The Best Place To Hide Money: Conversation With A Burglar
By Jeffrey Strain, February 5th, 2007 | 161 Comments »
I had quite the interesting conversation this weekend with a person who happened to be a former burglar.
It was great timing because I was wondering if something like the skid mark underwear for hiding money would really work. I also figured that if you wanted to know the best place to hide your money from a burglar, a former burglar was the person to ask.
I started off simply and was not surprised by the answer to the question “where is the best place to hide your money?”
“At the bank,” he said with a sly grin
When I rephrased and asked where the best place to hide money and valuables in the house would be if you had such items there, I was taken a bit by surprise by his answer:
“It doesn’t matter how clever you think you are or where you hide it in your house, if I have enough time, I would be able to find where you stash your valuables,” he said bluntly. He then explained that what was much more important than the actual place where you hide your valuables is that you understand a burglar’s motivations. Basically, he has two:
1. To steal your money and valuables
2. To get out of the house as quickly as possible with these goods
When you begin to think of it from this perspective, how you should hide your money changes a bit. Obviously, you don’t want to leave all your money in the places where the burglar will first look: dresser drawers, drawers by phones, desks, closets, a safe (if not bolted down), boxes, jewelry boxes, purse, etc.). That being said, you also don’t want to hide all of your money too well for the following reason:
“If I can’t find money and valuables in the normal places I usually find them, I would continue to tear the house apart until I found something. Remember, the first rule is to to steal money and valuables. We’ll keep looking until we find something.”
Your best strategy, then, is to actually leave some money in obvious places for the burglar to quickly find (the same applies if you keep all your money in the bank). This can not only save your other stash of money, but may actually keep the burglar from destroying your place as he looks for where you have hidden your money. If they believe they may have found the cash that you have in the house, they are much less likely to keep looking (remember, they want to get out asap). In the end, if you hide all your money well, you may win a moral victory in not letting the burglar find the money, but you’ll likely have much more damage done to your place that will end up costing you more in the long run.
The next obvious question was “How much money should you leave for the burglar to find?”
“It depends on the area where you live. If you are in a upscale community and only leave $100, I would assume there is more and keep looking. In a different part of town $100 would convince me I found all the money that was there and leave.”
When it comes to hiding valuables, his suggestion is to mark an envelope in an easily accessible drawer or with files by your computer with “Bank Safe Deposit Box” on the outside and a list of items on the inside. This will tip off the burglar that your most valuable items are stored at the bank and will discourage him from tearing up your house looking for them.
So the question of where is the best places to hide money still hadn’t been answered?
His number one recommendation for money was in toys in a young child’s room. As he explained, young children don’t have money, they have an abundance of toys and most parents don’t trust a child around money. Therefore, parents will rarely hide money there. In addition, when money is hidden, it is usually hidden away neatly and securely — a child’s room is rarely a neat place making it an unlikely place for money to be hidden. Plus with all the stuff in a child’s room, it is not someplace that a burglar can search quickly and get out (rule #2).
If you have a safe, it should be professionally bolted down so it can’t easily be removed. If you leave some token money for the burglar to find in the places they normally look for money, then anyplace you wouldn’t normally consider a place to hide valuables will usually keep those valuables safe. The underside of trash cans, inside laundry detergent, inside false packaging (but only if the packaging appears real and is in the appropriate place – “When you find a Campbell’s soup can in the bedroom, you have a pretty good idea there is money inside”) were some examples he gave.
And my question of whether the skid mark underwear would be a good place to hide money?
He laughed. “I haven’t heard of that, but I doubt I would have touched something like that had I seen it.”
You also need to be smart about where you hide the money. He related one time a person had left wads of money inside the empty battery areas of electronics around the house. The problem was that although he had not found the hidden money at first, the electronics themselves were worth money and he took those to sell. Only when he got home and was checking that everything worked did he find the hidden cash. The person hid the money well, but not in a good place.
One last tip from a personal finance angle – if you do hide money someplace around the house, make sure that your significant other (or someone close) knows where your hiding place is. If something unfortunate happens to you and nobody knows where your hidden stash is, it’s unlikely that they will be able to find it if a burglar isn’t able to find it. Worse, it could very easily be accidentally thrown away depending on where it is hidden.
Part II: Don’t Hide Money In The Toilet: More Conversation With A Burglar
February 5th, 2007 at 7:18 am
Great suggestions!
February 5th, 2007 at 7:30 am
Nice to know. I was always amazed with friends of mine who have a safe (like ones you pick up from staples), and they are not bolted down
February 5th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Don’t do what my retired parents did. They placed a fire proof lock box inside the dryer after removing the back of it. Then went to Florida for the winter. Came home sold the washer and dryer and then a few days later remembered the lock box. They got it back but not without a major hassle from the buyer.
February 5th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Is there a contradiction here? First he says the safest place to hide your money is in the bank, but then he says if they can’t find any money or valuables, burglars would wreck your house looking for some.
**
My parents inadvertently had two strategies: 1) Have only one valuable possession: an upright piano. 2) Keep the house extremely messy so that it is a danger just trying to get through the place, especially while trying to carry a piano.
February 5th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
I’ve heard of a story where a guy hid $20,000 under the back of a stove and sold the house without remembering the cash. He had forgetten it over the years. The new owner discovered the money.
In fact, there are many stories like this. Some people are so good at hiding their money, they either forget about it or can’t find it again.
So make sure you remember the money and where you place it.
