Don’t Hide Money In The Toilet: More Conversation With A Burglar
By Jeffrey Strain, March 6th, 2007 | 75 Comments »
With my previous post The Best Place To Hide Money – Conversation With A Burglar being one of my most popular posts ever on this site, there wasn’t any hesitation when I was at another gathering over the weekend and spotted the former burglar that had given me the information. I went straight up to him and asked if I could talk with him for awhile. This is what I learned from the second conversation we had:
Most people don’t understand the motivation of why the burglar is stealing. As he explained:
99% of the burglars on the street aren’t like the ones you see in the movies where stealing is their chosen profession. They are motivated by more sinister reasons. They are part of organized crime, they are part of a gang or, as in my case at the time, they are drug addicts.
When you realize that you are most likely hiding your money away from people described above and not the professional burglars you see in the movies and on TV, it gives a different perspective of where you absolutely shouldn’t be hiding your money.
What he explained was that when people hide their money, they usually think of a place where they would never look themselves instead of where a burglar is unlikely to find the money. Take, for example, the back of the closet in a box where he said he often found valuables. For the person who is hiding the money or valuables, this is an inconvenient place and it takes effort to get to. Since all the boxes in front of it have meaning and therefore need to be carefully placed aside before reaching the box that contains valuables in the back, it seems like an inconvenient place to access. For the burglar, however, the boxes in front have no meaning and he will simply throw them aside without a second thought making it quite easy to access that hiding place.
As the conversation continued, the former burglar mentioned “bonus places” he sometimes found money. These were places that he always looked that an average homeowner might consider a good place to hide money, but it wasn’t money that he was after. If there happened to be money there, however, it was a nice, unexpected bonus.
All burglars have habits and there were certain places I always checked for a specific reason – I was a drug addict. I’m sure that other burglars have their particular search areas beyond the obvious drawers and closets, but I bet that most search these areas, too.
These are the areas he always searched and the reason why you don’t want to hide money there:
Toilets: While this might seem like an unlikely place for a burglar to look, in the toilet bowl tank (as well as all the area round the toilet) is one place that he always took the time to look: “In and around the toilet is where a lot of people hide their drugs. The tank seems an especially popular place, but I will also search boxes of tampons, toilet paper rolls, potpourri… If it is in the vicinity of the toilet and looks like drugs could be hidden there, I would look.”
Cereal Boxes: As with the toilet, “Cereal boxes are another place where a lot of people like to hide drugs. I’m sure that the people who didn’t have drugs in their house wondered why there was cereal spread all over their kitchen after I robbed them.”
Refrigerator & Freezer: The refrigerator may be another place that would seem unlikely for a burglar to investigate, but as he pointed out, “Many drugs last longer when refrigerated so big stashes end up in the refrigerator. Prescription drugs could also be found in the refrigerator.”
Medicine Cabinet: As with the refrigerator, “The medicine cabinet would usually be filled with prescription drugs that could be just as valuable on the street (or for self use) as illegal drugs.”
Bed: “I would toss everything surrounding the bed. I’d check pillows, between the mattresses, under the bed and inside anything close to the bed. This is often where people would hide their guns.”
As mentioned in the previous article, the best place to keep money is at the bank, but if you do decide to stash some extra cash at home in case of an emergency, you now know that these possible hiding places are not where you want to hide your money.
Who DOESN’T keep income that was paid to them in cash? Put it in your bank account and you’ll have to explain to the IRS where it came from. If you clean houses or mow lawns for extra money (or to make a living), you’re sure not going to take it to the bank. At $80 to $100 a house, you only need 8 or 10 ladies to collect $1,000, specially if the ladies hire you to come in twice a month. Or even once a week, if you’re really lucky.
I have been robbed 13 times in the last 3 months and I like to hide all my cash in the manhole outside in my yard.I also keep some in a large dictionary that I cut a lot of the pages out so it looks normal, but when you open it, there is a large spacein the middle.I keep gold jewlery in melted candle wax.I keep my credit cards in my computer after I have unscrewed the cover off it.
I appreciated this article. I live with an emotionally challenged young adult who steals from me and the household. Until I can figure out how to teach her to not steal, I am glad to know these ideas for hiding my cash. I can’t leave all of my money in the bank. I need some ready cash. She would even take the needed change. I once had a safe, but she damaged it trying to open it. So, that’s out. Anyway, I can’t afford a more secure one. I am beginning to learn solutions to teaching her to respect my belongings. Thank you for this article. I will implement these locations and hopefully I will have success and peace of mind.
I liked this article. It
I searched for “where to hide jewelry” then “where to hide valuables” and this site came up. My home was burgled once. I had my jewelry in a jewelry box on my dresser. He (a neighbor saw him and he was caught later) took only one item from the jewelry box. A piece of costume jewelry worth maybe one dollar. He left the emerald and diamond ring set in white gold. He left the diamond ring set in 18k yellow gold. In fact he left everything else in the box. Granted there was not much there but he took the largest and most intricate (gaudy) piece of jewelry in the box. Anyone who knows jewelry would know the stones on that piece were fake and worth nothing. It wasn’t even real silver. But he was not a jeweler, he was a thief. It was obvious he went through all the drawers in my home. The only thing he got was the cheap bracelet. He never found my purse which was actually in plain sight but not where most women put their purse. There was a few thousand in cash in it at the time. Turns out he needed cash. Don’t think he was a drug addict but stole money or valuables he could sell. I have learned not to put my jewelry in a jewelry box on the dresser. LOL My MIL puts hers in a shoebox in her closet — as if a burglar would never look there. I have to agree that if someone wants to steal something, they will find a way. But some burglars are not casing your home, they may just check for an unlocked door (or one easily opened). In this case, he had some gadget to open the garage door and knew most people do not lock the door from the garage to the house. He made his way in.
