Wednesday, May 16, 2018

mattress savings


MATTRESS SAVINGS
*
note: Attention!! Attention!! It is that time of year again and I'm going to visit my folks.  All articles WILL be posted, so tune in every day.  However, no comments will be posted until Friday evening, nor will e-mails be answered.  I'm staying dark and taking a real break from hurting my poor brain. 
*
note: Most generous snail mail donation from WI.  Is that RSC or RSL.  Damn heathens and your handwriting!  Anyway, you know who you are-many thanks, dude.
*
The book “The Windup Girl” by Paolo Bacigalupi was rather impressive.  It was far more dystopia than it was post-apocalypse, even though it was recommended to me by the computer as PA.  A happy accident as the writing was so good that I didn’t hesitate to order most of his other books.   I couldn’t really tell you what it was about, having read it years ago, but one thing that cemented in my mind was one characters method of hiding a stash of cash. 

*

I believe the location was Indonesia or similar, and the home was more of a small hand built affair using bamboo.  In the middle of the night the character acted all ninja and took a piece of bamboo from the rafters or wherever, and stuffed in a tightly rolled piece of paper currency.  It was a rather clever plan, until a fire burned down his home.  Oops!  There goes your savings.  ’Muricans are much smarter, recognizing the danger from fire insofar as flammable paper goes, and leave their money in the bank.

*

Oh, wait!  How smart is that, again?  Remember how Might Makes Right?  Well, the bankers changed the law ( dipsticks like Hilary or McCain are political whores whose AIDS ridden rectums are always loose and pliable for the highest bidder ) and now “your” saving are no longer yours.  Not even close.  When you foolishly give your money to the banks for safekeeping, it then becomes theirs.  They can save it for you, lose it on another derivative gamble or, hell, they could spend it on hookers and blow if they want. YOUR money?  In your dreams.

*

Now, yes, I keep money in the bank.  I hate to do so, but I need an account for electric deposits and as poor of a risk as the bank is, I need an extra location to save.  But I only keep 25% of my money in the bank.  You never know what will happen, so you keep your options open.  My other savings are another version of the Money Under The Mattress.  Cash on hand, hidden.  Not that anyone hides anything valuable under their mattress anymore, but everyone recognizes the old saying. 

*

Do I like burying my cash?  Not especially.  Really, NO stash technique is fool proof.  Fire, theft, institutional fraud, water damage ( even if you have multiple layers of plastic, what if a big ass mudslide through your back yard-say, in California-whisks your savings away? ).  Even multiple locations, while recommended, are not fool proof.  I mean, I personally think burying is the best stash method, but you just never know.  Bizarre things happen every day.  BOTH stashes could in theory be discovered, paved over or destroyed somehow.

*

The odds are low, and all this prepper stuff is just an increase in your odds, not a guarantee.   Just beware no stash method is perfect.  Which is why you always have more than one or two.  Don’t stuff all your wealth in one bamboo hut.  And be advised, this is just about paper currency.  Daily spending.  Precious metals, investments in tools or businesses, rent free land, supply caches, all these are separate subjects.  This is just a back-up to your bank savings.  Because we are SOOOO friggin over due for another derivatives meltdown, a petrodollar collapse, hyperinflation or some damn thing.  Assume the worst, for everything, to include the savings in your bank.

*

When you stash cash, I would assume that water and fire are your primary worries after detection.  I think your best bet is to put the cash in a vacuum seal bag, if you have one, then in a Zip-Lock, inside a plastic lid covered plastic container ( I like peanut butter jars-just don’t use a metal lid because of rust ) which is itself inside another zip-lock bag.  Zip-Lock, not generics, unless you are pretty sure of your first heat sealed bag.  If you don’t think buying a vacuum sealer is a good investment, you can improvise.

*

There are plenty of YouTube video’s on making due without a vacuum sealer machine.  Most focus on drawing the air out, or using non-specialized cheaper bags.  You don’t need to worry about the air part ( suck through a straw or displace the air by dunking in water ) but the sealer part.  Look up “sealing a bag with an iron”.  Not much more involved than a piece of tinfoil, but watch the video anyway.  You can use a ziplock, creating a better seal by heat sealing it ( I don’t much care for the quality of a seal with just the zipper, but that’s just me ), but I think the rolls of vacuum sealer bag are much better plastic.  You want very thick bags. 

*

Bury your treasure, ideally away from plant roots that will transfer their heat downward during a fire, and up a slope rather than in a drainage area.  Most folks will probably use their back yard or underneath their house in the crawl space.  Closeness conferring perceived security.  Just remember, if the house burns down over the stash, the heat might potentially combust your stash.  You’d have to research how much dirt was needed as a thermal barrier.  And if the gardener or dog can get to the stash you have planned poorly.

