How to Hide Money (and to Find It Again)

If you need to figure out how to hide money, the first thing you should ask yourself is: to hide it from whom and why? Do you want to know how to keep money hidden to prevent being assaulted in the street? Or because you are going on vacations and leaving the house alone? Do you want to keep your hard-earned money away from…

• … burglars?  That would be easy to prevent.
• … a maid? Not so easy if she stays alone in your house.
• … your teenage sons and daughters? Hard, but doable.
• … your mom? Forget it! Mission impossible.

Or perhaps, you want to know how to keep money hidden from… yourself! Then, piece of cake! Most people forget where they stashed money.

How to keep money hidden the wrong way

Not planning. When you stash something away you need to plan how to recover it in case you need it back. This includes considering some unpleasant emergency situations like how are the other members of the family going to find your money if something happens to you.

Burglar's perspective. When asked how to keep money hidden, police officers agree that most people stash away their valuables in places that seem unusual from a homeowner's point of view, but stand as obvious from a burglar's viewpoint. So, if I could give just only one advice about how to hide money, it would be "put yourself in the shoes of the burglar".

Common wrong places, from a burglar's perspective:

• Toilets. Drug-addict burglars will search toilets, because of the likelihood of prescription drugs being kept there.

• Refrigerators. Believe it or not, some burglars do look in the fridge (hey, some even watch TV and drink your beer before leaving).

• Your bedroom. Burglars search mattresses and anything near the bed.

Sometimes, burglars have a nice surprise after they leave a house. When checking their loot, it's not unusual for them to find money inside the stolen objects. Their owners knew how to keep money hidden, but had no clue about the put-yourself-in-the-burglar's-shoes rule.

How to hide money the smart way and enjoy some peace of mind

However, most prowlers don't have too much time to thoroughly search your house. When thinking about where and how to keep money hidden, understand that any place has its advantages and its drawbacks. I'll show you some unexpected places and their (dis)advantages.

• Toys. A friend of mine gave me this hint about how to hide money. Her kids' bedroom looks much like a toyshop after an earthquake: name a toy, they have it. Enter their bedroom and try to avoid stepping on a Desert Storm soldier, a fluo-green arrow, Barbie legs or puzzle pieces. I´ll bet you can't either. Burglars don't bother to look for money in kid's bedrooms. She uses a stuffed giraffe long forgotten by the kids —and the cat—.

• Frames. In my survey on how to keep money hidden I also got an interesting idea from another woman. She hides money behind a picture of herself on the wall. No… she's not that ugly; but no one discovered the money yet.

• Rugs. Some time ago I read this tip somewhere else on the Internet: how to keep money hidden using a large rug and an envelope. Almost nobody will look under the center of a carpet (the edges, maybe; but not the center: too much work).

• Electric sockets. There's a lot of unused space behind the switches and electric outlets on the wall. how to keep money hidden in a socket? First, turn the main power off! Place the stash in the corner and insulate it with a tape. Be careful, failing to insulate anything made of metal you put inside a socket may cause a short circuit.

• Upholstery. how to keep money hidden in the underside of chairs and sofas: Remove the staples, fit a couple of Ben Franklins inside, staple again.

• Books. Avoid encyclopedias: your teenage children might suddenly become interested in the martyrdom of Policarpo on volume 12, precisely where you put your $$$... or was it volume 21 and the lapidation of saint Stephen?

And my grandma's old time favorite:

• Old Socks. Think someone would look inside worn socks? No, right? Then, I know you are male. Great idea if you are the only woman in the family. If not, be warned: anything that has to do with clothes turns out a bad plan if your mom/wife/girlfriend/aunt is/are around. Of course it worked for my grandma. I am a guy!

Ways to Conceal Cash the Sunshine Products USA way

Some gifts from Sunshine Products USA will immediately give you some ideas on how to keep money hidden. They are mostly designed for emergency money while you are traveling or away from home; but they can be used in the places listed above. Check out, for instance:

• The Itty Bitty "Cash Stash" Key Charm. You can hide one bill in it (it's just half an inch in diameter). What's an Itty Bitty? A tiny cylinder you can hang from your key ring. Ideal for emergency money. A nice gift, also.
   
• The Mini Cash-Can. Only one bill fits in this one, too. Once you hide your $100 bill, you won't spend it for months. It's waterproof and it has a clever mechanism that prevents losing the container.
   
• The 44 Auto Mag Bullet Cash Stash. This replica of a bullet allows you to hide a bill, as well and it will remain dry no matter what you do with the container.

Some ideas on how to hide money with our containers:
Since they include a rubber o-ring, these waterproof containers can be hidden in a fish tank, a flowerpot, the ground in the backyard or any other humid environment. They are so small, that you can put them inside the handles of some common tools or the handles of a bike. But don't hide them in worn socks!