Smarty
February 5th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Spend all your money, than there is no need to hide it! Just don’t buy anything too expensive with it.
How’d you meet this guy?
February 5th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
How’d you meet this guy?
I was at a gathering over the weekend with a bunch of expats — started talking about what I did for a living, money issues came up and one thing lead to another and all of a sudden I was introduced to this guy who had been a burglar for 7 years.
February 5th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
[...] has posted an interesting articleabout where to hide your money from a burglar. How did he find out the answer to this? From a former [...]
February 5th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
[...] your money 06Feb07 The Best Place To Hide Money Filed under: money [...]
February 6th, 2007 at 4:01 am
[...] The Best Place To Hide Money: Conversation With A Burglar (from Digg) – I had quite the interesting conversation this weekend with a person who happened to be a former burglar. It was great timing because I was wondering if something like the skid mark underwear for hiding money would really work. I also figured that if you wanted to know the best place to hide your money from a burglar, a former burglar was the person to ask. [...]
February 6th, 2007 at 7:46 am
So why did the burglar leave this business after 7 years of success? Did he find a more lucrative career?
February 6th, 2007 at 8:01 am
So why did the burglar leave this business after 7 years of success? Did he find a more lucrative career?
He didn’t say specifically — only mentioned that “it was time to get out” and I didn’t pry any further.
February 6th, 2007 at 8:33 am
So, who actually keeps cash lying around anymore?Maybe the older generations still deal in cash, but I can’t remember the last time I had cash in my wallet let alone somewhere in my house. Seems like burglury and mugging for cash is a crime that will not be around for long. Electronics, sure, but those can be heavy and awkward.
February 6th, 2007 at 8:38 am
1. an alarm
2. cameras w/ motion detection
3. a dog (blue heelers do a fine job)
February 6th, 2007 at 10:21 am
He didn’t say specifically — only mentioned that “it was time to get out� and I didn’t pry any further.
Did you check his ankle for a bracelet? LOL
February 6th, 2007 at 11:30 am
[...] The Best Place To Hide Money: Conversation With A Burglar Some great tips. . [...]
February 6th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
[...] (jewelrey) and some cash on hand; what is the most practical place to hide them? Over at the PFAdvice Blog he published an interview with a burglar. To some it [...]
February 6th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
[...] be surprised at the answer a burglar gives and may want to change your current money hiding system.read more | digg [...]
February 6th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
Better idea: let the burglars easily find COUNTERFEIT money then sit back and let the Secret Service track em down !
February 6th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
[...] “At the bank,â€? he said with a sly grin continue reading…. [...]
February 6th, 2007 at 11:25 pm
[...] former burglar chatted with the Personal Finance Advice blog and gave some good tips on how to hide your money at [...]
February 7th, 2007 at 4:45 am
Don’t do what my mother did. She hid most of her money in a flat wallet in her slip and underwear drawer. When she passed away I was in a different state and teh police, who were in her apt and made my relatives wait in an apt down the hall for 1 1/2 hrs, stole my mother’s money. They threw two $20.00 bills n the drawer haphazardly to throw me off but it confirmed that they stole it because the bills were folded into fours and thrown on the clothes. My mother always was meticulous and kept them flat in her wallet. She kept thousands of dollars in there. She kept less in a rag bag which they didn’t find. I was furious and hurt for all that she sacrificed to save that and the cops of all people! Who would have believed me? Can’t trust anyone! Be careful!
February 7th, 2007 at 9:07 am
[...] I just read a great interview with a burglar who offered solid advice on protecting your valuables. He said don’t hide all your money so it will never be found, the burglar will continue ripping your house apart until they find something, so keep something out for them to find in an obvious place. It should be enough so that they think they found everything, I’d say $200 but obviously that depends on where you live. The best hiding spot is inside a child’s toy in the child’s room. His reasoning is that crooks never go in the child’s room because a parent would never trust the kid with their valuables. I think that’s good advice so long as the kid doesn’t discover it. Here is the interview [...]
February 7th, 2007 at 9:45 am
I know someone that was robbed 3 times. The second times the burgulars went through bars. The third through a security system and went in with guns ready to kill. The victims escaped through a bedroom window. They were lucky.
February 7th, 2007 at 10:19 am
[...] The Best Place To Hide Money: Conversation With A Burglar [...]
February 7th, 2007 at 10:32 am
Great stuff. My windows don’t lock so I tend to leave a large, mean-looking kitchen knife on the table with cookie crumb remnants to make it look like i’ll be back anytime soon. so far so good
February 7th, 2007 at 10:49 am
[...] Link [...]
February 7th, 2007 at 11:39 am
I like the idea of counterfeit money … And I think I would hide a mouse trap in it.
February 7th, 2007 at 11:50 am
[...] How much money should you leave for the burglar to find? [...]
February 7th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Don’t plant counterfeit bills for burglars to take. It may put the Feds on his tail, but then they’ll come bust you for the counterfeiting.
February 7th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Great post. It follows the same idea as a similar trick that some friends of mine used to use when I lived in a rough neighborhood: carry a fake wallet.
Put ~$20 in fives and ones in there, along with some less important cards (library, Costco, etc). If you are mugged, you’ll be able to save the bulk of your cash, your credit cards, and drivers license.
February 7th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Why does anyone keep large amounts of cash in the house? maybe ATMs aren’t as common in the states.