*

Only bury small bills.  Yes, it is inconvenient.  You can barely fit a thousand bucks into a large vitamin bottle with 50 twenty dollar bills wrapped in plastic.  It might take multiple trips to the bank.  But the Drug Prohibitionists have been bad mouthing hundred dollar bills for far too long.  They think it makes things too easy for drug lords.  You know, because they can smuggle bales of marijuana but when cash is five times as bulky their entire business model is ruined.  Friggin idiots.  I think that noise decreased slightly, probably because we needed to ship pallets of cash over to Iraq to bribe everyone.  But you never know when they might try to ban large bills to protect the children.

*

India just got done outlawing large denomination bills, also.  I’m not exactly sure what that was about, but it is proof that politicians and the forces controlling them will not be reluctant to crash and burn the economy to get what they want.  Why risk it, even as a low probability?  And remember, more stashes, less eggs in just one basket.  Who knows, we could have an actual overnight collapse, despite the odds.  Then cash money won’t matter.  But it probably will, even if only for a short time.  Plan, act, pray.

END ( today's related link https://amzn.to/2rCTxj9 )
 
Please support Bison by buying through the Amazon ad graphics at the top of the page ( or from www.bisonbulk.blogspot.com ). ***You can make donations or book purchases through PayPal ( www.paypal.me/jimd303 )
*** Unless you are in extreme poverty, spend a buck a month here, by the above donation methods or buy a book. If you don't do Kindle, send me the money and I'll e-mail it to you in a PDF file.  If you donated, you may request books no charge.   My e-mail is: jimd303@reagan.com  My address is: James M Dakin, 181 W Bullion Rd #12, Elko NV 89801-4184
*** Pay your author-no one works for free.  I’m nice enough to publish for barely above Mere Book Money, so do your part.*** junk land under a grand *  Lord Bison* my bio & biblio*   my web site is www.bisonprepper.com *** Wal-Mart wheat***Amazon Author Page
* By the by, all my writing is copyrighted. For the obtuse out there

 

21 comments:

  1. I received my solar panels yesterday (The portable dual 50 watt versions previously discussed in a recent post here). I’m pleased overall, but they’re not anywhere near as portable as I was hoping that they would be.

    My suggestion would be, that in general, it would be ideal to reduce your power needs to an absolute minimum, and go with something that’s truly portable, such as the panel in the first link below (but you might want to get two of them). The one in the first link will power a tablet or a cell phone. If you need a little more, the 60 watt panel in the second link will power a notebook.

    Nekteck 21W Solar Charger

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017GQ7OEA/?coliid=I2J0XQ0NHQMA96&colid=2P9H5MHEI5D99&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

    Suaoki 60W Portable Sunpower Mono-crystalline Solar Panel With DC 18V and Usb 5V Output Charger for Laptop Tablet

    https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Sunpower-Mono-crystalline-Charger-Cellphone/dp/B018TY8ZYQ/ref=pd_sbs_107_20?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B018TY8ZYQ&pd_rd_r=R5YF6G1S2B5ZMCA40DGF&pd_rd_w=BORqk&pd_rd_wg=PBuER&psc=1&refRID=R5YF6G1S2B5ZMCA40DGF

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't you hate those perfect plans gone bad? I've bought plenty of those.

      Delete
    2. Yeah, they’re no where near being “portable”, at least in the sense that I was hoping for. I was hoping that when winter arrived, that I could move them inside, and that they would be small enough to place in the window of my RV (we get the occasional power outage here in our small town) but that’s not gonna happen. I might be able to leave them outside, but would likely have to extend my cabling so that I can bring my charge controller and battery inside.

      Delete
    3. Are you talking about a side window? Like, you can't move the vehicle for the windshield to face south? I think a side window, with the panel flat, not being at an angle, wouldn't generate dingus.

      Delete
    4. Yes, that’s what I was thinking. But with the smaller one’s, I would have been able to play around with them and manipulate the positioning to get them at the proper angle. I should be able to leave these outside, and bring the electronics and battery inside. My biggest concern being the high winds that we sometimes experience in winter, and foreign objects being thrust right into my panels and destroying them.

      Delete
    5. I know it is no guarantee, but it seemed that my panels being on the ground never had issue with wind/debris.

      Delete
  2. There was a recent article about getting rid of even the $20.
    "Allowing" the masses to have the Ten and less, but the goal is to force people into banks.
    Because electronic transactions are all trackable, and I would presume, at least eventually, they will be "taxable".

    Andrew

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good idea, but I would not get too carried away with it. Save enough for a couple of years property tax and about 6 months expenses and put the rest in stuff you would like to have in a collapse.
    Unless part of your plan is to buy out all the stores to speed up the die off, then you are going to need a lot more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't think any of us can afford to buy out the stores except in a very few items. Is it even worth trying?

      Delete
  4. When I was a young fellow my family were working poor. Well, my father was a captain in the Army & my mother was a stay at home with three kids.

    We were on holidays staying with a relative (sans dad who was on exercise) and one of the kids got really sick. Of course Mum didn't have money to cover such things. Old mate went into the shed & came out with a tin that was full of cash & our financial strife changed to a medical problem.


