably a better idea.

Jack

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #52 on: December 30, 2014, 10:31:08 AM »
In the event of a natural disaster that cuts off services for a week or so, can you drink (first)? Eat (second)? Stay warm if temps are dangerously low? Ventilate if you're somewhere that gets dangerously hot? Those are the things to try to mitigate, and I'll argue that in a natural disaster you're much better off if you can mitigate by having what you need instead of having money to try to buy what you need - shoot for that whenever possible, because what you need may not be for sale right then.

Agreed.  Though if you're planning for WWIII, I've no idea how to do that, but I doubt money will be much use either. 

I do occasionally have the temptation to go buy a farm and be self-reliant.

Indeed: in a real emergency, cash won't help you get out of town. Only already having a full tank of gas beforehand can do that, since everyone else will have already bled the gas stations dry. (You might have a shot at getting diesel, though -- I remember a few years ago, when the hurricane took out the gulf coast oil refineries, that there were gas shortages but diesel was still readily available because fewer people have vehicles capable of using it.)

The other things that might help are four-wheel drive, so you can get past the traffic jams by driving off-road, and guns/ammo, so you can stop people from trying to carjack you.

(Note: I'm not quite paranoid enough to seriously make these sorts of plans. I am thinking about getting an extra 5-gallon metal gas can to keep in my truck, but that's mostly because my fuel gauge doesn't work.)

Chrissy

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #53 on: December 30, 2014, 12:09:14 PM »

Indeed: in a real emergency, cash won't help you get out of town. Only already having a full tank of gas beforehand can do that, since everyone else will have already bled the gas stations dry. (You might have a shot at getting diesel, though -- I remember a few years ago, when the hurricane took out the gulf coast oil refineries, that there were gas shortages but diesel was still readily available because fewer people have vehicles capable of using it.)

The other things that might help are four-wheel drive, so you can get past the traffic jams by driving off-road, and guns/ammo, so you can stop people from trying to carjack you.

(Note: I'm not quite paranoid enough to seriously make these sorts of plans. I am thinking about getting an extra 5-gallon metal gas can to keep in my truck, but that's mostly because my fuel gauge doesn't work.)

Mentioned to my BF last night what I'd posted.  He agrees with you.  Said the money would end up being taken from me, unless I had a gun.  What a pessimist!  Still, I think the amount is right if I was stuck here and needed groceries and/or propane.

Le Barbu

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #54 on: December 30, 2014, 12:52:19 PM »
I usually have about 10,000€ in used, non-sequential, high denomination bills in a safe behind my bathroom wall, the combination is 1-2-3-4-5-6. I'm out all night next Thursday. 

I may be a little paranoid, but I see a thread like this and I just think "stop telling people this". I carry very little cash, as I use debit cards for everything. I have a stash that should be enough to get out of town if the zombies turn up. I sleep a little better knowing it's there. If people are really concerned about this sort of thing, a few small gold coins are probably a better idea.

I definitely think it would be a must everyone on this thread give their address, schedule, where they hide the dough, safe #### and everything else useful for each other. This way, if we find us in need or emergency, we could have a reliable list of places to get some cash when ATM and plastic money do not work.

Dicey

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #55 on: December 30, 2014, 01:06:59 PM »
Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. It's nice to have a reserve on hand, but I like having a record of expenditures. Every few years, we have a garage sale and I generally keep post-GS cash on hand. Likewise, when DH sells something on CL, he gives me the cash to hang onto.

My preferred strategy is to deposit all random checks into savings, not checking. For example, if a friend writes a check for stuff I bought at Costco for her, I stick it into savings and pay off the Costco bill as usual. Funny how those dribs and drabs add up.

