# food as currency



## thomasdangerpowers (Mar 2, 2012)

I did a response to Canadian preppers video title food as currency, I strongly believe this popular idea will bet many people killed.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Food has always been used as currency. It's something that's always in demand. It's being used right now in Venezuela. Yes, you have to be careful; you don't trade at your house - only at the street markets; you never admit that the food is yours - only that "you know a guy" who has some; you only trade for something that you desperately need.

Your statement that you will either give your antibiotics to a man with a sick child, or he will take them, ignores the third alternative. He will be shot as a looter.


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

Never trade your food-- you will need it


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## thomasdangerpowers (Mar 2, 2012)

tango said:


> Never trade your food-- you will need it


hell yeah, well said brother!


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

I would be willing to trade food for (meds, dental stuff, canning lids, etc) after all..I know a guy that might have some extra rice


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Tins of meat like tuna, spam are great trade items. Just head @sideKahr advice: do not trade at home, and it's not yours.


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

food should be on the table as barter just like anything else - it's the value of the item(s) you're bartering for that's debateable .... if you need something that indispensable to your continued living - there's no question - doubt anyone buries you with your precious food ....


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

The biggest problem with barter is: It advertises to everyone and their uncle what you DO have (such as food, medical supplies etc), as well as what you DON'T (weapons, ammo etc).


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## ND_ponyexpress_ (Mar 20, 2016)

Back Pack Hack said:


> The biggest problem with barter is: It advertises to everyone and their uncle what you DO have (such as food, medical supplies etc), as well as what you DON'T (weapons, ammo etc).


 a month after a serious SHTF... and simply being alive and not emaciated will advertise you have stuff by itself... and if the people you could potentially barter with are in good shape as well, the Giant Pink Elephant in the room is you are both sick of what you have plenty of to survive.... I see no problem establishing a small swapping spot. it is likely you are both afraid of the other trying to steal what they think the other has.... general rule.. don't divulge numbers of stores or shooters (likely never mention the former and inflate the latter)!


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

@thomasdangerspowers - Food, medical supplies, etc. are not currencies. They are barter items. You need something, someone has it and needs what you have, so you trade. Lighters and paper plates are also not "currency." Thy are also barter items. "Currency" is fiat scrip, or paper notes, that holds expected value only as long as the issuing authority is stable. Money, on the other hand, is maintains its value through the ages and governments, like silver and gold. Words, and their definitions, mean things, so use them properly.

If things devolve into a world without rule of law, it is going to be a bad place, whether or not you barter or buy things with silver and gold from a community organized market, or barter with the family down the street, or even if you do nothing at all. The mere fact that you and your family do not appear to be dying is reason enough for the rogues to kill you and take what was yours. Actually, the mere fact that you exist will be reason enough to assume you have something.

The situation will dictate what you are willing to barter for what you need. You have what you think is an adequate supply of food, but your wife desperately needs insulin. The family down the street just lost the mother/wife to dysentery, but she was diabetic and they have insulin they don't need, but they need food. They, like most everyone else, don't give a rip about your paper plates. The picture is obvious.

In summary, learn the difference between currency, money and barter items. Understand that the situation and need will determine what you are willing to barter with someone else, as that will be what is motivating them, too. Also understand that, even if you do no bartering at all, you are still going to be the target of those who are willing to steal and kill.

As far as your disagreement with some other YouTuber, this is like a work buddy running up to tell me about a disagreement he had with another coworker. I wasn't there, don't have both sides of the argument, and therefore do not care.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

ND_ponyexpress_ said:


> .... general rule.. don't divulge numbers .............


In order to barter, you have to. You can't come to the table stating, "Maybe I have _one_ can of soup..........."


