Cash is king. So have a stash for your disaster preparations. Like you, I don’t like losing money. That’s why I bought some silver, gold, and Canadian dollars to back up my U.S. dollars. All three should provide ample backup in the case of U.S. dollar debasement—the government’s way of taxing you more without raising rates.

Now, I’m not talking big numbers here. I’m using less than 1% of my investable assets. This isn’t investment advice with speculative hopes of selling at a higher price down the road. This is more along the lines of stocking up food and water. Consider this “survival cash.”

I bought 90% silver coins or junk silver—the choice of survivalists. I’m not interested in collecting, so I’m not worried about numismatics. I simply want precious coins for their store of value and barter. It’s a lot easier trading low-value silver coins than chipping off bits and pieces of your valuable gold.

As a lone buyer, I also know the bid/ask spread will be somewhat less favorable. But again, I’m not breaking the bank, and I’m holding for the long term. Google silver coins or junk silver, or click here, and you’ll be on your way to an education in the survivalist metal.

The gold coins I own are American Buffalos and Canadian Maple Leafs. I don’t plan on selling my gold, either. I hope the gold is a store of value, plus the coins are fun to look at and to hold—you feel like you’re worth something.

I ordered Canadian dollars from my local bank for $1.06 each. The delivery charge was less than $15. All in all, I consider this a cheap way to insure the value of my U.S. dollars. You too should consider using around 1% of your investable assets on survival cash.