I assume the same applies with electronics. keep that old crappy or broken laptop out somewhere obvious and hide the nice shiney new one under the sofa. theif thinks they have something worth theit trip that bit sooner and gets out of dodge all the faster
February 7th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
[...] Where is the best place to hide your money or valuables from burglars? With toys in a young child’s room. [...]
February 7th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
For those wondering why you would want to have cash in the house, it’s always a good idea to have a reserve amount of cash handy in case of emergencies. For instance, those folks who lost power in St. Louis for days this winter, none of the ATMs would have worked. Or, if you were in the path of a hurricane and need to evacuate, ATMs will be emptied in a hurry. Just a few examples, but everyone should have some cash handy without having to rely on a bank.
February 7th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
[...] If there was anyone worth asking where you should hide your money around the house, it’s a professional burglar. And the obvious answer is so clever, but so right – “In the bank”! However if you happen to have a lot of cash around your house then this article will be worth a read. [...]
February 7th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
[...] Link [...]
February 7th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
[...] by many people is “Where in my house should I keep my money?� Personal Finance Advice posted this article, in which a house burglar was interviewed and asked where the best place was to hide your [...]
February 8th, 2007 at 4:29 am
Here’s my trick: Live on the third floor
February 8th, 2007 at 10:37 am
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February 8th, 2007 at 11:27 am
why don’t you just put your money in the bank? what are you? coke dealers?
February 8th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
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February 9th, 2007 at 8:57 am
I’m shocked at how easily everyone wants to roll over for a criminal.
It’s like you’re putting milk and cookies out for Santa, leave money around the house so he can get that instead of tearing the place up. LUDICROUS!
A much better idea would be for you to take the money you were going to give the nice burglar, and purchase a security system that will record and alert you to a problem (doesn’t need to be a fancy ADP one you can buy ones that will call or e-mail you if there is a situation you need to deal with)
Then go out and buy a Desert Eagle .50 caliber handgun and don’t feel bad at all about blowing the head off some scumbag that invades your home.
February 9th, 2007 at 9:17 am
Good idea!
February 9th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
Buy some C4 stuff it into and Ipod. Use the headphones as the fuse. When he takes it home and turns it on to see if it works. He’ll be sorry, Whats left of him anyway.
I have this Idea Patented
February 9th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
I hope that guy doesn’t know where you live, because now he knows where you hide your stuff.
February 9th, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Doesnt anyone find it disturbing that a former burgler is telling you to leave some money in easy to find places? Its almost as if he’s doing his ex-colleagues a favor..
February 9th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
I used to put my money in plain sight…inside my Tarantula’s cage. She was the size of the average man’s hand and had half-inch long, curved fangs. I would pick her up and put her on top of the money. Tarantulas don’t move unless they need to so she often was in the same place I put her when I got home.
February 9th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
lovin chucks idea….its called .50 cal handgun…..keep it ALWAYS with you….but the clip hiddin somewhere else on you…..so they cant grab it and shoot…..and yeah….leave about 200 for them to take…mb a laptop or two with a GPS tracker on’em……u’ll get’em reaal nice and easy
February 9th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
i hide my money in the same place I hide my pot…which the police have not been able to locate.
Cheers
February 9th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
What you have to do is put your money into a ziplock bag and stick it into the top of your toilet. I doubt any robbers would look there.
February 10th, 2007 at 2:40 am
So, the object then would be to have a non-bolted down safe in the house.
Doesn’t have to be a new one. Just hard to get into. Filled with lead, enough to make it really heavy. With a little bit of luck he throws out his back trying to take the thing along. Plus, it will most likely focus all his attention on the safe, leaving your other stuff untouched.
-I- would prefer to booby trap the otherwise useless safe with a device. But then the cops may have a problem with the fact that you actively tried to kill someone.
Maybe just add GPS tracking to the safe so you know where it’s going, or where it has been.
I don’t have any money, let alone money in the house, but if I was one of the people who have houses where they don’t go into some rooms for entire seasons, I’d have some really nasty surprises for mr. burglar. As well as means to dispose of the body… but that will never happen, coz you know: no money.
February 10th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
[...] at Person Finance Advice posts an interview with a former burglar on how he managed his money in his former [...]
February 10th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
Great article. Where can I buy a pair of those skidmark underwear?
February 11th, 2007 at 5:50 am
Here’s another possible hiding place.
similar to the old “stick it in the freezer” trick but this time go out and buy one of those tin openers that open the tin by breaking the join of the tin – they leave the edge of it blunt and safe to touch – and leave the top like a lid that will pop on and off like a proper lid.
then take tins of food you wont eat ie kidney beans, soup, pet food etc open them upside down, tip the contents then wash them out, pop your money or valuables (wrapped up in tissue or something to stop them rattling)and place them in your cupboard at the back amongst all those odds and ends we seem to collect.
handy for short trips away!
February 11th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
Great tips!! Just one thing..what if some of the people reading this are burglars?? whooops!
February 12th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
My sister ALWAYS leaves 3 100 dollar bills on the diningroom table when she leaves her house for the weekend in the summer. This way, if some young kids come in looking for moolah, they will find it and immediately leave. she also has a sophisticated alarm but this is yet another assurance. your tips are also excellent!
February 12th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
[...] you have a lot of money that would like to keep safe, this is a must read. Or just give me some of it and I’ll keep it safe! Technorati tags: burglars, hide money, [...]
