25 Forms of Currency to Use in the Apocalypse

PocketEpiphany Published 02/15/2022 in Funny

Everyone needs money. And we use everything from cash to crypto to NFTs as modern currency.

But what if society goes to hell and you wind up in an apocalypse? You're going to need a new kind of money, and here are just a few of the things you can use.

List View
Player View
Grid View

1.
It’d be a barter system I think. -u/Weak_Carpenter_7060
2.
If the early pandemic taught me anything, it's that Chef Boyardee Spaghetti and Meatballs will be the currency of the apocalypse. -u/Trust-Me-Im-A-Potato
3.
Depends on the kind of apocalypse, to be honest. Post-nuclear? Likely safe food and water. -u/Omnizoom
4.
Ammunition is great currency, you could probably get everything someone had on them with just one bullet. -u/jedadkins
5.
NFTs. By which I mean Nonperishable Food Tins, of course.- u/Cowy_the_Cow
6.
I was told by an ex-military friend of mine who served as a peacekeeper in a few warzones that "matches" are always a reliable one when things really fall apart. -u/Kailoi
7.
Allergy meds. There’s a reason you don’t see any survivors sneezing in apocalypse movies. -u/planetalletron
8.
Growing up my friend and I used to always joke that sauce packets (ketchup, Taco Bell sauce, etc.) would become currency in an apocalyptic scenario. When I got older and I learned about the spice trade I started to realize just how not far-fetched this idea actually was. -u/AModernDayOrion
9.
Antibiotics. -u/OatmealTears
10.
Well, based on my parents stories of Poland in the 70s and 80s, vodka. -u/Cryptic_Alt
11.
Bottle caps. -u/pokemon12312345645
12.
Toilet paper. -u/LucifugeRofocaleX
13.
I will be growing marijuana, opium, tobacco, and coffee. Not a currency per se but tradable. -u/Shaynon17
14.
Clean water. -u/sqinky96
15.
Salt. In times of old wars were fought over it, kingdoms were built on it and razed to the ground over it. In Colonial America, if you had a spare pound of salt you were considered a quite wealthy person. In an apocalyptic environment salt is critical to food preservation. So you can keep your shiny rocks and bits of metal. -u/JeffZahnow
16.
Alcohol can be food, drug, drink, used to sanitize, and also used as fuel. I think alcohol would become a useful currency. -u/frankensteinmoneymac
17.
Schrute Bucks. -u/banteeo
18.
Leaves obviously. Be careful about inflation though. You might have to burn down some forests to avoid it.- u/PadanFain667
19.
Pogs. Anyone remember pogs? I had a sh*tload of those. -u/Smooth-Impact2435
20.
If you're looking for a token of sorts then you're looking for something that lasts a very long time (Not easily broken or degraded). Is not easily reproduced (in a post-apocalyptic setting). And has no utility outside of being an agreed unit of value. Maybe AirPods will be the currency of the future. -u/Cody6781
21.
Skills maybe. -u/misterpep
22.
People. -u/1ZAAK_
23.
During the beginning of covid isolation, my friend and I started a local barter group that really took off. The most popular trade throughout the height of things? Plants. Plants were like money. Especially edible plants and seedlings. As isolation started ending, the need for plants waned, and now the most popular plants are just attractive houseplants. From this, I learned that edible plants would be useful to everyone and could take the place of currency if the world was shut down. -u/EatsPeanutButter
24.
Painkillers. The good ones. -u/Papaverpalpitations
25.
Universally: gold. Everyone always, time immortal, wants gold. Guns, ammo, food, supplies in general, sure. But alongside all of that will always be what little gold is out there.- u/Odd-Spread-1764

1.
It’d be a barter system I think. -u/Weak_Carpenter_7060
2.
If the early pandemic taught me anything, it's that Chef Boyardee Spaghetti and Meatballs will be the currency of the apocalypse. -u/Trust-Me-Im-A-Potato
3.
Depends on the kind of apocalypse, to be honest. Post-nuclear? Likely safe food and water. -u/Omnizoom
4.
Ammunition is great currency, you could probably get everything someone had on them with just one bullet. -u/jedadkins
5.
NFTs. By which I mean Nonperishable Food Tins, of course.- u/Cowy_the_Cow
6.
I was told by an ex-military friend of mine who served as a peacekeeper in a few warzones that "matches" are always a reliable one when things really fall apart. -u/Kailoi
7.
Allergy meds. There’s a reason you don’t see any survivors sneezing in apocalypse movies. -u/planetalletron
8.
Growing up my friend and I used to always joke that sauce packets (ketchup, Taco Bell sauce, etc.) would become currency in an apocalyptic scenario. When I got older and I learned about the spice trade I started to realize just how not far-fetched this idea actually was. -u/AModernDayOrion
9.
Antibiotics. -u/OatmealTears
10.
Well, based on my parents stories of Poland in the 70s and 80s, vodka. -u/Cryptic_Alt
11.
Bottle caps. -u/pokemon12312345645
12.
Toilet paper. -u/LucifugeRofocaleX
13.
I will be growing marijuana, opium, tobacco, and coffee. Not a currency per se but tradable. -u/Shaynon17
14.
Clean water. -u/sqinky96
15.
Salt. In times of old wars were fought over it, kingdoms were built on it and razed to the ground over it. In Colonial America, if you had a spare pound of salt you were considered a quite wealthy person. In an apocalyptic environment salt is critical to food preservation. So you can keep your shiny rocks and bits of metal. -u/JeffZahnow
16.
Alcohol can be food, drug, drink, used to sanitize, and also used as fuel. I think alcohol would become a useful currency. -u/frankensteinmoneymac
17.
Schrute Bucks. -u/banteeo
18.
Leaves obviously. Be careful about inflation though. You might have to burn down some forests to avoid it.- u/PadanFain667
19.
Pogs. Anyone remember pogs? I had a sh*tload of those. -u/Smooth-Impact2435
20.
If you're looking for a token of sorts then you're looking for something that lasts a very long time (Not easily broken or degraded). Is not easily reproduced (in a post-apocalyptic setting). And has no utility outside of being an agreed unit of value. Maybe AirPods will be the currency of the future. -u/Cody6781
21.
Skills maybe. -u/misterpep
22.
People. -u/1ZAAK_
23.
During the beginning of covid isolation, my friend and I started a local barter group that really took off. The most popular trade throughout the height of things? Plants. Plants were like money. Especially edible plants and seedlings. As isolation started ending, the need for plants waned, and now the most popular plants are just attractive houseplants. From this, I learned that edible plants would be useful to everyone and could take the place of currency if the world was shut down. -u/EatsPeanutButter
24.
Painkillers. The good ones. -u/Papaverpalpitations
25.
Universally: gold. Everyone always, time immortal, wants gold. Guns, ammo, food, supplies in general, sure. But alongside all of that will always be what little gold is out there.- u/Odd-Spread-1764