There are hundreds of reasons why a person would chose to hide money at home, instead of keeping it safely in a bank. Perhaps your spouse is one of those ‘if I’ve got it, I gotta spend it’ souls, the type of person who lets money burn a hole in his pocket. Maybe you’re saving up for a special gift, like a piece of jewelry or a vacation or a down payment on a car, and don’t want your Significant Other to find out until you’re ready. It even could be that you’re in a bad relationship and are trying to accumulate money so that you can make a clean break. Whatever the reason, if you’re hiding money inside your home, keep in mind that you’re not only hiding it from crooks, but from other family members as well.
Where not to hide it? The first places any self-respecting burglar would check would be under the mattress, under sofa cushions, inside pillows, taped under drawers, in the back of the toilet tank or in a lingerie or sock dresser drawer. Crooks also know all about hiding money inside books, and they’re very aware of what a false book looks like. Don’t hide money inside other things of value. That little hollow inside the back of your stereo might seem the perfect spot, but the thief might just swipe the stereo for its resale value, and find your stash inside later. Don’t hide money inside prescription medicine bottles. Crooks scoop and grab, then figure out later if they’ve got a bottle of Oxycodone to make money on, or a bottle of high-dose vitamins to toss out. Finding your stash rolled up inside one of the bottles would be an extra bonus for the bad guy. Don’t hide money inside the pockets of clothes that you never wear. What if your spouse suddenly decides to root through the closets and take all the unworn stuff to a thrift store? Don’t hide money inside old boxes or containers—in a cleaning frenzy, these items could be hauled off to the dump. It should go without saying that you should never stash your cash inside your jewelry box. As soon as a burglar has snatched up your pricey electronics, he’s headed to the bedroom to grab your gems.
So where can you safely hide money inside a home? Look around, and decide which places other family members would not have a reason to look and places most crooks would not pay attention to:
*Inside backup supply containers. Things such as coffee cans, laundry soap and tissue boxes work well for this trick. Everyone keeps backup items in their pantries or bathroom cabinets. Hide your cash inside, and no burglar with think twice about it. Of course, before you actually run out of that item, you will need a new backup to replace the old backup.
*Cold hard cash. Crooks know the trick about putting money in the freezer. You’re not going to outsmart them by wrapping cash in butcher paper and mislabeling it, nor will they fall for the ‘stash inside the empty ice cream container trick.’ However, if you have a frozen dinner just sitting innocently on a freezer shelf, how would a crook ever know that you’ve carefully peeled one end open, slid your money inside and then hot-glued it back together to make it look like a brand new container? If you live with anyone and plan to use this tip, make sure the frozen meal is something your family members or roommates wouldn’t eat on a bet, like bulgur and tofu stew or something equally bad, and it will be left alone.
*Luggage- Most people keep their luggage stacked in a closet or basement corner, and it’s generally ignored unless it’s time to take a trip. Your money can be safely stashed inside a pocket or in a zippered compartment, and no one will think to look there until it’s time to go on vacation.
*Inside rarely used appliances such as bread maker or ice cream machine. Don’t hide cash inside toaster ovens or anything that could catch fire. An unsuspecting family member could inadvertently destroy your money.
*Hide between the matting and the frame on family pictures. These personal items are of no interest to burglars, and your money should be safe there. Conversely, do not hide it behind oil paintings, unusual posters or other art that might appeal to a thief.
*Use the old ‘fake rock’ trick. You’ve seen those fake rocks, the kind we’re supposed to stash our house key into, then place in the garden so we can get into our house if we’re ever locked out. Burglars know about those fake rocks, too. However, they’ll never expect it as a place to hide your money if you put the rock in a potted plant, with several other real rocks. Or, ‘hide’ the fake rock inside a large dish that holds candles and real rocks.
No matter where you’ put your extra cash, make sure you are able to remember where you’ve hidden it. It’s one thing to stymie a crook, it’s quite another thing to want to get at the funds, yet not recall where you stashed it!