Capsu78

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #56 on: December 30, 2014, 04:16:34 PM »
Yes, I keep cash in my house.  I have spent a considerable amount of time in crisis management and disaster preparedness for business.  I also lived "on" the Hayward fault in Norcal for a couple years...not near the fault, on the fault .  I keep cash for my wife and I, and then some more for my 2 grown childrens families who live closeby and could be impacted if I am.
My calculation is based on what would I spend in the event that we had to bug out for 5 days- even if credit/atm system was shaky.  Cash transactions would be easier and welcome- queing up behind a long line to get cash burns time and may put you with people you would rather not be around on a good day.
If you wish to do a "deep dive" of preparedness without going full on zombie nation, take a look at the thought process of an engineering type who was displaced during Hurricane Katrina.  I will never do all the steps he suggests, but I have done several of them with regards to photos, documents etc.

http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/p/0006.html
His process is one of the best "how to do it" guides in a world of "what to do" preparations.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2014, 04:34:39 PM by Capsu78 »

Rural

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #57 on: December 30, 2014, 06:54:51 PM »
In the event of a natural disaster that cuts off services for a week or so, can you drink (first)? Eat (second)? Stay warm if temps are dangerously low? Ventilate if you're somewhere that gets dangerously hot? Those are the things to try to mitigate, and I'll argue that in a natural disaster you're much better off if you can mitigate by having what you need instead of having money to try to buy what you need - shoot for that whenever possible, because what you need may not be for sale right then.

Agreed.  Though if you're planning for WWIII, I've no idea how to do that, but I doubt money will be much use either. 

I do occasionally have the temptation to go buy a farm and be self-reliant.


Right, WWIII is beyond anyone's planning ability. But there's a lot of room between the ~weeklong natural disaster fallout I'm talking about and WWIII. Water is the big one in the short term, then heat if it's cold enough to freeze to death or ventilation if it's hot enough to get heatstroke.


Most of us can find a way to manage those things without hoping we can find clean water for sale shortly after the storm hits - that's what I'm saying. Add a few cans of food with pop tops to that and suddenly you're in "this disaster is a major inconvenience" territory, which is a good place to be. Then you can stay inside, avoid the crazy that comes out after a disaster, and save your emergency cash for when you lose your wallet or get mugged, but the rest of the world is still behaving normally.

davef

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #58 on: December 30, 2014, 07:34:21 PM »
I keep 100-200 in my wallet a debit cared and my 2 credit cards that I buy everything on for rewards. I usually take about $100 a month out of the ATM to keep that amount in my wallet. At home in my safe I have all of my other credit cards, (for stores and such) a few are visas and could be used anywhere, and checks of course. I used to keep an extra 100 stashed in my car. this thread has me thinking of doing that again...

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #59 on: January 03, 2015, 07:05:18 AM »
I have $2k, a CC, and a form of federal ID on my person at all times. That way no matter what happens, I am never stranded.

aj_yooper

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #60 on: January 03, 2015, 07:50:57 AM »
I usually use  credit cards (2 in wallet), but I have $50-100 tucked in my wallet with several hundred at home and cash in emergency fund along with some buckshot.  We probably should stock some drinking water, more canned goods, and keep up with firewood and backup propane for grill.  Stuff can happen. 

TerriM

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #61 on: January 03, 2015, 08:36:33 AM »
I usually have about 10,000€ in used, non-sequential, high denomination bills in a safe behind my bathroom wall, the combination is 1-2-3-4-5-6. I'm out all night next Thursday. 

I may be a little paranoid, but I see a thread like this and I just think "stop telling people this". I carry very little cash, as I use debit cards for everything. I have a stash that should be enough to get out of town if the zombies turn up. I sleep a little better knowing it's there. If people are really concerned about this sort of thing, a few small gold coins are probably a better idea.

Address please? :)

OSUBearCub

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #62 on: January 03, 2015, 08:54:57 AM »
Yes on enough money for a locksmith, assuming you think a locksmith is cheaper than replacing a window. Not something I'd think of since we have a dog door for Great Danes; I'd use that.

When your dog is bigger than certain forms of cattle, wouldn't you just call it a "door" at that point? :-)

Exhale

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #63 on: January 03, 2015, 08:59:44 AM »
1) An emergency $20 bill in my wallet

2) An emergency $50 in small bills in each of two locations:
a) Fire safe at home (part of my emergency kit)
b) My emergency kit at work
---
In case of natural disaster, ATMS may not be functional so cash (in small bills) is a recommended part of an emergency kit.

