We always keep a stash of cash on hand, but in a power outage or satellite problem, you can't buy anything anyway, at least in most stores. Nothing has a price tag, they have barcodes, so the clerk does not know how much to charge you. Then, even if a price is available, the cash drawer won't open without electricity. You can't buy a burger at McD's, 'cuz the clerk only knows how to push the button with the picture of a Big Mac, and the bagger (or whatever they call them) doesn't know what to put in the bag or on the tray, 'cuz they get their order info from a computer screen, and it isn't working anymore. You can't buy gas, the pump is computerized. The list goes on and on. We are totally dependent on power and computers...