Just over a year ago the world changed. The long-ignored warnings of grizzled preppers, finally came true. I was lucky enough to grow up in a family with a grandmother who taught me to never rely on government when the STHF. This strong woman, always had at least a six month supply of food available, stored water and enough candles to choke a horse. "You never know when the lights might go out, and stay out" she'd exclaim. "Best be ready!"

Stimulus checks? Nah, as far as she was concerned, you needed to have access to your own funds, not under someone else’s control. There was money stashed away in at least six different locations "just in case." This must have been the only person I know who also had currency, coins and anything else she could barter, buried under her tomato plants in the backyard. Today, she'd likely have a hardware wallet and her seed phrase etched in steel and hidden inside a hollow book underneath the floorboards, in six different places...

I learned what a "bank holiday" was from her, and it always stayed with me that the banks could limit how much you could withdraw in an emergency, but they could also freeze ALL withdrawals. Imagine having money and not being able to access it! Self sufficiency was hammered into my brainstem as I was growing up.

When the lights went out in Texas, that should have been a wake-up call to the people of the lone star state and I'm sure it was for many. Are you prepared if everything went dark? If you couldn't generate funds, how long could you survive without money coming in?