February 13th, 2007 at 10:59 am
My brother once “hid” $160 in an empty paper towel roll. You can guess what happened next. I’m so glad he did because had he spent the money on a bill or food it would be long gone by now and forgotten. This way I have something to laugh about for years to come.
February 13th, 2007 at 11:43 am
[...] I had quite the interesting conversation this weekend with a person who happened to be a former burglar […] I started off simply and was not surprised by the answer to the question “where is the best place to hide your money?â€? “At the bank,â€? he said with a sly grin.When I rephrased and asked where the best place to hide money and valuables ‘in the house’ would be if you had such items there, I was taken a bit by surprise by his answer… [MORE: PERSONAL FINANCE ADVICE] [...]
February 13th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
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February 14th, 2007 at 12:25 am
Nice, but I think you failed a moral imperative by not trying to beat the shit out of this vermin.
February 14th, 2007 at 12:30 am
Wow, Things I would never think of. I liked this article so much that I mentioned it in my Podcast and linked to it. Good stuff!
February 15th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
These suggestions explain why it was that I found a wad of money inside the lining of a jacket I got at GoodWill. The person was probably elderly and had it stashed and no one knew it was there when he/she died. Then relatives (or whoever) disposed of their clothes by giving the jacket to charity.
February 15th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
This article reminds me of when I moved in with my uncle for a while (changing cities). My elderly uncle decided to help me by unloading some boxes of food including some canned goods. Somehow we had a conversation on trash night about how he’d found a light weight can of soup that had gone bad…which led to my late night rush to dumpster dive for the secret soup can with maybe $300 of emergency money I’d stashed in it. I did the rest of the unpacking myself.
February 16th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Different goals, conflicting goals? To keep your cash and chattels, or to keep your house from getting trashed by your burglar. But I think you have to figure risk, and also many criminals are not particularly smart. The thoughtful reading burglar is rare. But they think differently to you and I.
For instance… I found this page from a LiveJournal where the folks had someone jump in the kitchen window and swipe an iPod – while the folks were home. It wouldn’t have occurred to me to do that. The window was open but with the screen fixed on it, but I guess it was easy to tear out.
February 17th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
[...] really interesting article about where and where not to hide your money from a former [...]
February 18th, 2007 at 4:07 am
[...] Read more about The Best Place To Hide Money: Conversation With A Burglar [...]
February 19th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
[...] Personal Finance Advice February 5, 2007 (more) [...]
February 19th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
I work in a bookmakers and in the morning we split and hide the money in various places until we have time to go to the bank. The other week we got a message go round all the shops saying from now on not to leave money in the microwave anymore as someone at another shop accidentally microwaved £2000
February 20th, 2007 at 6:52 am
A few years ago while I was visiting my dad, I noticed a brief case style strong box sitting on a desk. When I pointed it out his wife commented with pride that their valuables were now safe. I asked if that’s where the case was left and they said YES! Yikes! They left the case right where any thief could get to it. After pointing that out, I got an idea. I suggested they hide the case that contained their valuables and get another case, fill it with junk and place it where it can easily be found. That way, if a theif saw the “fake out” case he would simply take it and stop looking for anything else. Now, I do just that.
February 20th, 2007 at 9:35 am
HIde jewels in the Tampex or Sanitary Napkin box…..under vanity.
February 20th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
When I lived in a 2-story apt building Norwalk CA in the early 80′s I used a phony devil worship altar setup conspicuously near the kitchen window (I was on the 1st floor).
The windows were rigged with phony booby traps that looked real good too.
The universal social taboo against insane people protected me well. In two years living there every unit in the building was burglarized (some multiple times) EXCEPT mine ;->
Car break ins can similarly be social engineered by just leaving a baby bottle and a diaper smeared with peanut butter conspicuously on the front seat or dash. Why break into a car that’s apparently going to smell literally like shit, when there are hundred of other more pleasant smelling ones to to choose from?
February 24th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
Major flaw in the logic. Why ask him where to hide the money, he can’t tell you where the money he didn’t find was hidden only where he did find money.
February 24th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
I don’t see a flaw. The burglar simply tells the place where he is not willing to look – a messy kids room – and if the burglars aren’t willing to check those areas, then that would be the best place.
February 25th, 2007 at 1:56 am
Try putting your valueables in a zip lock bag and then put that UNDER the bag which LINES a diaper pail. Anyone with kids knows you don’t want to go there! No kids? Try the cat’s litter box or your kitchen garbage bin. Just remember to put the goods UNDER the bag that LINES the aromatic spot. Happy hiding!
February 25th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
I would say hide your cash under your German Shepard’s food bowl.
February 25th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
…So if the burlars target communities that are ‘up-scale’, why can’t the ‘up-scale’ people afford to have camera surveillance systems?
February 28th, 2007 at 7:54 am
Most safes now come with bolts to bolt down the safe.Are these as good as having it down profesionaly.
February 28th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Be messy.
I live in France in a very dangerous part of the city, driven by Algerian maffia (they uses european bad boys as slaves in those jobs). Tere strategy is to enter by night when the people are sleeping.
Once I had to cancel my flat change at last minute, leaving my flat filled with about 90 big and heavy cartons.
They entered and said «oh no, what a nightmare ; no time to open them all and to heavy to carry, lets go back.»
My aunt had another efficien (unwanted) strategy : she bought a BIG wide screen TV and simply put it on a nice cuppboard. When the skinny burglars came they were unable to lift the 110 kg TV and only took the cheap VCR.
