"Put your money where you want and shut up about it, is my advice." You might consider taking your own advice.

I don't invest in Gold, I speculate in Gold. By Gold when people start thinking about a recession and sell before the recession hits. I just rode Gold from $1650 to over $2000 and sold before it dropped back below $2000. Yes, paper Gold, ETF Gold.

I own some physical Gold, why not? Mostly 1/10 ounce Gold Eagles. I paid less that $120 for them. Buy physical Gold when it is cheap. Buy paper Gold when it is poised to go up and sell before it starts to go down. I do have a safe but not for my Gold but for many things. Guns, medicine, Gold, Silver, Jewelry, cash and other valuables. A good safe is not a bad investment. If you buy one for a good price, if you need money you can sell the safe after you sell the stuff you kept in the safe.

For barter I prefer Silver. Gold is to Silver like 1 to a 100 so for small purchases Silver works better. Contrary to your suggestion Gold is divisible and so is Silver. Remember the Piece of Eight. A silver dollar coin often cut up to make change. Thus the phrase two bits makes a Quarter. Half a one ounce Gold coin is half an ounce of Gold and still worth half the price of an ounce of Gold. Fussy people would weigh it.

Putting your money in Crypto means the internet must be working to use it. Putting your money in the bank means the bank must be open or at least its electronics working to use it. Put you money with a brokerage, sort of the same deal as banks. Put your money in property, you need to find a buyer or a renter.

Every medium of exchange or store of value has its own merits. Diversify. I have a few hundred pounds of lead, tin, zinc, copper and brass. Did you know you can get $20 a pound for tin? When I bought my tin I paid less than $10 a pound. I probably will not be selling much of my baser metals, I use them but they are a good store of value. I have sold a few hundred pounds of brass and copper that was excess to my needs. Locally when you sell copper they take a picture of your drivers license and mail you a check. Other metals they will pay you in cash.

TEK