8 Spots for Hiding Cash: Where Your Money Can Be Safe from Burglars

Image Courtesy of Stuart Miles / freedigitalphotos.net

First of all, it’s important that we set this reminder. It’s still better not to hoard cash inside your home. Invest it somewhere or put it in the bank. We wrote about this on the post “What Not to Do with Your Money.”

But whatever your reason is, if you are really bent on keeping a considerable amount of cash inside your house, consider the ideas presented below. Hopefully, you will limit the hoarding to emergency cash and in small amounts.

1. Concealed Vault or Safe

There are many options for hiding cash. However, if you want security for your money, you should consider a secure vault that can be installed on your wall or on the floor. These vaults would cost a considerable amount but if you want to protect your valuables, they are the best option.

Aside from holding cash, vaults can also be used for safekeeping important documents such as real estate titles, deeds, and stock certificates. Preferably, choose a vault that is torch-resistant and tool-resistant or something rated as “burglar-safe.”

For the concealment, avoid the typical behind-the-painting-or-picture style. You can have the vault covered by a full fake wall. It can also be hidden inside the closet but further disguised by an additional closet wall.

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2. In the Freezer

Not many are keen on trying this and not many burglars expect their victims to do something similar to this. That’s why keeping your cash in the freezer can be a good option. Just be sure to use a container that can be very tightly sealed. You certainly wouldn’t your money destroyed by the moisture and you wouldn’t want the smell and dirt of money spreading into your feed. You can add silica gel packs along with the money to prevent moisture from going into your cash.

3. In the Children’s Room

Some would suggest hiding money inside some of the toys. It can be a good idea but you need to ascertain that the money will not be accidentally discovered by your children. If you can’t properly store the cash inside toys, hide it inside fixtures like lamps or the toy house. You can even hide it underneath the floor covered by the rubber mat.

Burglars are unlikely to search children’s rooms for valuables. This option is included in Lifehack’s list of best places to hide valuables.

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4. Skid Mark (Dirty) Underwear

This idea sounds gross but it’s very effective. It’s similar to what is being advised to travelers. Skid mark underwear are not only unlikely to attract the attention of burglars, it will also gross them out.

There are many fake skid mark underwear products you can buy online. You can also do one by yourself.

5. Inside the Pockets of Some Clothes in the Drawer

If you don’t feel that comfortable keeping a fake skid mark underwear, you can settle with the clothes in your drawer. It is also not very likely for burglars to individually inspect your clothes for money. Just make sure the money is well-secured so even if everything gets scattered around, nothing will protrude or provide a hint that the stash is in the clotyhes.

6. DIY Recycled Disguised Safes

You can also create your own safes made of recycled materials. The cans of fruit cocktails, milk, or jams you have in your kitchen can be easily converted into disguised safes. Just wash and dry them up. Make them appear like the regular kitchen inventory and have them stored at the inner portions of your cabinets. Put in some stuffings to add weight on them so they don’t sound suspicious.

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7. Christmas Decor Box

The Christmas decor box is another great spot for hiding cash. Burglars will likely not suspect anything valuable to be found in it. Be sure to tightly and securely keep your cash in this box, though. You certainly wouldn’t want cockroaches, silverfishes, rats, and other vermin to feed on your money. You can insert some cash inside large Christmas balls or other decors with hollow portions.

8. Fake Fixtures

This is included in MSN’s ‘Best Places to Hide Money at Home article. Fake fixtures are a good way to secure money at home. It is important, however, to do it properly. You can’t create an obviously fake air vent or fake power outlet. If you want to create something like a fake sink drain, make sure that that fake drain is well-hidden.

These are some of the safest spots for hiding cash inside your house. However, bear in mind that there is no guarantee that a burglar will be totally unable to find them. As a precaution, it would help if you actually put out some cash or fake money “secured” in the usual spots like an easily findable safe in your room.

As Jeffrey Strain of SavingAdvice.com reported in his “Conversation with a Burglar” post, burglars will always try to find something to get from your home. If they find nothing, they will rip through everything. If you want to minimize the damage burglars would do in your house, you can strategically put some money for them to find. The amount could be a few hundred dollars to a thousand. You can use some realistic-looking fake money although you might get in trouble with the law for it.

By Abc10 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 It also helps keeping some envelopes with deceiving labels. For example, you can put an envelope on your tablet or drawer with the label “for bank safe deposit” or something similar. This will imply to the burglars that you have sent your money or valuables to the bank, making them believe that there’s nothing valuable to find in the house.

If you are planning to keep money inside your house, better do it right. Also, be sure to inform your wife or husband, as well as other mature enough members of the family who can be entrusted with the secret stash you have. Not doing so might result to accidents that could destroy the cash supposedly being secured. You may just end up ironically losing the thing you’ve been trying to secure.