March 5th, 2007 at 8:47 am
Duh!!! Try watching “It takes a thief.” Then you don’t have to be bored by this stupid document
March 12th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
Flaw in the advice:the buglar says if he doesn’t find the money in the logical places he’ll then tear the house apart and I would think that would also include the kids play room. “It Takes A Thief” shows these guys going through EVERYTHING and they are fast, not wasting time. They’d go through every box and draw by just spilling them on the floor and busted anything that was locked. Not always looking for just money – keys, check book, bank/credit card statements, collectibles, electronics, etc. using bags, luggage, duffles, blankets found in the home to carry the loot.
As to having cash in case of power outage – you wouldn’t be able to spend it – all the registers would be down as well. More important to have plenty of supplies food and water and a full tank of gas!
March 17th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
My dad hid money in med. bottles, in the garage behind the upright where the doors meet. When he died I went out to the garage an rounded up about $400. Then dads friend mac asked me if I got all the money. I said yes, I got $400. Mac laffed and said no you missed $200, let me show you the rest. So tell at lest 2 people where its at.
April 1st, 2007 at 6:29 pm
[...] Original post by pfadvice [...]
April 5th, 2007 at 6:03 am
The site looks great ! Thanks for all your help ( past, present and future !)
May 15th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Conversation With A Burglar what a great post … we need to have more conversation with the people and thngs we fear …
we find they are not that much different from us or do not see or know more than we do ….
Two or three fixes can reduce 85% risk of loss that the Burglar to come after our homes … it is just not worth it to them.
May 30th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Hi…
I used to have a tame-looking piece of notepaper left on my hall floor. On that, there was written, “Mum…I’ve gone to get your photographs from the pharmacy – back in five!”
Then, I switched concepts!
I keep a deliberately UNBOLTED DOWN safe in my hallway, full of nothing but weight-training disks and heavily marked with luminescent chemicals!
Also, I now keep a small sign in the glass of my front door and the glass of rear-of-home windows. It says, “Dear Burglar – name even one person who will be looking for YOU beneath MY floorboards?”
Ian.
June 1st, 2007 at 12:24 am
I have a better idea…
How about instead of spending time focusing on the negative in life… being constantly worried that someone will take your “stuff”, you just Leave your things in your house wherever makes sense for your lifestyle. I keep my emergency cash in my filing cabinet.. its filed under “cash”. I know where it is.
You won’t stress about which Paper towel roll you hid your wad of $100′s in, every trash day.
You won’t have to smell bleach and toilet bowl cleaner every time you pull your mothers pearls out of your tampax box.
You’ll probably live longer by stressing less!
Someday, someone might steal your stuff. Oh well, you have more stuff. They probably needed it more than you did anyway.
Cheers folks!
June 3rd, 2007 at 2:16 pm
I am a year old kid not looking to keep my money safe from a burglar or a thief but to keep if out of my sisters hands. So my idea is to keep it in a used or unused BORING DVD case that no one would want to watch.
June 3rd, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Keeping your cash from other family members… A lock on your room door might be enough, if your privacy is at stake and if your folks take it seriously. A DVD case or book that you wouldn’t reasonably own, such as [Meetings with Remarkable Trees], would be suspicious. But one that could be of interest to you and not to your relatives would do. Wrestling? “Adult” images of women?
If we’re talking loose change – people are liable to pick things up and shake them and listen for the sound of money.
June 3rd, 2007 at 5:47 pm
Doug…
May we take it, by that, that you never put a lock on, and never bother to lock your home?
It would be nice to be able to live in such a manner.
If you DO ever lock things, then you are responding to the same likelihood of a crime of theft being enacted on your home as are the others, here.
If you DO NOT lock things, then you are a unique person…as unique as folks usually appear to be until just after their first (or until just after their next) burglary.
Some folks are responding to (among many other things) simply wishing no money-grubbing stranger to break into their homes and prefer to have no gutter-rat, low-lifer rummaging through their wives’ or daughters’ underwear drawers.
While I could say that I’d love to live with your happy-go-lucky philosophy (and goodness knows, I would), it is simply a touch myopic and impractical in the Western World’s current (and worsening) crime climate.
Ian.
June 7th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Interesting info. I have a book titled How To Hide Anything that offers numerous ingenious ways to conceal just about anything. It can be obtained at Paladin Press.
June 18th, 2007 at 1:58 am
[...] Jeffrey Strain of Saving Advice had a conversation with a former burglar. He taught Jeffrey the best place to hide money. There’s nothing like getting advice from the [...]
June 18th, 2007 at 4:57 am
[...] The best place to hide money: Conversation with a burglar. The title says it all. A must read. Part 2 can be found here. [...]
July 2nd, 2007 at 7:26 am
That’s got to be one of the most useful articles I have read. What are the chances of having a conversation of that topic with a burglar. Never thought of the kids room for hiding toys its a good idea. Great suggestion!
July 4th, 2007 at 8:38 am
[...] Money From Burglars July 4th, 2007 Dave offers advice to hide money from burglars: Your best strategy, then, is to actually leave some money in obvious places for the burglar to [...]
July 23rd, 2007 at 11:44 am
Thanks, very interesting
August 2nd, 2007 at 3:02 pm
I’ve never been a burgular, but if I was I’m pretty sure I would’nt be looking for money in the cat litter tray. I’m also quite sure I would soil myself if I saw photographs of the householder holding a shotgun or lots of photo’s of Charlie Manson on the mantle piece.
