In today's realities, the problem of safe storage of personal funds of Ukrainians does not lose its relevance. Despite the spread of advertising promoting the reliability of banks, not everyone trusts these financial institutions.
This article contains a selection of useful tips on how to hide money from thieves in your home, while traveling, and while staying in hotels.
Where should you hide money in a private home?
Residents of such housing have maximum opportunities to reliably preserve their cherished savings.
Banknotes will be protected from thieves if placed in one of the locations listed below.
- Under the floor. A secret niche is easy to arrange under furniture or carpet. To equip such a hatch, a small fragment of the floor is cut out, and then, having put money inside, the hiding place is disguised so that it is not noticeable. It is important that this area of the floor does not creak when walking and is at the same level with the surrounding floor surface.
- In the attic. You can hide the banknotes deep in a prepared waterproof container in a layer of insulating materials. This place should be remembered so that you can find it immediately if necessary.
- Inside the wall. This method involves installing a safe in the wall, which is disguised with a picture or a removable, false panel. Such protective barriers should be large enough to completely block the entrance to the hiding place.
- In an underground room. A basement, cellar, or basement floor is suitable for this. It is advisable to arrange the cache in a wall or concrete floor. Of course, such work will require certain construction skills, but its result justifies itself. Money should be placed in an airtight container that would protect it from dampness - after all, increased humidity is not excluded in basements.
- In gardening equipment. A cavity is drilled in the handle of any tool - it can be a shovel, a hoe, a pitchfork, etc. Banknotes rolled up into a "tube" in a waterproof capsule are placed in it. The top is masked with a wooden "cork" and wrapped with electrical tape. It is recommended to use a used tool, but not completely old and suitable for operation.
- Into a sculpture, which is an element of the landscape design of a personal plot. A good solution would be hollow, voluminous and heavy garden figures. It is not difficult to create a secret compartment in them for storing financial savings. It is important that water cannot get into this place.
- In a drainpipe. To hide the money savings, a fake section of the drain system is created that looks no different from the rest of the real thing. The corresponding element should have a removable part that will provide easy access to the cache.
- Into the ventilation system. For this purpose, a non-functional ventilation duct is used - you should make sure that it is not functional before hiding valuables. The corresponding hiding place is masked using a regular ventilation grille.
If you choose these methods, it is unlikely that outsiders with malicious intentions will think of looking for your money in the appropriate places.
TOP-7 creative hiding places for money in the apartment
Residents of high-rise residential buildings can take advantage of the following offers to protect their financial savings from intruders.
- Safe socket. This involves installing a fake electrical socket that looks no different from a regular one, but actually serves as a storage place for banknotes. It is best to place such a fake socket in an inconspicuous place.
- Window sill. In this situation, the money is placed under the window sill, creating a special, small niche in this place. Such a cavity should be easily opened with the help of a certain tool. This hole should be masked, making it invisible.
- Curtain rod. A tubular curtain rod that is hollow inside and has a removable cap is suitable for hiding banknotes. The diameter of this product should be sufficient to accommodate a roll of banknotes.
- Household appliances. An excellent solution for hiding money is the case of an old system unit from a PC, TV or radio. At the same time, such an electrical appliance should look serviceable and functional. It is highly desirable that your “treasure” does not come into contact with the electronic components of the device.
- Ventilation grille. This grille should not be connected to the ventilation duct, but should be no different from the functioning grille. A small niche-hiding area is created behind the false grille, if appropriate.
- Decorative pipe. A simulated pipeline element that will act as a hiding place is installed in the kitchen or some plumbing room. A removable section is made in such a fake pipe, where monetary savings are placed.
- Door leaf. Doors suitable for a hiding place should be hollow. The hole for it is made in the upper part of the door leaf. This area is then masked with a decorative overlay so that it does not attract attention.
Any of these methods guarantees the reliability of hiding money in the apartment - thieves will definitely not find it in such cases.
Tips for travelers
No one goes on vacation or on a tourist trip without finances, and although bank cards and smartphones with NFC contactless payment applications are currently a common option, many travelers still prefer cash.
Moreover, not all resort regions have terminals. For example, on distant exotic islands, such a "benefit of civilization" may well be absent.
At the hotel
The need to find a place to hide cash disappears as such if there is a safe in the room or at the hotel reception. Usually, the corresponding metal boxes are not only tightly and tightly locked, but also have reliable combination locks. The ideal option is if they are digital, electronic, and the safe cabinet itself is protected from fire.
If such storage is not provided in hotel apartments for their residents, guests can find an alternative solution for storing money.
The best option would be ceiling niches or decorative panels. You can specially take a screwdriver with you to use this tool to hide bills in an electrical outlet or under a light switch.
A wise solution to this problem would be to tape a bag of money to the bottom of the household appliances in the room - for this purpose, you can use a refrigerator, TV, or other heavy object that is unlikely to be moved by any of the staff or outsiders.
But the idea of creating a "stash" in the toilet tank or in bed linen should be abandoned. The toilet is the first thing criminals pay attention to, and your bed is the "working" area of the maids, who are not always models of integrity.
On the beach
A backpack or bag is far from the best place for money, because professional thieves who "fish" on the seashore are definitely interested in such things.
This means that it is better to hide banknotes in things that will not arouse interest or suspicion - for example, in a bottle of shower gel or suntan lotion, a box of playing cards, or medicine tubes.
An ideal option for hiding money for vacationers with small children is a diaper - no one will touch this hygiene item for babies.
During the trip
In the past, it was customary to sew cash into underwear. Now this method of storing it has become archaic and can only cause laughter.
But there are other methods that travelers who are concerned about the integrity of their own funds love to use.
- Socks. They are suitable for hiding a few bills. Socks should be chosen and worn from dense textiles and the money should be hidden closer to the ankle. In such a place they will be invisible, and it is impossible to pull them out of it unnoticed. This option is quite acceptable for emergencies.
- Special money belt. Modern manufacturers offer this option in their assortment. It is most often worn under clothing. Thin and durable belts with several compartments are considered classic. Usually, this popular and ergonomic accessory does not create characteristic contours, so it is invisible.
- Cosmetic bag. It is best to buy a women's cosmetic bag with a double bottom or a secret section. You can sew these elements yourself by modifying the corresponding product. In this case, the upper compartment of the cosmetic bag should contain what it is intended for, that is, cosmetics.
- Book. A book for hiding valuables should also be adapted - make it hollow by cutting a niche inside. Choose a book with a hard and thick cover for this. When closed, it should look natural and not open spontaneously.
- Keychain. You can find keychains on sale in which manufacturers have provided secret compartments suitable for storing rolled-up banknotes. It is better if such an accessory is opaque, metal and closes securely.
These options for storing cash will allow you to keep it safe while traveling and avoid becoming a victim of thieves.
Worth knowing!
It is best to have not one hiding place for cash savings at home, but several, in which the corresponding amount will be evenly distributed. This rational technique is called diversification.
Although Ukrainian state legislation does not explicitly prohibit keeping cash at home, in the event of an inspection by authorized persons, which may be carried out by tax authorities, they may be alarmed by an amount exceeding 400 thousand hryvnias. They will demand an explanation of the origin of these funds.
Insurance companies often deny compensation to victims of theft if the victims had money stolen from them that they kept at home.
Well-known Ukrainian banks are trustworthy - they not only protect your money, but also increase it by accruing interest.
However, our citizens are not deprived of the right to keep their savings at home. In this case, you should not disclose secrets about where your finances are stored and choose creative, non-standard, and reliable hiding places for them, guided by common sense.
