My grandmother lived through the depression and because of that always had a hidden store of cash.
I thought this was dumb. I had never experienced the depression and I didn’t have any lack of faith in the banking system as a kid. I had an account and as I found money I would deposit it and I was proud I had a bank account.
Now I am not so certain. I actually have a little cash at home since that is suggested for emergency planning. I thought the loss of interest on cash at home would be silly. Now I see that having a hundred dollars at home is negligible.
I think lots of people have cash at home and probably much more than I do. Since I live in an apartment I couldn’t get a built in safe, and safe I would buy would be more expensive than the cash inside it.
So in an emergency what could I do with the cash? Perhaps buy gas or groceries. I am within walking distance of a grocery store so I don’t feel nervous about where I am at. If NYC has problems with its payments system, there are bigger things to worry about than not getting fig newtons with my meal.
Going back to grandma she did many things from lack of resources that made sense to her but not to me. Besides hording cash, she would save almost everything. All of her children were the same. I don’t know how children who weren’t born in that time frame experienced the trauma but they did. They saw their mother save things and to them, they had to save things.
There is a balance between preparing for disaster and being obsessed with it. I think survivalists have gone too far, and I grew up in the culture. Yes I have a preparedness bag but besides that and cash I am not going to do more. I won’t let my life be consumed with fear and anxiety.
For many people things are very bad. If things get worse for me I will reevaluate.