So we are onward and upward with the guest posts! Today’s post comes from Monica Wong and has some very sensible tips for keeping track of your cash on the road:
I’m pretty low maintenance when I travel. No jewelry. No makeup. No comb. That’s right – no comb. I haven’t brushed my hair since junior high. No, that’s not nasty. I’m just lucky enough to have good hair. (Thanks Ma!) I also prefer tights, tunics and my slip on TOMS but there are a few things I always pack to stash my cash.
For the ladies, I’d recommend the following:
#1 Hair Roller
One hair roller kills two birds with one stone. To get rid of that dull, flat airplane hair, I slip a thin roller in the crown of my head under my hair, just like that ‘Bump It’ commercial. Make sure the roller isn’t too big otherwise you’ll pull a Snooki and turn it from classy to tacky. The hair roller also doubles as the perfect place to hide my money. I roll up a few large bills and use a bobby pin to clip it to the inside of the roller. Now, unless someone decides to clock you over the head, who’s going to think to rob you there?
#2 Padded Bras
I like a little umph in my hair but not always in my lady lumps. However, if I were going to put some umph in it, I’d umph it up with cash. Keep the important stuff close by removing the extra padding and replacing it with money. Try not to overstuff or you’ll attract unwanted attention.
#3 Pads
Whether or not Tom (Time of Month) drops in on you while you’re traveling, pads make the best dummy wallets. I prefer the ones with brightly covered wrappers. Open up the pad, slip in your cash, and reseal it with double sided tape – and wala! I don’t think any guy is going to want go anywhere near a neon pink pad.
For the gents, I’d recommend the following:
#4 Thermos
Buy a thermos that’s about the size of an average water bottle and tape your cash to the inside of it. Drop the water bottle in the middle and you’re pretty much set. Hand over your dummy wallet and hope the robber is stupid enough to just walk away.
#5 Guide book
Now, this is a dead giveaway that you’re from out of town but if you’re using a guide book you might as well just stash your cash in there. Tape it carefully to the inside back cover. You’ll always have it in your hands so you’ll always know where your money is. Just don’t be careless and leave it on a bench while you’re taking a break.
#6 Boxers
Hide your cash in your boxers but not just any regular boxers. These are boxers with a pocket sewed on the inside over the crotch area. Depending on how much cash you’re planning to stash in there, these stash boxers are available in small, medium, large and x-large.
What are other creative ways you use to stash your cash?
Monica Wong is a social media account coordinator and the author of A Pair of Panties & Boxers. She used to want the corner office. Now she wants the world. Follow her as she shares her travels around the world & her travels through life. Either way she travels, it’s food for her soul. You can also follow her on Twitter @monica530.
I laminate packets of bills. In the past I have found some fun paper and cut it to just a bit larger than the bills I am taking. Then I laminate the bills between two sheets and use them as bookmarks. I usually prep 3 small packs of high denomination bills (about $300) so that if something happens to my credit card, I’ll have enough to get me through for several days. For my son, who doesn’t travel with books, I have laminated money between typed up sheets of paper with common travel information (translations, embassy addresses, etc.).
clever!
Once, when i was travelling across Brasil, i stashed some bills rolled inside 2 condoms and inserted them as if they were a tampon.
Best place i could find, and so much more concealed than the bra.
shannon has the right idea. for a woman theres no safer place for money than directly inside there bra cup. be sure to wear a bra with underwire i been told by others that do that it keeps money from falling out the bottom. also carrying money inside the bra cup a woman can feel it at all times.
money inside the bra cup is quite common for women that travel. its safe and full proof . the best way if you want to do this is to use a satin change purse big enough for what you need and you can feel it at all times on your breast. also satin or let me suggest silk doesnt stick to you on a hot day.
The pad one is pretty genius! I always used tampon boxes to sneak in booze to sporting events, it never occurred to me to use the same idea to hide money!
I also hide money in books I’m reading. Especially since they are in English and I’m in Argentina, who the hell would steal that?
Another good place is your shoe. I actually have some sneakers with zipper pockets, but you can hide them inside any shoe really, as long as it isn’t too uncomfortable.
I love this post– for us incredibly useful as we always struggle to hide our things in as many places as possible as we travel africa. Best, Dani and Bernie (aka BorderJumpers)
thanks for dropping in!
So far I’ve not traveled anywhere dodgy enough to worry about stashing my cash. BUT – when I do (as I plan to in the future) these tips will definitely come in handy!! For now – they provided today’s much needed laughter. Sorry, but the image of a man pulling cash from his boxers….
.-= Kirsten´s last blog ..A Rare Sunrise – Travel Photography =-.
haha that’s one thing to consider- retrieval strategy!
Great tips. And really funny too 🙂 It’s a really good idea to have some money secreted away in different places. I made the mistake of forgetting this cardinal rule on a trip to Milan where I promptly had my wallet stolen at central station (my Italian friend says this is your “welcome to Italy” party) and found myself with not even enough money to get to my hotel. So stupid! I got kind of lazy because I’m living in Europe at the moment and so traveling for work didn’t feel like proper traveling. Usually I am a lot more careful.
.-= Verity´s last blog ..Friday Five – Best things to do in Krakow =-.
It’s definitely when we let our guard down that we become easy targets.