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

I don't know, and I believe nobody else does either exactly what will be going down after a major SHTF event like the post suggest. But here's how I see things:
Yes, there will be a crazy period where the people who didn't and couldn't adapt will be starving and be desperate, this will be what I think of as the massive killing, or dying period. I say it will last for about six months. During this time, is when everyone better watch their butts very closely, beware of pretty much everyone, play everything close to their vest.
After the dying period, most of the desperate people will be gone, I believe, notice I said most. I believe there are more good honest people than bad, true now, and will be true then. 
In the past there were meeting areas, where people come to trade, or otherwise just to be with other people. In general people are pack animals, we want, even maybe need, to be around other people, and of course there are exceptions. I could see such meeting or trading areas, as where people will socialize perhaps sing, dance play music, and of course trade what they can spare for what they feel they want.
Again, I believe most will be very honest, perhaps even trade a days work for someone for what they desire? Likewise, there are and will remain people who find it easier to steal, or otherwise just take what they want, bad people so to speak. I also believe out of such necessaries the people will form their own justice system and people found guilty of not playing by the rules will be dealt with very harshly. 
I believe if you want to see the future, look at the past.


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## stowlin (Apr 25, 2016)

Some simple concepts have been well stated.

- don't barter at home
- that implies too don't store your barter items in one place
- it also implies you barter away what you don't need

- what you barter for matters it's clearly something you need or why risk anything

- people are hungry, needing food, thus they can be dangerous.


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## ND_ponyexpress_ (Mar 20, 2016)

Back Pack Hack said:


> In order to barter, you have to. You can't come to the table stating, "Maybe I have _one_ can of soup..........."


AKA... I have 50 lbs of rice and 200rounds of .308....... I could trade you 1........ try saying I have some things.... anything in particular you are looking for?


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## Ragnarök (Aug 4, 2014)

I would only trade outside of my community and I wouldn't be alone...and it wouldn't be me trading in person. as far as trading food...I would trade food to the right person for medical supplies or ammo or a gun. Read the situation and don't go alone or in too large a group.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

Here's a crazy-ass idea; it's an idea a lot of us around here are using. Build a loose community of friends who are working on prepping and self sustenance. Fact is, you won't survive long after the real deal goes down if you are alone. You'll have to have a team, and you'll have to have a community of people.

The notion of being stand-alone when things go terminal is fodder for movies. Think about your situation, your neighbors, your friends, and formulate a plan. A plan that includes like-minded people. Include those people in your plans, thereby creating a community.

This video is an ill-planned concept. Don't be like this video. Plan, and network.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

ND_ponyexpress_ said:


> AKA... I have 50 lbs of rice and 200rounds of .308....... I could trade you 1........ try saying I have some things.... anything in particular you are looking for?


In order to *offer* 50 lbs of rice and/or 200 rds of .308, for *anything *you need/want that is close to equal value to you, you have spill the beans about having at least that much.

Yeah, I get what you're saying. Maybe you could barter ONE pound of rice for something small, but nickle-and-dime bartering like that is gonna take forever and a day to get what you want.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Denton said:


> Here's a crazy-ass idea; it's an idea a lot of us around here are using. Build a loose community of friends who are working on prepping and self sustenance. Fact is, you won't survive long after the real deal goes down if you are alone. You'll have to have a team, and you'll have to have a community of people.
> 
> The notion of being stand-alone when things go terminal is fodder for movies. Think about your situation, your neighbors, your friends, and formulate a plan. A plan that includes like-minded people. Include those people in your plans, thereby creating a community.


After the event, I will build the community of neighbors on our rural dead end lane. My extra food stores are not for barter, but the glue to help build the community. Some neighbors will be able to provide gardens & cattle. Other have other skills, such as a dentist in one home & a nurse in another. Most are ******** accustomed to hunting. But as I picture it, all will be involved in security & self sufficiency.

Agree. Can't survive on your own.


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## ND_ponyexpress_ (Mar 20, 2016)

was saying... DON"T say how much you have of anything....... hence no numbers on your end.. let them be the first to throw out an amount.. nickle and dime leads to trust and an established relationship..... you don't go up to a drug dealer you just met and say I want to buy 20lbs of weed, I have 100k cash on me for it........ SHTF bartering is the same... small transactions lead to bigger...


