Stash Cash for Extreme Emergencies

There are a number of reasons that it may be advisable for people to stash cash. The primary of which is emergency usage. One will find themselves in situations through a lifetime when only cash will do. Credit cards (even checks) may do in the normal course of events, but should the unexpected happen then cash is still king. A scenario like a broken vehicle in an isolated area, maintenance and transportation may only available with cash. Or weather catastrophes knocking down power for days, no electronic transference, cash could be the only means to purchase the necessities of life. Hiring people last minute for a small errand or job, cash is often be the only acceptable payment. Even outside of emergencies, negotiating one-on-one with an individual for a purchase, cash in hand could bring greater bargains rather than having to arrange a check.

Then there is the growing possibility of a banking collapse, if not nationally, individual banks are suspect. Sure they are insured, but that doesn't mean you will have your money within a reasonable time. When you are debit card conditioned, one day of delay may not be reasonable when needing the necessities of daily life. Also, unbeknownst to you, the government or the courts could freeze your assets because of claims placed against you due to identity theft. Or all assets gone and credit maxed due to fraud and identity theft. Having a cash stash makes sense and it also does not mean one has to have all assets buried under the mattress. Having a sizable contingency cash stash is just good insurance.

Finding good places to stash cash is simple with the tried and true.

Conceal a Safe
Have a safe professionally installed in your home, and have it concealed. A floor safe is easy to conceal and also solidly secured being imbedded in concrete in the floor. A wall safe can be attached to the wall frames and hidden yes by pictures, placed in closets, placed in cabinets, or having a faux electrical panel. Anything to 1). keep the safe from public view (out of site, out of mind) and 2). secured to the house to keep from being taken away by any thieves. Sure, a criminal could bring jackhammers and sledge hammers to move the safe to a truck, but most burglars just want the easy to pick up and run products (electronics, jewelry, guns, etc.). Of course, these too could be kept in the safe for safe keeping also.

Bury It
A very old school, ancient form of securing a cash stash. With cash being paper (unless one wants to stash cash coins or precious metals), there is the very real concern of deterioration. Keeping the paper dry by vacuum sealing it with a gel silica packet inside, then wrap a second time with another waterproof form of sealing. Perhaps, placing that sealed packet within a canning jar and lid. Once buried, the glass should be relatively secure is placed in another structure for burial. For final burial there are products for burying goods for later recover designed to withstand the rigors of underground holding. Often made out of PVC with a secure, water tight lid. Or make one's own out of a PVC pipe with two end caps and PVC cement. Just pack the item securely to rest inside without breaking using slow to degrade items like shopping bags, Styrofoam peanuts, or even polyester clothing.

Finding a place to bury it is simple. Things to be careful of are areas that could be later developed or where erosion happens or water collects. Bury deep enough you that a simple ecological mishap would not expose or move your stash, yet shallow enough you can get to it if in a hurry at a later date. Also remember the deeper the hole, the wider it gets. A wide hole is not good because it scars the land and will leave a greater trace of recent activity, something you want to keep at a minimum. This is where having post hole diggers if available come in handy. They allow you to did straight down, while keep the hole small. In one's own backyard one can use the flower garden or just re-sod an area that was buried.

Finally, X marks the spot. Remembering where your cash stash is important, so keep strict coordinates somewhere. Like from the Northwest corner of the house, twenty feet north, then ten feet east. When choosing landmarks mark sure you chose landmarks that are unlikely to move. Nothing worse than having a note saying from south end of old log when the old log is now gone. Old (but living) trees are good or if in the desert old cactus (some take decade to reach maturity and good chance they are not going to be moved). Also, if possible choose high ground, being flooded or having top soil swept away can be disastrous.

Finally, concerning burying one's stash cash do not do it all in one location. Three separate locations are good, then if one location is compromised or lost, then there are two other stashes. Also, the totality of a stash cash may not be needed immediately. This split would save one from uncovering a stash just to get a portion and re-stash it. That is a lot of work and exposure.

Safe Deposit Boxes
This location for a stash cash could be problematic in many scenarios, like a power outage or bank closure, but it could be good for keeping a nice stash cash secret from prying eyes, while remaining secure. With a bank closure, getting your cash stash from the safe deposit bank could be much quicker than waiting on FDIC insurance to come.