anyone prepping for a collapse of the internet based banking system?

[M3lon]

Heard this concept on the radio recently and actually it seems to me by far the most likely calamity that might happen...a bit Mr. Robot I grant you, but also quite plausible.

Its the first apocalyptic suggestion that has gotten me genuinely thinking about prepping!

So any advice for a prepping virgin on how to survive a collapse of internet bank communications?

If you are a prepping virgin, I would focus on small scale stuff . Simply look at ways of building resilience into your home if the grid went down. Take it from there. I can't speak for other people on here but the general position on here is bugging in during trouble rather than bugging out in some Mad Max scenario.

Interesting. I haven’t really prepared specifically for an absolute collapse of the system, apart from what i’ve prepped for other scenarios that would apply here as well (keeping my head down, out of the way, enough food/water to bug in for a while, learning useful skills).

What I do see as quite likely (and has in fact happened) is temporary blips in systems meaning debit/credit cards don’t work for whatever reason and I can’t withdraw cash for a bit. I always make sure I have some cash stashed away in various places so I can pay for bits and pieces if needed. Only really foresee it being for a day or so at most though.

I don’t have hundreds of pounds lurking about, and I don’t have lots of silver/gold; as I judge that the chances of having it stolen are currently higher than the chance of a catastrophic long term banking event where it would be needed. Others obviously may feel differently.

Basically, anything on here that is remotely in the area of dystopian or apocalyptic thinking gets picked up and jumped on by the casual visitor as " they are all about tin foil hats and camo on the Preppers thread, don't bother with them, you don't want to be like that".
With Brexit going on we are getting a lot of casual visitors and many are put off doing anything at all by wider prepper discussions.

Interesting. And scary. I can only think of stocking up on everything you’ll need in the short term. And having some cash readily available.

When is this a possibility to happen, did they say? The next year? Or further in the future.

Thinking about it, having lots of cash/silver lying around probably isn’t the answer anyway in any sort of apocalypse situation; as I imagine things would eventually turn to more of a barter system. I’m not going to give my neighbour some flour if they give me £100, because that £100 would be worthless in the event of a banking collapse. I would, however, trade them some flour in return for, say, them helping me repair my rainwater collection system.

It’s not a bad scenario to prep for though, OP - often if you prep for one specific “worst case scenario” you end up being a lot more prepared for lower level things such as power cuts, bad weather etc anyway.

Better to focus on your skills and resources than speculate on stuff you can't control.
Having a tradeable skill is worth more than hoarding too much cash.

For example, I have a tiny Faraday cage set up in an old pot in the garage. Might give me a tiny edge for a short time in a scenario where needed but it won't feed me or keep me warm. Or give me drinkable water.

A stout pair of boots, a map of the local area and a degree of physical fitness is more handy.

So true bellinisurge - though i’m currently struggling with the “degree of physical fitness” aspect myself

I have MS so I am already on the backfoot. And a love of crisps. Couch 2 5k is fab. I did it. I got poorly. I'm trying again.

Yes I got to week 6 then fell of the wagon spectacularly a few weeks ago... need to get back on it! No point in doing all this prepping if I cark it from heart disease way before anything happens

I know people who do full on prep for that but not because of Brexit.

Personally I just make sure I have enough cash so that if I needed to do a full weeks shop, pay club subs for my son & get a few cabs I could cover them because once in a while my card got damaged & wouldn't work or the card system went down so it was pay cash or don't shop that day.
For me, that's a couple of hundred pounds & frankly it's more than most people can afford to leave untouched in a tin but I built it up over time.
Sometimes it's hard to leave it there.
I've had to use it when my local shop messed up it's machines, then replace it as notes & coins have changed so even that is not something you can just forget about or a chunk of my currency would have been invalid by now.

You can only do so much & trying to prep for something like that for a longer time period than a couple of weeks would cost an absurd amount of money, which you would then have tied up in things like coins/bullion you can't easily spend if nothing goes wrong.

Thanks for the responses!

I think the most likely scenario is a cyber attack. Most of the solar flare or galactic explosion type scenarios result in total breakdown of everything. In that case, I think I'd rather go fast than slow tbh!

The banking crash idea is interesting because it doesn't necessarily impact things like electricity supply, so in some ways its emminently survivable in general - its just not obvious to me what is really an asset if such a thing occurred.

I'm not sure if cash actually is - because who is turning up to work if they can't be paid? Who is delivering goods if they won't get paid?

on the other hand I'm not quite pessimistic enough to follow my work colleagues thinking and rush out to buy a machette!

I really like the bug in, not bug out idea though! And fitness - both eminently practical.

btw none of this has anything to do with brexit in my mind.

I'm getting in some extra painkillers for that, but haven't am lucky enough not to have any serious illness in the family.