History

History teaches us that when there's a currency crisis, people didn't stock up on gold bars and silver coins. A lot of preppers are saying that gold bars and silver coins are necessary to any prepper. Here in the Philippines, even those with above average incomes don't have a gold bar or two hidden in their closets.

Take a look at Volos, Greece. The people there have set up tents and stalls to barter with one another. It's an ancient system that's gaining popularity as the Euro slowly loses its value. One man selling children's underwear said that he got computer lessons and language classes in return for his goods.

This is where proper prepper planning (let's call it PPP for fun!) comes in. Even if you cannot invest in gold bars or silver coins, if you have life skills (such as knowledge in plumbing, engineering, or planting herbs) or you have stocked up on arguably cheap essentials (such as toilet paper, shampoo, or entertaining books) then you can ensure that if a monetary crisis lands in our shores (or rather, a bigger monetary crisis than the one we're facing hits us square in the face), we'd be like the people of Volos. 

This dame frequents Booksale on a regular basis and is hoping that one day, maybe my extra copy of Franzen or my still brand-new Coelho will come in handy.