OSUBearCub

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #64 on: January 03, 2015, 09:13:33 AM »
+1 on keeping the gas tank full, I try not to let mine get below half a tank especially in hurricane season

I keep $100-200 cash on hand at home.  Any more and I'd want to split it up/could forget where I stashed it.  I keep it in a cheap little lock box I've had forever along with my super essential documents (in case I ever have a grab-and-go situation).  It saves a lot of trips to the ATM and a lot of ATM fees. Having it at home keeps it from "burning a hole in my pocket". 

$1000 or more seems a bit excessive to me due to loss of interest over time.

Sure you can plan around or reschedule almost any foreseeable inconvenience...until one blindsides you.  I think it's better to have a more frugal option that allows you to avoid ATM fees or an unplanned trip to the bank.

Rural

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #65 on: January 03, 2015, 09:20:03 AM »
Yes on enough money for a locksmith, assuming you think a locksmith is cheaper than replacing a window. Not something I'd think of since we have a dog door for Great Danes; I'd use that.

When your dog is bigger than certain forms of cattle, wouldn't you just call it a "door" at that point? :-)


Nah, it's only about half the height. :-)

YoungInvestor

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #66 on: January 03, 2015, 09:46:59 AM »
I'm the opposite of paranoid, so I don't really prepare anything for natural disasters/looting/WW3.

I do generally have between 0-120$ cash on me.

I generally also have about 100 USD (I'm Canadian) at home left over from my last trip to the US, which is just not worth paying exchange fees on to deposit since I go there about 3-4 times a year. I guess I could use that in a pinch.

maizefolk

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #67 on: January 03, 2015, 10:47:17 AM »
So there is cash-on-hand and cash-at-home. I don't really have an at home stash of bills (although after reading this thread I'm really liking the idea of an emergency credit card kept at home in case my wallet is lost/stolen and if I did that I'd probably add a couple hundred in currency as well), but I do always have an extra $200 in my wallet above and beyond what I'll spend and refill from ATMs. I can't think of the last time I actually had to dip into it, but for me the peace of mind is worth the minuscule cost in foregone interest.

sol

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #68 on: January 03, 2015, 11:09:22 AM »
I keep large stacks of cash in my house, along with gold and firearms, and then I advertise about it on the internet.

Annamal

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #69 on: January 03, 2015, 12:14:00 PM »
Yes, I keep cash in my house.  I have spent a considerable amount of time in crisis management and disaster preparedness for business.  I also lived "on" the Hayward fault in Norcal for a couple years...not near the fault, on the fault .  I keep cash for my wife and I, and then some more for my 2 grown childrens families who live closeby and could be impacted if I am.
My calculation is based on what would I spend in the event that we had to bug out for 5 days- even if credit/atm system was shaky.  Cash transactions would be easier and welcome- queing up behind a long line to get cash burns time and may put you with people you would rather not be around on a good day.


We're in a similar situation (with the added bonus that there is a decent chance our city will be cut off by road and we might need to hike out if we need out.

I had colleagues who went through the Christchurch earthquake and having some cash on hand (along with knowing how to dig an emergency toilet) seemed to be helpful. Looting didn't really happen and everyone pretty much banded together in the immediate aftermath


Primm

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #70 on: January 03, 2015, 10:46:17 PM »
In case of natural disaster, ATMS may not be functional so cash (in small bills) is a recommended part of an emergency kit.

I've been through two major natural disasters. Bushfires when I was a teenager and floods up here. In both cases everything (shops, fuel outlets etc.) were closed anyway so cash would have been just as useless as a card. By the time the shops opened again after a week or more there was power and communication so ATM cards and credit cards worked.

A natural disaster worse than these would be on the catastrophic scale, and the issue would be more around availability of resources than the means to purchase them.

Astatine

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #71 on: January 07, 2015, 02:41:52 PM »
After reading through this thread, I realise my base assumptions are rather different. Maybe I'm naive (or Australia is v different to the US? not sure) I don't see anyone thinking about relying on friends, family, the local community or government in case of disaster. Or maybe it's that bushfires are the only event that's likely to impact directly on my city (flash flooding and big storms have more minor impacts). The last big fires destroyed 500 homes, took out one sewerage treatment plant and contaminated a couple of our drinking supply dams for a year or two, power was out in some suburbs for a long time, but... nobody affected had to fend for themselves.

