Are you prepared?

Fireflyaway

Gloomendoom wrote: »

How is having a bit of spare cash stashed in the house going to help in those situations?

Would mean I could walk to the shop to buy candles I guess! No I see what you mean. It wasn't just money I was thinking of. The other day the water was cut off and it never occurred to me I would turn on the tap and not get water. Made me realise like today I was relying on the bank that I should probably have supplies of everything ( including cash) just in case.

Gloomendoom

spadoosh wrote: »

How would you buy a torch from the shop?

I wouldn't need to, I'd go outside and fire up the generator.

KxMx

We have bottled water in the house and a "power out" box of candles, matches, battery radio, batteries and a telephone that only requires plugging into the socket to work. Also a camping stove, kettle and gas bottles.

Always plenty of food too.

We live in a part of England that gets more than its fair share of storm systems

mgdavid

I have access (not kept on the premises but very local) to enough cash in sterling and euros to leave the country and lie low for about a month.

Primrose

For those who keep a stash of cash at home for emergencies, check that you don't keeep them in £5 notes, or swap them now as the Bank Of England will be withdrawing all the current paper £5 notes early next year and swapping them for the new "plastic" ones. You will be able to exchange old paper notes after withdrawal date but only by taking them to the Bank of England. High street branches won'tbe able to take them. Other denomination of notes are apparently going to be swapped later next year so check out the Bank of England website for details in case your home stash becomes out of date.

[Deleted User]

I have an Anderson Shelter in my garden, just in case the EU or Russians invade.

sillyvixen

I should have learned my lesson - but I have not! I have been stranded at a petrol station when my bank's computer system went down and neither bank card or credit card would work in the card machine or the cash point, and I have been in the situation when the water supply was off for nearly 3 weeks! Having been warned that the water supply might be going off "for a bit" by a neighbour who had heard a local report and saw me leaving the house - I filled my 2 jugs with water (2 x 0.75 liters), covered them with cling film and put them in the fridge and went off feeling smug... the free water collection points and bowsers did not kick in for 2 days and you could not buy a bottle of water in the county.

Although I have a cupboard of tins just in case, the only stored water/cash in the house I have is my drinks bottle filled with squash and my bus fare both ready for work tomorrow!

Hedgehog99

I keep enough cash for a tank of petrol and a decent supermarket shop. I also have batteries, radios, torches, camping gas + a little pan for it, tinned food & bottled water.

It's worth being able to be self-sufficient for a couple of days by which time I hope either the problem is solved or the council/government/utility/army is in a position to know what to do next.

LKRDN_Morgan

I never carry cash. I'm that parent that had to write a cheque for my sons xmas dinner at school. £1.65!

The amount of times I've driven into a car park to find it's cash only then having to drive out again. I never seem to learn

Gloomendoom

I'm pretty sure that we could last for several weeks with all mains services off without too much of a problem. Food and fuel for the generator would be the limiting factors.