I had a friend who dated a burglar, by the way. I learned a lot about where NOT to put things and most of what this has said is true. No lockboxes or safes are a deterrent. Once in, they can pretty much find something they think is worth taking. And NO don’t leave him cash somewhere – doh. At least make him work for it. A friend had a bike stolen even though it was locked. It’s no guarantee. As they say, locks are to keep HONEST people honest. i.e., don’t place temptation in their face as they may not be able to resist. A burglar or thief will do anything they feel they must to get what they want. One on drugs is a dangerous combination. Try your best to keep them OUT of your home first. i.e. security systems, dogs, signs stating you have them, etc. They say an ounce of prevention … etc.
I agree with the last article i keep around 20-50 bucks on the coffee table in my living room. I figure the burglar would take that an run, and i was right. I got robbed a few days ago and the only thing that was missing was the 40 dollars i left on the coffee table. Im happy cus i have 400 bucks somewhere in my house
You could put quarantine for small pox stickers on your windows and doors. Have dogs, keep a gun in your pocket in case you arrive home and a burglar decides to be a robber and attempts to force you to open a safe at gun / knife point. You could pull out your pistol and put a mag / cylinder of bullets into his / it’s head.
I keep about $1000 in my house, for reasons already mentioned here, among others. It’d be nice to go totally cashless, but I don’t like knowing Visa/MC get 3% of everything I spend (if you are paying with a debit card, the store is paying a fee, and I don’t like to stick small businesses with that.) I’d LOVE to get a dog but I’m not home enough, and in my #!$&@!! neighborhood, it’d probably get stolen for fighting or bait. Last fall, my big tv got stolen so now there’s nothing worth stealing (except the cash.) After reading this, I’ll be moving it- not to the bank, there’s plenty there already- to a safer hiding place I won’t disclose here. Off limits: bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, office, or any drawer (I’ve hidden $ in bathroom & office before, oops! And one place was so good I forgot I’d put it there.) I own LOTS of crap, none of which has a street value, much of which would be great to hide cash in/under! Thanks for the tips!
Doh! A couple folks have mentioned hiding cash or credit cards inside their computers, don’t! They are as likely as not to steal the computer, even if they sell it without finding it, you are out the whole lot!
I have been stolen from by my closest friends and family but never robbed. To be sure that I am only stolen from by friends and family and not strangers, I have recently purchased an ADT security system, a 10 gage shot gun, a 357 mag, and a Pit Bull (Betty, she’ll lick you to death but, don’t tell anyone).
I felt I had to “Fort Knox” myself. Come on guys, give it your best shot! lol
The best way is to con the burglars. Lock a drawer you are willing to lose, then stash it with real jewelry boxes filled with fake but real-looking jewelry. Works for watchboxes too. There are too many high end imitation watches that you can put in the box. Just make sure you put in an LV watch for an LV box. Hahaha!
Burglars loved the master bedroom where there are closets, drawers, etc and especially if it’s locked. Lose the original watchboxes, jewelry boxes, just dont lose the real thing
I don’t sweat it. I have a 110 lb pit bull and a .357 Magnum among other guns. I got out of the military recently and currently carry a weapon at work. If you want my flat screen or my loose change, come on in…I have 40 acres and a bulldozer. Nobody will miss you.
You might have a variety of firearms, it will do you little or no good.
Thieves are not paratroopers. They are not brave people and will not wish a confrontation.
When you are gone they will steal your firearms too.
A good electronic security system is your best bet.
If you can’t afford a security system, get security window decals from the security company. They generally just give them to you.
The thieve won’t know and he will go somewhere else.
Not a guarantee but it is infinitely better than doing nothing.
Yea, good idea. Small Pox definitely wasn’t eradicated years ago.
where do you hide a very large volt where it wont be found, walls outside?
Our home was burglarized, the cop said he speaks with burgers he arrests all the time. They hate big dogs, surveillance cameras, alarms, alarm decals/signs. You can fortify you closet door where it would take 30 min to get through they sell the kits online. Most want to be in and out in 5-10 min. We did that, if they spend the time to get past the alarm, our security closet they will encounter the safe bolted down. We put our cameras, laptop and valuables there every time we leave. If they come while we are home and try to rob, no problem they will face shotgun and 9mm and I would love to test them out. Also our surveillance monitor is inside a safe like box bolted down in the attic. Remember nothing is full-proof.
I found this article very interesting and thank you for sharing this but i never have enough money in the house to worry about hiding it
In our kitchen drawer we have a locked cash box that says “emergency cash” on it. It’s filled with newspaper cut like dollar bills and a couple bus tokens as “change”. It was stolen once (must be somebody we know, no sign of forced entry + we have alarm system).
The thief thought he hit jackpot and left without trashing the place or getting any real valuables. Wish I could have seein his face when he got his “booby prize”!
My advice is the same with valuables as well as password lists, wallets in pockets, etc.; provide exactly what the thief expects to find in the expected place as a decoy. Keep the real stuff and info in an unusual place.
When I travel in rougher countries I actually have my old nonfunctioning cell phone in my front pocket, old credit cards, and 40 bucks in a wallet in my back pocket. Even if I were to be robbed I would just hand it over. My long term traveling stash of cash is in under the pad inside my shoe -very comfortable. My credit card that I hand to waiters has a three digit security code; but it is not the reight one.