    Second story. Retirees on a pension were shouted a holiday by their adult kids. Whilst away the kids concreted the back deck. The parents got back & said "thanks but we had all our cash buried where you concreted". LOL

    I hope you enjoyed your time off

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha, good story. Thanks, I recharged the batteries. Great news-dad was on deaths door and is now so much better after a minor surgery. The industry isn't completely bad. If you live through their pill popping philosophy they might eventually figure out how to save you. He is still on borrowed time, but quality of life vastly better.

      Delete
  5. I too have some small peanut butter $$$ vaults. I wrap the bills in a cylinder, than a couple layers of Cling Wrap, then a heavy duty food container zip bag container. THEN two peanut butter jars, one fitting inside the larger. Silicone bead around rim - done.

    So far, have three of these. One of two grand (my latest and likely last - leaving THAT in the wilds wuz hard dawg ! - I may chicken out and get that one back, maybe dividing in half), the other two five hundred each (those of small bills of 20s and 10s).

    Like you said, just a bit of seed money and only a couple because I want to commit these to memory and speed of access. The 1st two are within 100 yards of each other. The big kitty in another location altogether.

    Thanks for the article sir - good topic !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks-I hear you on "chickening out". It is like birthing kittens letting go.

      Delete
  6. Coins. Coins generally do not get devalued as easily as paper money, are harder to replace with new versions, and can hold and increase their value if you luck out. A couple dozen rolls of nickels dimes and quarters will still allow one to do their laundry, etc. for a while, even if hyper inflation is occurring and there is no actual metal value in the coins themselves. Coins are also not edible to the pests like rodents and insects and rot, and are less likely to become kindling during a fire. Coins should be included in your emergency savings for these reasons (but you probably cant get enough coins to pay for everything for more than a couple months without going to real silver or gold coins).
    I like the idea of a buried glass jar with well coated metal and plastic lid for the storage container for paper bills, be sure to include some sort of pest repellent like borax powder in the jar. As you might be able to tell I have had 'issues' with rodents and insects getting into unexpected places.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know-any kind of inflation and you pay the attendant $100 to activate the washing machine, or they go to debit swipe.

      Delete
    2. JJ to the rescue, again.
      I likes that idea. Coins!
      I got a 5gal plastic water bottle over there about half full of assorted coins.
      I also have a lot of PVC pipes and fittings out in the shop.
      I'm gonna line up 100 quarters and see how long of a 1" inside diameter PVC pipe I need to contain them. Fill the pipe with quarters, maybe wrap them with thin cloth to dampen noise, stuff cloth in the ends to prevent movement, then glue caps on it.

      Hmmm...thinking. PVC pipe can melt in a fire.
      Maybe black pipe would be better. Steel. With threaded ends. 1" inside diameter x 12" long with screw on caps. Yeah, thats the ticket.

      Delete
    3. If the Petro-Peso was devalued by 10 or 100, it's likely that your old 25 centavo coin will be worth a quarter of the NewPetroPeso. Thus, the quarter went from contemptable worthlessness to 10x or 100x that value in the NPP money system.
      Another angle to this is that you can buy some US coins near/at or below the value of the scrap metal in the coins. The nickel is like this. It's unlawful to scrap US coins currently circulating, but not unlawful to collect a bunch of them. The win happens when "new nickels" are minted with very-cheap zinc or plastic composition and old-nickels are withdrawn, or the nickel again buys a big 3 oz real chocolate candy bar or a quart of gasoline after a 100:1 devaluation of the USD.

      pdxr13

      Delete
    4. We are not buy a candy bar with a New Dollar for five cents. They are a dollar. Up twenty times in forty years. In ten years ( or, Hell, in one year ), the candy bar costs $20, not one New Dollar. That quarter won't buy Shiite. As for nickel, it is NOT a friggin precious metal. It is an industrial one which will not go on to replace copper. Copper has a historical coin role. Nickel does not. Even though copper was also an industrial metal. What is nickel good for, besides making brass? Will there even be ammo manufacture? We are going to shortly be in a Dark Age, remember? How desperate for nickel will the Chinese be when ocean transportation starts becoming too expensive that they want our nickels, prior to the complete collapse? Just collect pre-82 pennies. Cheaper, a better guaranteed future acceptance. If any one can make a better case for nickel rather than "current industrial use", I'm all ears.

      Delete
    5. If I recall correctly, it’s the pre-1964 coins that are mostly silver, but generally speaking, most of these coins are no longer in circulation. My understanding is that technically, silver should be worth more than gold, since it’s said to have more use in industrial applications. Still, silver and gold have always been worth something, and if nothing else, are worth their own weight in value, should an unfortunate event such as a fire occur. You can also get the ingots. I might just do that. I took out around $4k in cash as a back up, and to pay my junk land taxes. But I’d rather have that converted to silver coins or ingots, since it seems that cash is something that our elites would love nothing more than to do away with.

      Delete
    6. Pre-65. I think all but one or two years of property tax should be silver. You are right, it isn't IF cash is outlawed or worthless, but WHEN. Cash should just be looked on as short to mid term. I have to keep more than I should, as I have no credit or "regular" job, but I know it is too much for it all to survive unmolested.

      Delete

COMMENTS HAVE BEEN CLOSED