August 11th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
Very interesting. Looks like I would have the hose torn apart as we keep all money in the bank and do not spend money on really nice things.
August 12th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
im 15 and i have been looking at places to hide some of my valuables from my perents and siblings on different sites, i noticed that the best places to hide things are in the open but in places almost no one would ever look a good place is
in a hollowed out ratty book (a tale of two cities for me) i keep a stash of weed in there, it has been sitting on my tv 4 almost a year and no one has touched it not even the maid so i think if anyone who spends almost every day in my room cleaning and has never found my stash she just assumes i like to read =)
August 29th, 2007 at 11:37 am
[...] else is more likely to be effective, especially against a burglar who is pressed for time. Leave decoy cash and jewelry in an obvious place so a burglar will think he’s found your stash and then leave. Again, [...]
September 3rd, 2007 at 7:15 am
[...] I was reading this article about a personal finance blogger’s conversation with a burglar, on where to hide money in the [...]
September 20th, 2007 at 11:06 am
okay well i am amazing at hiding money, I had always used stuffed toys to hid my money in but then i figured its a known thing to do now, just shake it or feel it and ull know. one that i invented, well a couple, im not sure if anyone else has done it but i did think of them on my own. if u have a shelving unit tape the money under the shelves, if u have pictur frames, that arent expensive u can hide money in those, now those were good but not good enough until one day a knife was lying on my bed and i was angry at the time so i stabbed the bed and then i thought it would be a goo place to hide the money, now my matress was complete sponge so it worked great! i cut it on three side so it was like a square, like a little door. then i cut out the sponge in the middle and placed the money in there with half the sponge covering it! i closed it up and then u couldnt even see it. as well if u take a pillow u can take money put it in a plastic bad tightly, then cover it with a cloth and put it in the middle of the pillow in a pillow case. its not hard, be creative and u can find many ways to hide ur money. got a trash can? put an empty bag of chips in there with the money, not to much tho incase ur stupid and throw it out
October 15th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
Instead of leaving money out in plain sight how about hiding your money really well and buying a small cheap safe and leaving it in the bottom of your closet, locked with a note inside that says “f#$k you”. When the burglar gets to a safe place to open it there is your nice little message and no money.
October 16th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
104: cute, but the burglar can come back any time. Best if he thinks he scored – apparently. And that’s if someone -is- in your house. Mostly, these guys -aren’t- smart. Cowardly and supertitious. Cunning but not thinking. So, y’know, leave the light and a radio on, or something.
October 16th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Well 105 if he’s dumb enough to come back I hope he’s good at catching .40 cal hollowpoints with his teeth because that’s all he’ll get from me.
October 17th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Well, he managed okay the first time – we’re supposing. Maybe he also found where you keep your gun, and then who’s the sucker?
October 17th, 2007 at 10:41 pm
Well not me, because I have a concealed carry permit and it would be hard for him to steal it off of me before I properly introduced him to my best bud Sig p226, and the rest of my guns are in a full size safe with 4 half inch diameter bolts drilled 3 inches into solid concrete and weighing about 300lbs. I would say my chances are pretty good.
October 20th, 2007 at 5:32 am
If you have a safe that’s different… you keep your valuables in there too, the thief can’t get into it without explosives, he just has to stop -you- getting in. And bring his own piece. (In Scotland that means “sandwich”.)
If I had to advise him I’d say “Just take the computer and the entertainment centre.”
October 27th, 2007 at 6:34 am
Mount a steel box with an open top three inches from the ceiling. Put a sign on the outside that says, “Burglars–I keep my cash here”. Then put your cash in it. If he is desperate enough to reach in there without being about to see in there, he really does need the money more than you do.
November 10th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
[...] what are the best strategies for hiding valuables in your house, to keep them burglar-safe? Over at Personal Finance Advice.com , there was an article some months back about the best place to hide money, based on a conversation [...]
November 29th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
“Brains! Bra-a-ains!!”
December 27th, 2007 at 10:51 am
wow,good ideas.but if the robber will look in the child’s room the kid can get hurt.i would not put my child in danger like that.
February 10th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
I love the skidmark idea! Dirty clothes in general are disgusting.
February 25th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
[...] suggestions, but nothing really seems adequate. Apparently, from things I’ve read (such as this blog post), most of my ideas for a hiding spot are kind of old news to most burglars. So far I’ve [...]
March 1st, 2008 at 3:49 pm
buy
buy
March 3rd, 2008 at 9:08 am
[...] Pick good hiding places for your valuables. The crooks already know to look under the bed, in the refrigerator, or in the desk drawer. Pick original hiding places. If [...]
March 10th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Escrambler cox
Escrambler cox
March 15th, 2008 at 12:14 am
March 15th, 2008 at 3:53 am
May 4th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
They know where to look for sure.
Bake a large lasagna and place your valuables underneath it. Then place in the deep freeze.
The scum will never know if it is just a large frozen lasagna or more. If he does suspect he will have to defrost it as it will be impossible to break without tools and will be forced to carry it risking if stopped why he as a piece of shit has such a thing on him on him. Bake one without valuables too.Then put the valuables in the bank.
A dog shit booby trap is a good one too. Ruler in draw or box with a turd on.
Never leave anything of value in the house.How much is an old microwave worth? You can’t give them away!
The only rule is to make sure the scum get nothing. NOTHING!
May 14th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
yo, just want to add some stuff.
1.dont hide money in the kitchen.
