Are You a Money Stasher?
While surfing (the kind that only exercises the fingers) I ran across this article: Money hiders risk a wealth of woes. Seems that due to the economy more people are “stashing” money and valuables at home out of fear of an economic collapse and the places they hide things are amazing.
The habit is more prevalent in those who are older and who may have lived through the Depression of the 30’s but it is being taken up a bit again by the younger set.
Even though you risk losing everything should there be a fire or a break in and the thieves find it… and of course while insurance might cover the jewelry, cash is never covered… and it doesn’t earn any interest like it would in the bank.
That is the reason you see all the ads for Gold and Silver Coins… fireproof and they can at least maintain a semblance of value even during inflationary times.
I once read an adage: In the 1920’s a $20 gold piece (then $20 at the bank) would buy a man a fine hand tailored suit… today the same $20 gold piece (worth almost $1000) will still buy a man a fine hand tailored suit.
I’m halfway between the Depression set and the Youngsters and I’ll admit to keeping my own “stash” at home though you won’t find it interleaved in the pages of Torch Song Trilogy or hidden in the DVD case for Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert or taped under the drawers of my dresser as in one case recounted above… I’m one of those who invested in a Safe… though that predated the current economic crisis by a good many years and was more for valuable papers than anything else.
The case was not so with my Grandmother… when she died my brother kept finding small sums of money as he was cleaning out her closet… mostly in her purses and in pockets of her clothes… never in the cookie jar, that was for COOKIES (always home made and wonderful… sigh).
Amazing in the fact that she never drove and depended on someone to take her wherever she needed to go she still had all her little stashes.
I wonder how many who read Queercents are the type to have a “stash” and is it in response to the current economy or just something you do unconsciously?
Photo credit: stock.xchng.
Roland, I have a couple of stashes at home – mostly it’s just change that we throw in a big water jug. But I also have random $20 bills stashed just in case. It’s not much money – but I always have a small secret stash just in case I need gas money or something and can’t get to the bank (like a weekend or whatever). The change jar is going to be spending money for our next big trip. We’ll see how much actually fits in a 10 gallon jug when we cash it out.