Outsmarting the Crooks: 29 Unexpected Hiding Spots for Your Money That Burglars Will Never Find

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Having some cash stored at home can come in handy in times of emergency.

A bank is an excellent place to hide money, but most banks have a withdrawal limit, meaning you don’t always have complete access to your money when you need it.

Luckily, there are several, non-obvious spots where you can safely hide money at home for easy access in times of trouble.

This post covers the 29 best places you can hide money at home.

Let’s take a closer look at this list to see how these spots make for clever hiding places that will not be obvious even to the most seasoned burglar or snoopy housemates.

#1. Soup Bowl

You can empty one of your plastic soup storage bowls, preferably dark-colored and not transparent. Put your money in a double Ziploc plastic bag and put it in the soup bowl.

After doing this, you can put it back in the refrigerator until a need arises for it. This storage technique has been effective because intruders hardly expect to find money in your refrigerator.

#2. In Your Freezer

Your freezer is a long time favorite hiding places for all sorts of things. People who have trouble with their credit cards have been know to put their credit card in the freezer to help them stop using it.

You can do the same with money.

Place the money in a Ziploc baggie or other freezer safe container and hide it in the back of your freezer out of sight.

Just know that it will freeze and get stiff, so if you need it to pay for something, take it out ahead of time to thaw.

#3. Cereal Box

Finish off a box of cereal and throw out the inside bag. Replace it with an envelope of money, close the box and put it back in the pantry with your other cereal.

No one will have any idea there is money in there. And because of its size, you can hide a large amount of money in a cereal box.

#4. Toilet Tank

Surprisingly, your toilet tank doesn’t only serve for storing water when you flush. You could also stack your bundles of money in it, away from the eyes of intruders.

Simply put the money in a Ziploc bag before putting it in a jar. Then seal it tightly.

After doing this, you can place it in the toilet tank, and no one will ever suspect a thing. However, you should ensure that you don’t cut off the water source to the tank as this will cause issues when you try to flush.

#5. Yard

Forget how open your yard looks. It’s still one of the safest places to hide your money.

To hide your money from prying eyes, dig a hole in yard that can’t be seen from the road or your neighbors. Then take your money, place it in a Ziploc bag, ensuring you get all the air out.

Next, put the bag in a container, like a metal box to protect it more. Then bury the container in the hole and smooth over the area so it doesn’t stand out.

Finally, make a note so you always remember where you buried it! You could put a subtle marker such as a rock or plant near the area to keep track of where the money is hidden.

#6. Fake Electric Outlet

You can buy a fake electric outlet from a store that sells household items. These electric outlets may not be as popular as all the other options on this list.

However, they are still great for storing cash at home. They look like authentic outlets, are easy to install, and come with a cutout saw and template to guide you on installation.

Remember to get one that matches the outlets in your home so that it doesn’t stand out. No one will go looking through an electric outlet unless you tell them you have some money in there.

#7. Unused Wall Outlets

Do you have an old unused wall outlet? Maybe you no longer have a need for a landline in your house, so you could use that outlet box.

Simply unscrew the wall plate and replace it with a blank plate. Before you put the new plate on, fill the box with money.

Another idea is cable TV outlets. These outlets only have one wire in them, allowing for enough room for small amount of money.

This option is a lot easier than the idea above where you have to cut a new hole in your wall.

#8. House Plants

No one will be looking at your potted plants for your money. After all, they are designed to beautify your home, not serve as a bank vault.

Put your money first in a Ziploc bag before tightly sealing it in a waterproof container. Bury the container in the soil of one of your plants, and no one is wiser.

#9. Dresser Drawer or Kitchen Drawer

Most house thieves will usually look through your dresser drawers, not only for money, but for other valuables since this is where many people keep these things.

However, none will be looking for an envelope beneath the dresser. Put your money in an envelope, and tape it to the underside your dresser drawer.

Avoid adding coins to the envelope because they can weigh it down, causing it to fall from the dresser drawer. Additionally, they will make noise when the drawer is opened or closed, tipping off the thief that money is there.

Instead, only use paper bills. Of all the tricks listed, this is the one that is least effective as many times a thief will ransack a house. This means drawers can be flipped over and the envelope spotted.

#10. Pantry Items

This could be one of the best hiding places for your money. Open your drawer and pull out your aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

Pull the roll out of the box and notice the hollow tube. Roll up your money and slide it into the hollow tube. Then place the tube back in the box and the box back in the drawer.

#11. Medicine Cabinet

Another safe place to hide cash around your house in the medicine cabinet. The trick here is to put your money stash into things that have a low probability of getting stolen.