2.a basement with ceiling tiles that can be romoved is a great spot for cash
3.dont hide it in electronics, like in the back of a ps2, b/c there going to take it and find a nice surprise in the back.
4. tap an envelope of money under a drawer, usually the top b/c they start from the bottem up.
for long term storage, find a dubble walled container, like a pill bottle inside of a bigger bottle, and freeze liquid around in the big container around the smaller container.
good luck!
p.s. the best prevention is a security system! or just the sticker by the front door, or a big big dog.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Hi,
“In a bank”…
If you live in Argentina… perhaps that’s not a good idea…
July 16th, 2008 at 12:01 am
[...] keep a minimum of several hundred dollars at home and I don’t even try to hide it these days since my conversation with a burglar (I figure is someone is determined enough to break into my house, they are going to be determined [...]
November 2nd, 2008 at 6:01 am
[...] have to be very careful where you stash your money. After all, someone else might find it or a burglar might steal it. I’ve heard of hiding money underneath the floor boards, behind a loose brick, taped under a [...]
November 17th, 2008 at 8:06 am
Just do not check my meat in the freeaer.
March 3rd, 2009 at 8:29 am
My Mum always kept her valuables in the freezer in the fish finger box. OK until you wanted to wear your frozen jewellery!
March 3rd, 2009 at 9:09 pm
I got $10500 in cash via my business (don’t tell the government)
I pay a small yearly fee to have it safe and sound in the bank in a safety deposit box.
If you have ‘serious’ $$$ that keeps rolling in I would suggest the same…. Also helps to avoid impulse purchasing..
March 28th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
hes a fricken buglar hes going to tell u all that stuff DUH
April 8th, 2009 at 6:45 am
The best way not to get things stolen is not to have them in the first place – no problem in the current economic climate!
April 10th, 2009 at 8:32 am
I have a good Security System, a paranoid unemployed roomate lol.
He happens to stay up all night on his computer with his .45 next to him and goes to bed right before I wake up.
July 30th, 2009 at 8:52 am
I wonder if there are any burglars reading this to help them find people’s money
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I have a real problem with “ex-burglars” giving tips and that “Thief” TV show. They aren’t interested in helping people out, they are bragging… it’s the same felon bullshit bravado behavior that got them breaking into your house in the first place. Essentially, they’re telling you that they got away with it and now they’re on a TV show or comfortably chatting at the dinner party.
Honestly, if you’re a 7 time felon, you need have been humanely euthanized after felony number 3. If you’re on TV bragging about your exploits and installing ineffective security systems, you didn’t figure out your lesson and you need to go back to fucking prison.
There are enough decent human being in the world being born to replace them, I have no time for losers.
August 3rd, 2009 at 11:41 pm
I don’t know about you people, but if I’ve got extra cash to my name, it’s in my pocket, not sitting around neglected in some drawer. Seriously: ATM -> Pocket -> Spent -> ATM again -> repeat.
August 3rd, 2009 at 11:53 pm
Tell this guy to roll by my place. Bet my shotgun will wipe that shit eating grin right off his face…
August 4th, 2009 at 12:30 am
ha ha great advice and the first interview I have read of a thief…
August 4th, 2009 at 7:19 am
[...] this is the launching point for advice from a former burglar on where and where not to hide your [...]
August 4th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
What a joke. I don’t think you ever had a conversation with a burglar. It’s all made up. What’s next a convesation with an assassin?
August 5th, 2009 at 1:40 am
We have a gambler (fruit machine) in the kitchen. I think it’s the best place to keep our money. I’d like to see a robber move THAT out of the house. Plus, it’s got a very thick hatch on the front and if jarred open without the key sets off an alarm to burst the ear drums. If you’ve got the room, I suggest getting one. Besides all that it’s a great conversational piece.
August 7th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Get old wallet. put “old” keys beside it. lay beside bed.
took long enough. READ AGAIN
August 8th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Yea, My toy Spiderman was killed by a burglar, maybe he was just a DC Fan.
August 8th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
All you guys talking oh so macho about how any burglar messing with YOU is going to get shot, I have just one question.
Do you never leave your homes?
I mean, seriously – are you all sitting around 24/7, locked in your house, getting pasty and scrawny and pathetic?
Or do you actually have a life, any of you? Ever leave your house? Go to work? Go shopping? Go on vacation? Go to a gun show, I’m thinking?
These guys don’t want to rob you when you’re *at home*. That’s stupid, even if you’re unarmed. They want to rob you when you’re *gone* – then they can take your money and your guns too!
August 9th, 2009 at 9:08 am
I just always leave my house looking as if it has just been burgled – it hasn’t been – at least I don’t think it has – not sure…
August 14th, 2009 at 8:17 am
Interesting read and perspective from the ‘other’ side.
Perhaps a follow up could be deterents to burglars, ie home security. Simple alarms to state of the art security systems with trip beams and cctv.
August 15th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
[...] blog has money-hiding suggestions that include making your money look like ancient leftovers, while SavingAdvice’s tips from a former burglar include leaving just a bit of cash in more obvious “hiding” spots around the house, so [...]
August 15th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
You stupid people
now that a former burglar told you where to hide ur money, the real burglars now know exactly where to look
have fun getting all of your money and valuables stolen because u took tips from a burglar to stop burglars
August 16th, 2009 at 4:09 am
Comment from the opposite side, a former owner of a security company.
