Having some money saved at home to meet emergency situations is a recommendation that has been repeated by several central banks and personal finance experts. In scenarios of power outages, crises or temporary interruptions in payment systems, access to cash can become essential for basic expenses. According to , institutions such as the Bank of Portugal and the European Central Bank have warned of the importance of keeping a small reserve of money at home.
The idea is not to accumulate large amounts, but to ensure that there is some money available for unexpected situations. This money can be used to pay for essential goods or basic services if electronic payment methods are temporarily not working. Still, there is no universal value that applies to all families, as the amount depends on the size of the household and the needs of each home.
As Notícias ao Minuto explains, some guidelines point to reference values that help to have an approximate idea of the appropriate amount for a domestic reservation. Natália Nunes, from DECO, recently said that there are experts who advise between 70 and 100 euros per adult and around 30 euros per child. Applying this example to a family with two adults and two children, the total value could be around 260 euros.
How should money be saved
More important than the exact amount is how the money is saved. According to Notícias ao Minuto, the recommendation is to have small denomination notes and also some coins. This choice facilitates payments in situations where it is not possible to receive change easily.
Natália Nunes also warned that it is not advisable to store large amounts at home for security reasons. The most common recommendation is to keep only a small reserve to allow you to respond to unforeseen events. This way, you avoid accumulating cash unnecessarily.
The example coming from Sweden
Similar recommendations have emerged in other European countries. According to Notícias ao Minuto, Sweden’s central bank, the Riksbank, recently issued a similar warning to citizens of that country. The institution advised each person to keep around a thousand Swedish kronor at home, equivalent to approximately 94 euros.
As the same publication explains, this amount should only be considered as a reference and is intended to cover essential expenses for around a week. The aim is to ensure that people can continue to make basic payments even in the event of temporary interruptions in payment systems.
The Swedish central bank also recommends that money be stored in notes of different denominations. This way, it becomes easier to make small purchases even when there is no possibility of receiving change.
Other recommendations for crisis situations
In addition to cash, the Swedish central bank also advises other financial preparedness measures. According to Notícias ao Minuto, one of these recommendations involves ensuring access to at least two bank cards from different brands. The idea is to reduce the risk of failures if a payment system temporarily stops working.
These guidelines emerge in a context of greater international concern about preparedness for crisis situations. According to the same source, the Riksbank’s warning was made at a time marked by geopolitical tensions and international conflicts that have generated economic instability.
International context increases concern
The escalation of tensions in the Middle East has been identified as one of the factors fueling fears of a possible global economic crisis. According to Notícias ao Minuto, these conflicts can have a direct impact on energy markets, as they involve some of the largest oil and gas producers in the world.
This instability is often reflected in international financial markets. On Friday, for example, the main European stock markets began the session falling, although they recovered throughout the afternoon. According to the publication, this movement was linked to the drop in oil and gas prices.
The markets followed the fall in Brent, a reference for Europe, which fell to 98.98 dollars per barrel. At the same time, US West Texas Intermediate crude fell to around $95.73 per barrel. Despite these fluctuations, experts emphasize that keeping some money at home is just a basic precautionary measure to respond to unexpected situations.
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