I recently misplaced my wallet. I didn't bother canceling the card because I was pretty sure it was somewhere in the house and would definitely show up.
I was surprised at how little this was an inconvenience to me, other than the nagging worry that I was wrong. Not only do most of my daily transactions not require cash, they also rarely require a plastic card. All you have to do is tap your phone.
I think it would be nice to have “junk silver” (pre-1964 U.S. coins that were 90% silver), but everything in my coin purse is new vintage.
What will they think next? Is there a mark on your right hand or forehead?
“The world of handmade products”
In any case, at the time I happened to be reading James Howard Kunstler's excellent apocalyptic novels. “The handmade world”. What makes this novel (along with its three excellent sequels) so fascinating is its focus on the more mundane struggles of post-collapse life.
Although the sequence of events leading up to its collapse remains vague (peak oil, war in Israel, nuclear terrorist attacks, division of the United States into war zones, etc.), the outcome is clear. The main reason is that electricity will not be available. (Yes, one character has several generators, but these break down and parts are hard to come by when they break down.)
The series focuses on the residents of a fictional small town called Union Grove in upstate New York. The town has returned to its 18th century agrarian life, and part of the fun of the series is seeing the residents' detailed attempts to rebuild civilization on this more modest scale. These scenes also have the added benefit of giving Kunstler an opportunity to critique the inefficiency and waste of modern consumerism.
That doesn't mean there aren't roaming bands of marauders and other excitement you'd expect from dystopian literature. However, the book is honest in saying that the most immediate dangers are more pedestrian-friendly hazards, such as lack of food, medical care, and adequate shelter.
Also, just plain old despair. Some of the characters can't seem to adjust to the drastic lack of conveniences they were previously accustomed to. It's very easy to give up.
Paper dollars or real money?
What's actually becoming more difficult is paying for things. Paper money still exists, but it has little value.
Consider a scene in which some of the townspeople of Union Grove travel by boat to Albany to engage in trade. Once there, their first task is to secure accommodation from an innkeeper named Slavin.
“Well, how do you guys propose to pay for room and board?” Paper dollars or real money? ”
“Are silver coins enough?'' said Joseph.
“Here you get it. Two bits each, bed and board. $1 for the horse. Drinks are extra, of course.”
Joseph took out a leather drawstring bag and dropped a few old quarters and half-dollars onto a wooden pole, where they rang out like music. Slavin seemed impressed. Whatever the US government's other failures, it succeeded in printing too many dollars, which, combined with the collapse of trade and communications, significantly undermined the value of the currency. When offered silver, people always preferred it. Gold, on the other hand, was rarely seen. People tended to hoard it.
This made me pause for a moment as I remembered my lost wallet. If I'm SHTF, what is the use of my iPhone's digital wallet? What can I use instead? Like Joseph, I think it would be helpful to have “junk silver” (pre-1964 U.S. coins that contained 90% silver), but everything in my coin purse is new vintage.
When it comes to physical gold or silver, do you need to carry around bars?
Bite-sized bullion
prepper bar
american company prepper bar has come up with a solution to make life a little easier in the post-fiat world. We sell slim silver and gold bars the size of credit cards that fit in your wallet.
Minted in Nevada, each bar weighs 66.2 grams and can be broken down into smaller pieces like candy bars.
Unlike our Swiss competitors ValcambiAlthough we also offer divisible silver and gold bars, Prepper Bar offers various denominations of 7.776 grams (approximately 1/4 troy ounce), 3.11 (1/10 troy ounce), or 1.555 grams (1/20 troy ounce) It can be divided into
Although Prepper Bars are IRA approved, please note the following: pay a premium Prepper bars are convenient and suitable as a supplement to your precious metals storage rather than as your primary source.
