Cash and the Bug Out Bag – How Much Is Needed?

A running theme in the prepper world is the idea that cash will be absolutely worthless in a major event, such as the ever-popular electromagnetic pulse (EMP). While there’s probably some truth to that, here’s the thing. Cash has value right up until it doesn’t. Barring a national or global catastrophe, those dollars and coins will still spend just fine.

Cash can solve many problems in an evacuation situation. It can get you a place to rest your head for the night as you plan your next move. It can also get you food, clothes, gas, and more. Something we’ve seen many times is how stores that manage to stay open in the wake of a disaster will be cash only. They may not have the ability to take credit cards, but they can and will take cash on the barrelhead.

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Here’s a simple, real-life example. Last winter, a local gas station had some of its rooftop equipment freeze up. They were unable to process credit card transactions at the register or the pump. They didn’t immediately move to a barter system, trading gas for chickens or some such. They just put up signs indicating they were cash only until further notice.

How Much Cash for the Bug Out Bag?

To be clear right off the bat, I’m not saying you must store any cash actually in your bug out bag. The idea here is to just have a certain amount of cash on hand and immediately accessible in the event of an evacuation.

My recommendation is to keep enough cash available to afford:

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• A full tank of gas
• One or two nights at a decent motel
• Meals on the road for one or two days
• A little extra as an added cushion

Keep the bills small, nothing larger than a $20. Businesses don’t generally like big bills and they might have difficulty making change.

You might consider adding a credit card with a large available balance to the mix as well. Motels and vehicle rental agencies typically require a credit card, whether you’re paying cash or not. Even if you don’t have to go that route, it’s still a good idea to have a credit card for emergency use. Stick with paying by plastic anywhere that will still accept it. Reserve your cash stash for when it’s truly needed.

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What About Precious Metals?

This is a common debate. Here’s how I look at it. If I pull into a gas station to buy fuel and food, there might be some employees who may take silver coins, but I know all of them will take cash, all other things being equal.

Think about it like this. If the situation is so dire that you want to use precious metals to pay for gas on your way out of town, do you want to risk wasting time trying to convince the cashier that it’s real silver?

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If you have to choose between cash and precious metals for the evacuation kit, go with cash. If you can afford both, go for it.

Is Cash Really Necessary?

There are any number of things that could happen to derail your carefully curated evacuation plans. If you can’t think of any reason why cash would prove useful, you need to work on your imagination. Personally, I think this is a great example of better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.