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## SGG (Nov 25, 2015)

ND_ponyexpress_ said:


> was saying... DON"T say how much you have of anything....... hence no numbers on your end.. let them be the first to throw out an amount.. nickle and dime leads to trust and an established relationship..... you don't go up to a drug dealer you just met and say I want to buy 20lbs of weed, I have 100k cash on me for it........ SHTF bartering is the same... small transactions lead to bigger...


You're paying way too much for weed bro


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Anything you have someone else might want can get you killed that is true STHF or not. Post SHTF, or temporary disruption of life as we know . We will have food and plenty of it. There are some things in life I would be more inclined to give away rather that try to profit from it. Food would be one of them in some cases.
This brings us back to why number one on the list of being prepared is you own security. With out it nothing you have is yours long.


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

Back Pack Hack said:


> In order to *offer* 50 lbs of rice and/or 200 rds of .308, for *anything *you need/want that is close to equal value to you, you have spill the beans about having at least that much.
> 
> Yeah, I get what you're saying. Maybe you could barter ONE pound of rice for something small, but nickle-and-dime bartering like that is gonna take forever and a day to get what you want.


I don't think you realize what the value of a pound of dry goods food will be in a starving world situation ... you're going to want a good quantity of the sandwich sized ziplock bags to divide up barter food into 1/2 pound lots - and they'll be commanding a hefty barter exchange ...


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Illini Warrior said:


> I don't think you realize what the value of a pound of dry goods food will be in a starving world situation ... you're going to want a good quantity of the sandwich sized ziplock bags to divide up barter food into 1/2 pound lots - and they'll be commanding a hefty barter exchange ...


Truth is, _nobody_ knows what the value of any item after SHTF _will_ be. Anyone who (today) says 50 lbs of rice will be worth x number of rounds of a given caliber ammunition after SHTF is just guessing. It might be worth 10 rds, it might be worth 100 rds, it might be worth 1000 rds. And it might not be worth any ammo at all.

But it's not the _potential value_ that I've been addressing here. I'm merely stating that *in the course of bartering, one is potentially giving perfect strangers intel on their stores*. Strangers whom one knows little about. Strangers who may think, "Hmm, this guy needs ammo. That means his defense is weak. Instead of trading for his food, I'll just strike tonight and take it by force."

That is all I'm saying. And that's all I've been saying.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

The way I look at it, the whole point of my preps is so that I don't need to barter. I will not be announcing to strangers that I have extra food or whatever. I will try to build a secure community and part of that might include the use of Slippy pikes.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

What an item is worth it based on what someone is will to give for it. They place that value on how bad they need it, it's importance to them and what ever emotional hold it has on them. If the cost for an item is something a person can not cover and they feel that with out it they will suffer, you are like to be forced to defend it. Many have been killed over a few bucks to buy drugs. Even more have been killed just because they stepped on what someone else saw as their turf . If you think post SHTF your going out and barter for goods and service, you better be ready to fight.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Illini Warrior said:


> I don't think you realize what the value of a pound of dry goods food will be in a starving world situation ... you're going to want a good quantity of the sandwich sized ziplock bags to divide up barter food into 1/2 pound lots - and they'll be commanding a hefty barter exchange ...


some people might read the above and not want to believe it.. but

"And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. (6) And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine." (Revelation 6:5-6)

a Measure is about a quart
a penny (denarius) would be equal to one days labor

Matthew 20:2-9 suggests workers were paid one denarius (penny) for 8 hours of labor or a full work day:

Can you imagine working 8 hours in order to purchase enough flour for a small loaf of bread


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Maine-Marine said:


> ..."And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. (6) And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine." (Revelation 6:5-6)


 @Maine-Marine thought you might find this interesting. Maxo Vanka attempted to depict what you quote on the walls of St. Nicholas Church a few miles from me:


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## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

Bartering should only be an option, not a requirement, hopefully if prepared properly there will not be a need, though one can never predict an event....


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