Having alternatives to cash ready in a crisis is critical.
Whether you’re hit by a sudden natural disaster, dealing with civil unrest, mass power outages, or grid failure, traditional forms of currency may lose their value or simply become inaccessible.
With that in mind, we’ve put together fourteen cash alternatives if SHTF.
14 Smart Cash Alternatives for SHTF Preparedness
1. Precious Metals (Gold and Silver)
Precious metals have been used as a means of exchange by human beings for millennia. They have intrinsic value and continue to be seen as a reliable store of wealth.
They are easily traded for goods and services, and their value often increases during economic downturns.
You can keep small, recognizable coins (like silver rounds or fractional gold coins) that are easier to trade or sell.
Bear in mind that if you have larger bars, they can be difficult to use for smaller purchases. You can order physical gold and silver coins.
You can buy gold coins, for instance, directly from the U.S. Mint or even from major exchanges.
2. Barter Items (Alcohol, Tobacco, Coffee)
In a crisis, certain luxury or comfort items, like alcohol, cigarettes, and coffee, tend to become highly sought-after, making them great items for bartering essential goods or services.
The guy who’s really good at fixing solar generators might have no use for your old cash but will gladly trade his skilled labor for a carton of cigarettes.
I remember a scene from a great survivalist movie called, funnily enough, The Survivalist, where he offers one of his last two cigarettes he has been conserving for years to a dying woman and the actress does a great job of selling the specialness of the gift.
3. Non-Perishable Foods
Think about the hungriest you’ve ever been. If you’re a comfortable Western person, maybe you’ve gone an entire 24 hours without anything to eat.
Now imagine you’ve been lost in the woods for four days. No meals. What would you rather come across: a can of chili or $10,000 cash?
Food can quickly become more valuable than money, especially if there are severe supply chain disruptions. Non-perishable, long-lasting foods like canned goods, dried beans, rice and pasta are very useful for bartering.
4. Water Filtration Systems or Water Purification Tablets
There is actually quite a lot of variability when it comes to how long a healthy adult can survive without food. It can depend on quite a lot of factors, but stories of thirty days are not uncommon. Water is a different story.
When it comes to water, on the other hand, generally speaking, you can only survive without it for around 3 days. So, of course, access to clean water is one of the first orders of business in a survival situation.
It’s a good idea to not only stock up on things like filtration straws, water purification tablets and portable filters for yourself, but to keep extras that you can use to trade for things.
Because of how important water is, these kinds of items would be worth their weight in gold.
5. Ammunition
Ammunition not only has a practical purpose for self-defense or hunting but also becomes highly tradable in times of crisis, especially in regions where firearms are common.
If you want to know just how important firearms and ammunition are in a SHTF situation, check out this now-famous (in survivalist and emergency preparedness circles) post on Survivalist Boards from a man who recounts his year surviving in Sarajevo while the city was under siege during the 90s – no electricity, fuel, running water, real food distribution, organized law or government.
If you’re going to store ammunition to trade, get popular calibers like 9mm, .22, or .308, as these are more likely to be useful.
Just be mindful of local regulations regarding firearm and ammunition storage.
6. Batteries and Solar Chargers
Power is often one of the first things to go in a crisis, making batteries and solar chargers critical.
In that forum post I shared above, the author states, “candles, lighters, antibiotics, fuel, batteries, rifle ammo and of course food; we [fought] like animals for that.”
Rechargeable batteries, along with solar-powered chargers for phones and other devices, can be lifesaving and are highly valuable for trade or personal use.
Stock up on various types of batteries (AA, AAA, D-cell) and invest in a reliable solar charger. Portable power banks can also be very useful.
7. Fuel (Propane, Gasoline, Firewood)
We briefly touched on it above, but energy sources like propane, gasoline and firewood become essential for cooking, heating, and transportation when utilities fail.
If you live connected to the grid and functioning infrastructure, you might not realize how reliant you are on easy and reliable access to different fuel sources.
It makes sense, therefore, that people who don’t have a stockpile of fuel for when SHTF would be willing to trade other valuable items for things like a cord of firewood or some canisters of propane.
8. First Aid Supplies and Medicine
Another one of those things covered in that sobering quote from the Bosnian forum member previously, medical supplies, especially over-the-counter medications like pain relievers, antiseptics, and bandages, will be crucial in an emergency.
Imagine what you would do or trade for a course of penicillin for yourself or a loved one if a life depended on it?
That is why it’s worth it to not only build a comprehensive first-aid kit for yourself but to stock up on extra supplies like ibuprofen, antiseptic wipes, bandages, and prescription medications if possible.
9. Manual Tools and Repair Equipment
In a crisis, especially one where infrastructure breaks down, manual tools like hammers, saws, nails, and hand-crank devices (such as radios) will become essential for repairs and survival tasks.
Tools have long-term value and can be bartered for other necessities.
Things like multi-tools, spare nails and screws, hand-powered devices like radios and flashlights, saws, axes, hand drills, spades, trowels, shovels, and screwdrivers will be essential survival items.
If a couple of screws is the difference between fixing a generator or a lock on a cellar door, imagine what they’re worth to someone?
10. Seeds and Gardening Supplies
In a prolonged crisis, the ability to grow your own good becomes vital. Seeds for stable crops like beans, tomatoes, and leafy greens are highly valuable for bartering or for starting your own sustainable food source.
Heirloom seeds, in particular, can be harvested and replanted season after season.
This is why it’s a good idea to stock heirloom seeds and some of the gardening tools mentioned above – trowels, gloves, watering cans, etc, as bartering goods for when SHTF.
Start your own garden and trade surplus seeds and items with your neighbors to ensure a steady food supply.
11. Skills and Services
I was told more than once by older working class relatives (half-jokingly) while attending university that my fancy education wouldn’t be worth much in a crisis and that it would be the mechanics, carpenters, farmers, etc, who would be the inheritors of the earth.
They weren’t entirely wrong about that.
Mechanical repair, food preservation, and carpentry (I would also add in medical knowledge) are just some of the high-value skill sets that others will be willing to trade goods and services for in a crisis.
12. Bar Soap and Hygiene Products
Maintaining hygiene in a crisis can get quite challenging, especially if water is in short supply, not to mention hygiene products like soap.
But these items are essential for health and well-being, and people are willing to trade for them if supplies run low.
You can stock up on basic hygiene supplies like bar soap, toothpaste, deodorant, and feminine hygiene products. They all have a long shelf life and, since hygiene is crucial to preventing illness, they will definitely be in high demand,
13. Warm Clothing and Blankets
If power or heating systems fail, staying warm will be a priority, especially if you live in the northern hemisphere.
Things like blankets, winter clothes, and thermal wear can be lifesaving and, therefore, highly tradable.
People will need these for survival and, in return, might be willing to trade other essentials for them.
That’s why it’s a good idea to keep extra sets of warm clothing, blankets, socks, and thermal gear in storage, particularly things like wool and synthetic materials that insulate even when wet.
You will need these articles of clothing for yourself, of course, but it’s a good idea to have extras on hand for bartering purposes.
14. Reusable Containers and Packaging Materials
If supply chains are disrupted, reusable containers like mason jars, durable bottles, and sturdy bags will become essential for storing food, water, and other goods.
People will need practical ways to keep perishables safe, transport items, and organize their supplies.
You can barter containers and packaging materials for food, fuel, and other essentials as people scramble to keep their supplies in order, away from pests, and protected from the elements.
