“Sorry, Cash Only!”

I assume by now that you’ve heard about the software update from Crowdstrike that nearly caused a global computer meltdown for all Microsoft platforms? Alright, I might be overstating that a bit, and I’m sure there are details I’m fully unaware of, but it sort of felt like a big deal, especially when I was so close to not being able to buy groceries last Friday, at least not with my credit card.

I was at the grocery store Friday morning, doing my thing, when I was trying to check out. Long story short, the computers were thinking long and hard about whether to process my credit card; I’d almost taken it personally. And that’s when the cashier explained what had happened. Anyway, I’d stood there long enough that I’d wondered whether I had enough cash on me to pay for our groceries. It was about $100, so I did have enough, but I know plenty of people (most of my family, in fact) who don’t have even that much cash on them.

My wife somehow manages to spend cash often enough that I wonder what she does during the day. Of course, I do ask that she keep some money on her that she doesn’t touch, just in case, but even that doesn’t always happen. (In her defense, she’s been better in recent years.) My now adult boys almost never have cash on them. And if they do, I’d imagine it’s gone in no time. I suspect girlfriends tend to help that along. I doubt my in-laws carry much cash on them, either. My mother, on the other hand, might be the only exception in the group. I wonder where I get it from?

But even I don’t carry several hundred dollars on me. Yes, I keep a stash of cash in my wallet. A bit of money in our vehicles to buy gas should we need to. And I keep a crisp twenty or two folded between my phone and phone case as yet another emergency option. But it’s not like I could purchase a plane ticket home if I had to. It’s usually just enough to avoid small inconveniences, like the grocery store incident, and enough to buy a tank of gas or a meal should the need arise.

I’m not here to tell you much cash you should keep for such events – that’s up to up. But I will say that if you’re not preparing for incidents like these, then you’re not acting like a prepper. Sure, I had no idea what happened at the time. But I was, at least in a small way, somewhat ready for it.

That said, I do believe that how much cash you keep on your person should adjust depending on what you’re doing or where you’re going. That is, if you’re only sticking around town, then maybe you don’t need as much. But if you’re going on a long trip, either in the car or via plane, then perhaps more cash is appropriate. Granted, how much is entirely up to you. But how you carry this extra cash is important, too. Thus, a money belt might be a wise addition. Sticking some twenty in your sock might be a good option, otherwise.

If this were a longer-term problem, them you should have some money stashed at home. Some people suggest enough money to pay months worth of bills, but I’m not so sure about that. After all, I doubt most of us could even pay our mortgage or rent (or utilities) via cash if we had to. It’s really about having money to pay for items like groceries. But even that might be difficult as some payment processors require an internet connection to process anything!

We really are moving digitally whether it makes sense or not. Clearly, there are benefits, but there are also consequences … sometimes unintended ones. All I can say is that you need to think ahead. Think beyond what mainstream sources tell you. And prepare like the only person who cares about you and your family’s well-being is YOU.