Thanks for the info - what a bummer that a good detector can tell what kind of metal it is. Ugh.

I don't have any lead and I have only clay soil. How deep do I have to bury my money before the metal detector can't find it? How far away does a metal detector have to be before finding it above ground?

If money can't be securely hidden, what's the point of having any?

-- peg (peg@futureandahope.com), December 01, 1999

Answers

Freudian slip, I read that as "How deep is my money going to be buried". Ie., how much value is the money going to loss. If Y2K is a bit more than a BITR, the government will try to inflate its way out of any problems. If it is worse than that, items might be rationed and your money won't be able to buy anything except at inflated prices on the black (free) market. If Y2K is really really bad, the money will be worthless since the federal government won't be able to enforce the legal tender laws.

Sort of a catch-22, the money will be useful only if Y2K is so mild that the risk of confication or theft is low. That said, I think it is a good idea to put eggs in more than one basket and having some ready cash makes a whole bunch more sense that keeping it in a bank where it will get a piddling amount of interest (before taxes).

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), December 02, 1999.

The suggestion to have money hidden in several spots is good. Personally, it depends on how much money and the type you are burying....gold and silver...I would stick in little babyfood jars or such...hide a couple in strategic points on your property....beneath a couple of bushes in the roots and under a tree... Paper money...well, make sure it's dry and safe and do something similar. Same with coins...if you have access to some woods...a couple or three hidden caches would be good. Remember...things change...and you don't want a map giving anything away...so remember where you hid it. If you have kids...you might draw up some 'Quake' or 'Dungeons and Dragons type maps with goofy symbols and locations of 'spell and magic weapons and stick it into a D&D book. Also, I keep a coin jar with maybe $10 worth of pennies and a few nickels and dimes in it....put it on the fridge or a shelf out of reach but plain sight...they'll see it and take it and figure that's it. Just some thoughts...Sat

-- Satanta (satanta@zdnetmail.com), December 02, 1999.

A) Paper rots over time B) If you think it's a great spot, someone else thought of it, too. C) Tell someone you-gulp-trust where it is D) Keep your 'valuables' in the form of food, booze, smokes, ie: trade- ables. Pennies is a good idea! A hassle to move, but a cinch to cash ($5) at a time.

-- kathy (catfish@bestweb.net), December 02, 1999.

I was thinking maybe I had to outwit a metal detector, but if that's not worth doing (or maybe not possible), then the problem isn't as great.

Your ideas include some I've thought of and some more that I haven't. Thanks much!

-- peg (peg@futureandahope.com), December 02, 1999.