07-03-2019, 10:14 AM
(07-02-2019, 09:26 PM)Zombie.Hunter Wrote: Honestly I believe that in the end of days, the currency won't be paper nor will it be precious metals such as gold and silver, platinum or diamonds so for me putting any extra money into such materials would be for me a waste of current money. I however believe that in an apocalypse, End of Days, disaster, ZPoc, the most valuable currencies would be fuel, ammo, weapons, Food, Medical supplies, and other much more needed materials. Once you have all of that you have spending money. But the only issues with having spending money is the people that don't have the spending money. Those you have to worry about.
That is a NOT un-common argument among preppers, and I wouldn't dispute investing in "fuel, ammo, weapons, Food, Medical supplies" & the like. Assuming you're NOT within the blast radius of a nuke, man will overcome most everything else - plague & pestilence also - IN time. Take Pittsburgh proper - pop.400,000 +/- after a natural disaster. You might could pare that down to 4,000 after a year or two, but 40,000 is more likely. Once all the Popeyes, Co-Go's, and Shop 'n' Saves have been raided... THEN what?!
FARMING implements and seed, will be the name of the game then, if you plan on STAYING put. I may WELL be able to, "bite the bullet," but I sure as heck AIN'T eatin' it! Barter-ables will help in those days too, but not so much fuel I think (that gets you OUT of town to the farm, but I'd count on mules THERE, before I'd be counting on New Holland or Navistar for the PLOWING), as I think we'll go BACK to going to bed with the chickens. My generator might well power the TV, but I wouldn't COUNT on watching HBO with it...
And if you don't know HOW to grow - and start growing THAT SPRING of said disaster... count on the social situation to get QUITE fugly after the first frost, clear through to NEXT summer, as those who counted on CANNED beans, come looking to TAKE your fresh ones! I might be able to repel boarders, but I ain't eatin' them, neither! That, & large amounts of gunfire, TENDS to draw others. If you haven't converted your entire BLOCK into a like-thinking survival community - with watch posts, sentries, patrols, comms (even simple comms, like, ringing the neighborhood church bell, to warn of trouble approaching), & EVERYBODY who ain't on patrol/sentry duty, farming WITH you... welllllll... just remember: at the end of "The Alamo," EVEN John Wayne dies...
Unless you're Bruce Wayne, I'd never recommend buying gold & silver bars to tide you over. FRACTIONAL silver currency - "junk (circulated, NON-numismatically valuable)" U.S. coins (pre-1965 dimes, quarters, halves, and dollars primarily) WILL have value, as a silver dollar for a loaf of bread will be easier to negotiate, than trying to file off the correct amount, from a 10lb silver bar. Moreover, when the 1st Lago Volunteers take control of local bridges (Allegheny Co., and probably elsewhere as well) - even if you are the FIRST one outta Dodge... getting TO your pre-farmed and ready retreat compound in the hinterboonies - still MIGHT require a little "tribute" to the locals, before you're allowed to cross. Now big Bubbla, Sgt. of the Guard, MIGHT just settle for a few minutes with your wife or daughter (or YOU! ), if you show up with your wick in your hand. OR... maybe a fistful of dollars (and silver ones at THAT!), might convince him to let YOU pass, while he waits for somethin' with a purtier mouth to come along... Silver and gold have NEVER been worthless - EVER. It is NOT a substitute for bullets, beans, or band-aids, but ONCE those ARE squared away... you could do a LOT worse, than to have a .30 ammo can full of pre-rolled silver coinage squirreled away, for JUST such a day...
Meet ya' at the bridge.