What he wrote is very true. The ‘typical’ burglar wants in and out in the minimum time. There are exceptions, if they know you have a particular valuable item, such as guns. Or if they know you keep a large amount of cash (to a junkie $50 is a large amount) Then they look until they find it. And can rip out walls in their search.
They will get in, No alarm will keep them out. It usually takes the cops about 20 minutes or more to get there when an alarm goes off. They will break things, kick in a locked door, shatter a window.
They will look in the kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, and under the mattress and in your books cd cases and pictures – they break the picture frames.
Never stash valuables in anything that can be picked up. They just might grab your entire video collection, along with the one with the cash in it.
I saw lots of recommendations to tape an envelope under a shelf or drawer, they pull out every drawer and dump it upside down. They really do look under shelves.
If they break in, they are going to trash your place and they are going to take something. The quicker they load up, the less damage. They rarely steal more than they can easily carry.
Usually the cost of the damage exceeds the value of what was stolen. I saw one burglary where the estimated value of the stolen items was about $300 and the cost of repairing the damage exceeded $3000.
August 16th, 2009 at 11:58 am
“Always be sure to tip your burglar!”
Also, be sure to hide your money in your child’s room. Nobody would ever think of it unless they have Internet access and lots of people start telling each other to hide money in their children’s rooms.
Oh, wait.
August 16th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Good advice from “Ben” above, the former security guard. Better advice than the original content, in fact!
August 16th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
When I was a kid, I tore up a corner of carpet in my closet and cut a square into the floor to hire stuff in. Still probably one of the safest places I’ve seen in a house to hide items.
August 17th, 2009 at 1:08 am
My great grandparents didnt trust the banks, one hid the money and died. It wasn’t until the home was going to be sold the other found the stash sewn into the curtains, after almost being thrown out.
August 24th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Wait isn’t this whole article flawed? Hum… where should i hide my gold bullion so the burgler wont find it… wait i know ill ask one specifically where he always forgets to look
September 11th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
Very very interesting, I’ve translated this to Chinese and put it on my site here: http://www.isweetriver.com/2009/professional-thieves-tell-you-how-good-the-money-hidden-at-home, which brings me a great deal of traffic.
September 13th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Put NRA stickers up–even if you don’t own a gun.
October 6th, 2009 at 11:24 am
So why did the burglar leave this business after 7 years of success? Did he find a more lucrative career?
He became an Investment Banker!
December 28th, 2009 at 9:43 am
last night i realised my bro stole £220 of me .. and i cant find it anywhere :’( . and i really wanted an ipod. dammit
February 9th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
I think a safe deposit box is the only way to store cash, other than the amount on your person. Granted in an emergency, ie hurricane etc it can be a problem. A security system is very inexpensive anymore and I think anything you can do to speed up the burglar’s time is important. Be sure that your security system notifies the police if the burgular cuts the phone lines. Another item for your alarm system is a strobe light that flashes repeatedly when the alarm is tripped alerting the neighbors but also alerts you when you are returning home so that you do not walk in on a buglary in progress. I am a firm believer in carrying a firearm and knowing how to use it. It certainly adds to one’s comfort level when out and makes home invasions more damgerous for the criminal. Even though we are too old for the drug scene, don’t keep cash or have valauble items in the house, we do have a TV, computer and a micro wave that might be something a drug dependent person could sell. I love my alarm system, the guy that owned the house before us must have had more because he put in a realy neat system with internal traps etc. I would suggest having an alarm professional talk to you about all the various things that can be done. Most of the really neat stuff is a one time expense and then just the monthly monitoring fee after that.
March 16th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
I don’t think the tampon box/ Kotex box is a good idea. My wife threw them all out once she had her hysterectomy and tossed a couple of hundred bucks at the same time. Just put the bills in a bank and trust the financial institutions for a change.
April 6th, 2010 at 10:30 am
An old school douche bag is a good hiding place, as is a dirty clothes hamper for small valuables. But I prefer the decoy safe with tracking just for fun. I have one of the smaller fire safes with handle and key. They aren’t expensive and make for great decoy safes. I bought mine originally to keep tapes in (I’m a documentary filmmaker and didn’t want to loose my original footage to fire or water damage). But now, I want a bigger safe I’ll bury and use the smaller safe as a decoy. Lock it and leave it. They’ll take it with and open it later (maybe) and find money maybe or crap. hahahahahaha To the person rambling on about giving in, it depends on how you look at it. It’s like chess really. Besides a burglar is at a disadvantage, we just never see it that way. They don’t know you’re home like you do. There are all sorts of evil legal things we could do to them, if we cared.
June 4th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
Very interesting post! Do you have any other friends who are ex-convicts??
June 9th, 2010 at 2:31 am
When I was a kid, me and my sister would go door to door in an upscale neighborhood mid day durring business hours and ask if “Emily is home” if no one answered we would open they’re Mail Box and look for personal letters that could be BDay cards or congradulation cards like graduation or wedding cards.
If the person did answer we pretended to have the wrong house And didn’t touch their box, and wrote down the adress to know not to return.
We made hundreds of dollars.
We stopped when we learned what a “Federal Crime” means.
August 23rd, 2010 at 5:10 pm
Most people are not at risk. If you have house parties and lots of friends come over then you are very high at risk. More people in your house the worse.
Also the bank is a terrible place to place your money. It is not sucure. One time the IRS Levied one of my accounts and they got $1500 and turned off my ATM card. NEVER keep your money their. Just keep enough to pay your bills. People in this world are SICK SICK SICK. Watch out!