We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
Potential Alternatives to Money? While most people think money rules the world, the truth is that there are several alternatives to money that are just as useful.

If you’re ever in a situation where you’re unable to use cash, having some of these alternatives to offer others could potentially save your life and help you keep your family safe, well-fed, and protected.
Top Five Potential Alternatives to Money
If you know what to offer, it can make a huge difference. After all, not everything revolves around the dollar bill.
1. Gold
This is probably the most obvious of all the Potential Alternatives to MoneyGold is one of the most valuable precious metals to exist on Earth. While the currency is different across the globe, gold is a form of payment understood worldwide.
It typically has substantial value. While the price of gold fluctuates from time to time, it never significantly loses its value. It’s a form of wealth and has been for many, many years.
Because it’s widely accepted throughout the world, it makes sense to have a collection of gold. You can work on collecting gold over time, especially if you don’t have a lot of money to invest in gold right now.
You may want to slowly but surely start to invest in gold coins and bullion, both of which will hold value. You can add these items to a portfolio and hold onto them because you don’t know when they might come in handy for you.
Silver is a great back up option if gold it too mush of a challenge for you.
2. Ammunition
If it becomes hard to come across in the future, you can expect ammunition to hold value. People want to have ammunition for different reasons. Some people want to have it to feel safe. They may want to feel like they’re capable of protecting their loved ones with their ammunition if it comes down to that.
On the other hand, some people like to use ammunition while hunting for food to bring back to their families. If you buy it now, you’ll have plenty of ammunition to safely store in a secure spot.
Besides using it for hunting for food or defending yourself and your loved ones, you may be able to use ammunition as currency to barter for different items that you need at some point.
If you are seriously looking at this as Potential Alternatives to Money for your SHTF situation, keep an eye on who you trade this with and do it subtly. No one wants the word getting out there that they have plenty of ammo – it can be a great way to invite trouble.
3. Services
This is an often-overlooked item with the Potential Alternatives to Money planning comes about. If you can offer something to someone else in exchange for what they can do for you, it’s possible to use services as an alternative to money. For example, if you’re skilled at sewing, you can offer to sew clothes for someone in exchange for fruit and vegetables from their garden. Use your skills to your advantage.
If you’re not sure which services you could provide as an alternative to money, think about what you’re good at and what you can offer. You may have a garden full of crops that others can eat.
You can offer to do yardwork for someone else or even provide other valuable services to different people who can’t do what you can do. Create a list of the services you know you can offer in times of need if it ever comes down to it.
4. Energy Sources
Can you imagine what life would be like without electricity? Most people stress over the thought of not having access to modern technology, but there’s so much more to it than that. If you’re without a power source, you can’t do most of the things you’ve gotten used to doing because of technological advances and access to power sources.

If you have coal or gasoline, you can always use it as a form of payment for services to those who could use these energy sources. You’ll find people who need coal or gasoline to heat their homes, get their vehicles running, or even allow them to cook a meal for their loved ones.
Because these energy sources come in handy during emergencies, it’s wise to start collecting them. You can buy coal and gasoline, but you’ll need to know how to safely store these products.
The worst thing to do is to improperly keep coal and gasoline because then it could go to waste, causing you to lose out on money and the chance to use these sources as an alternative to money when bartering with different people.
5. Food and Water
You can survive without gold, coal, gasoline, and many other things, but one thing humans can’t survive without for too long is food and water. So, if you have it, you know it’ll be valuable during dire situations where access to food and water is limited.
While most people don’t want to think of the worst possible outcome, having extra food and water could be a lifesaver in the event of an economic collapse that leads to a survival situation. It doesn’t mean you need to go out and buy a bunch of water and food to build your stockpile, but you can start storing these items little by little to get prepared for any potential emergency that occurs.
One way to make sure you always have food available is to grow a garden in the backyard. Start with simple crops that are easy to grow, such as green onions, potatoes, and carrots. Work your way up to planting more complex crops that will provide you with a decent variety.
Even after you’ve harvested your crops, you can preserve them through canning or freezing methods to ensure you have access to food in an emergency. You can also begin storing fresh filtered water in large, sturdy containers that won’t cause any leaks.

Use the Right Alternatives to Money in Emergencies
Did you know that there were a few good alternatives to using money? While the currency is different in countries all across the globe, these alternatives are widely accepted worldwide.
If you’re looking for a way to pay for services you’ll receive without spending money, especially during an emergency, you can use one or more of these alternatives as a form of payment. Use your skills and the things you’ve collected overtime to pay for the goods and services you need during tough times. You’ll notice that during emergencies, many other people will do the same.