Our government has a well-oiled machine of emergency funding handouts of around $1k if you've been badly affected by a natural disaster (bit painful to get if you lose all your ID, but not impossible) so you can get some clothes, food etc, charities get involved etc etc. Longer term recovery from major disasters is not always smooth or equitable, but in the immediate aftermath, there seems to be a lot of support from community, government, friends, family and the like.

I try to avoid overly paranoid thinking cos it's not helpful/healthy for me personally (I tend to withdraw from my social networks and feel like I'm deprived, can't share anything, must keep everything to myself, don't help others etc etc). That's probably entirely due to my own personal hangups and childhood environment, so YMMV.

Edit: I'm also probably a bit fatalistic about thinking about disasters/wars/zombie apocalypses that destroy infrastructure/society. Insulin keeps me alive, and needs to be refrigerated. If things are that bad that refrigeration/big pharma is unavailable worldwide, I'm dead within several months regardless of how well my home is prepped. So I plan for 1-2 weeks of self-sufficiency at most. Maybe a month.
« Last Edit: January 07, 2015, 02:50:56 PM by Astatine »

sky_northern

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #72 on: January 07, 2015, 03:27:26 PM »
I generally also have about 100 USD (I'm Canadian) at home left over from my last trip to the US, which is just not worth paying exchange fees on to deposit since I go there about 3-4 times a year. I guess I could use that in a pinch.

Emergency's like girl guide cookies. I had one of my girls come back from night out selling door to door with a 'funny looking money'. Guy really wanted cookies but only cash he had was USD.

frugaldrummer

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #73 on: January 07, 2015, 05:49:47 PM »
A couple of years ago there was a massive power outage in our county.  A couple million people without power.

Luckily it was summer and the climate is mild.  But it was interesting the things that went down in that scenario.  No gas (the gas station pumps apparently have no backup) and all the traffic lights went out, so traffic was totally snarled as people all left their work places to go home, and many people ran out of gas before they got home in the bumper-to-bumper traffic. (I always try to keep half a tank in my car now).

Also - all the electronics at the cash registers went out, so if you wanted to buy groceries you needed to have cash.  (I suppose some places may have taken checks too).

Dr. Doom

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #74 on: January 07, 2015, 07:26:56 PM »
Honestly, no - this isn't something I do or worry about.

TerriM

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #75 on: January 07, 2015, 07:37:53 PM »
Also - all the electronics at the cash registers went out, so if you wanted to buy groceries you needed to have cash.  (I suppose some places may have taken checks too).

Forgive me, but wouldn't most cashiers look at your blankly if they didn't have their cash register to ring something up with?  That's kind of been my experience with the "errr. uhm. the uhm. the computer is not working right now."   I just wonder how many would allow you to leave them cash.

I'd say food and water is the most important.  Living in earthquake territory, there's no way I'm buying water after the earthquake.  I stock up on water.  In the safe in my bathroom.  And the code is 1-2-3-4-5-6. :)

Greg

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #76 on: January 07, 2015, 09:34:25 PM »
Nope nope nope.  If I get more than $50 in cash I put it in the bank.

Daisy

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Re: Do you stash cash in your home?
« Reply #77 on: January 07, 2015, 09:52:02 PM »
I wanted to post right after the picture of the daisy above me. ;-)

I live in hurricane country so I always keep some cash around. During Hurricane Andrew eons ago, cash came in very handy to buy ice, water, and stuff like that.

Also, my father and grandfather always insisted on keeping cash around and it's ingrained in me.

Now with the popularity of credit cards it doesn't happen as often, but I always got annoyed with friends during high school or college when we'd want to go out somewhere and they always waited until the last minute to go to the ATM machine when we were on our way somewhere, so I'd have to go with them and sit in the car while we were running late for some activity. So annoying since I was always prepared with cash...