Week 13: The Six P’s of Evacuation – Part 6: “Plastic” and Cash

Together, we’ve reached the sixth of the six P’s – “plastic” and cash. In previous posts, I’ve brought up the fact that an evacuation can be ordered at any time – whether we’re at home or away. Therefore, we need to consider multiple possibilities for having these items available when we need them.
 
“Plastic”

• Credit card(s)
• ATM card(s)

​Cash
 
The best way to have these items when you need them is to make sure you always carry them with you when you’re out or have them near your Go Bag when you’re home.
 
Fortunately, if you get caught without your wallet, there are ways to use your phone to make purchases. Google Wallet/Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Wallet/Samsung Pay are available to us. (For more information and pros/cons about each, check out this 2025 Android Authority article written by Joe Hindy: “Google Wallet vs Apply Pay vs Samsung Wallet: Which is right for you? (Which should you trust your payments to?)”) Unfortunately, this means that you (1) need to evacuate with your phone, and (2) must visit a business that accepts one of these forms of payment.
 
Another option is to store a credit or ATM card in your Go Bag. Or store checks in your Go Bag (but do all business still accept checks?). And I highly recommend storing a decent amount of emergency cash in your Go Bag, too.
 
Cost: $0
Frequency: Check the cards and cash stored in your Go Bag semi-annually, and add or swap any items right away (such as when one card expires and you receive a new one)
 
Let’s complete this one, and then we can congratulate ourselves on everything we accomplished over the past six weeks. I think we’re much better prepared to evacuate now, don’t you?
 
What are your thoughts about how to safely store money in case of emergency? Let me know in the Comments.
 
Important Disclaimer: I am not a fire preparedness professional. I am merely sharing my research, opinions, and what I find that applies to my geographic and personal situations in hopes that it will help others. Please make sure that whatever steps and advice you follow are what is best for you.

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