For example, a box of bandages or a bottle of hydrogen peroxide come to mind.

#12. Curtain Rods

Curtain rods are wide enough, and they have easily detachable ends. Just open the cap, place the money in the rod, and screw the lid back on.

For this method, it’s best to keep your cash wrapped together with a rubber band so loose bills don’t get stuck inside of the rod.

#13. Curtains

Thieves will not have the patience or time to look through your curtains. You can place money inside your curtain’s hemming.

Additionally, you can also stitch a pocket at the back of your curtain and hide your money there.

It is important to use fabric that is the same shade as the curtain and a thread that will not poke through the other side of the curtain.

#14. Wall Decorations

Tape an envelope of money to the back of a mirror, picture frames, wall clock, or other wall decorations.

You could take this idea one step further if the picture is removable and place the money behind the picture and in front of the backing material.

#15. Christmas Decorations Box

If you have storage bins of holiday decorations, hiding money in these bins is a smart idea.

No one will think of looking through your storage areas for extra cash.

#16. Tennis Ball

Surprisingly, a tennis ball is a great hiding place for money at home.

Cut open a slit just big enough for the cash to pass through. After placing the money in the ball, keep it with other tennis balls in a canister.

To get your money out, squeeze the ball at each slit to open it up. It would be a good idea if you mix it with other sports equipment to avoid it being obvious.

#17. Old Shoe

Most shoes come with a sole that you can easily lift and fix back. You can remove the pad, place your money in the shoe, and set the sole back in place.

Be sure to opt for shoes that are older, no longer worn, and that you plan on keeping. You don’t want to accidentally get rid of your old shoes with money hidden inside of them!

#18. Old Socks

While thieves will rummage through your house looking for things of value, most won’t take the time to go through every item.

Here you can take a small amount of cash and put it in a pair of unused socks in the back of your drawer.

Just make certain you don’t put too much cash in there as you want it to feel the same as a regular pair of socks.

#19. Ironing Board

An ironing board is an especially clever hiding place, one where a house thief will not think to look.

It has a cover that you can take off, allowing you to safely place the money inside before covering it back again.

Remember to avoid stacking the money because it can leave a lump that will be visible.

#20. Behind Your Washer or Dryer

Another great hiding place is behind your washing machine and your dryer. These heavy appliances tend to not be moved very often, nor are people going to make looking behind them a priority when it comes to searching for money.

Simply get some duct tape and tape an envelope of money to the back of either unit.

Since this is a great hiding spot, you can hide large amounts of cash here.

#21. Bookshelves

The bookshelf has been a great place to store money for a long time now. While this may seem like a prominent hiding place, no one has the time to go through every old book or photo album looking for money.

You can stack the cash between the pages of one or two random books on your bookshelf.

#22. Children’s Toybox

No on is going to want to rummage through your kid’s toys in the rare hope to find money. This makes the bottom of their toy box a great option.

It is suggested that you tape the money to the underside of the toybox and not inside on the bottom. Otherwise, your kids will most likely find it and you risk losing it or it getting destroyed.

#23. Children’s Piggy Bank

While this might sound like a bad idea, the reality is it could be a great one. Most people will just assume that a kid’s piggy bank will be filled mostly with spare change and very little paper cash.

Since a burglar is trying to get in and out as quickly as possible, they want to get the most money and things of value for their time. As a result, a children’s piggy bank is not high on their list.

#24. Hair Brush

You can hide your money in a broad hairbrush. Just take out the bristled part of the hairbrush from the base.

You will reveal enough space to hide your money and even some valuable jewelry. After you place the money, you can easily reattach the bristled part back to the brush base.

In fact, there are specific hairbrushes designed for this purpose, many of which you can find on Amazon.

They double as a brush and a hidden safe for storing your valuable items. And they have a false cap you can unscrew and screw back after storing your small valuables.

#25. Stuffed Animals

If you have plenty of stuffed animals, you can easily hide your cash in one of them. Just cut it open, put your money inside, and sew or glue it back together.

Put it back in its place among the other stuffed animals. Once you do, nobody will be able to guess that there is cash or valuables in it.

#26. Fish Tanks

A fish tank is a great place to hide money. Seal the cash in a double Ziploc bag, place it in a tightly closed opaque container, and shove it under a rock at the bottom of your fish tank.

Since you’re placing the money in water, you can also consider using double bags to prevent moisture from seeping in.

#27. Bottom of Cat Litter Tray

No one will think of lifting up a gross cat litter tray to look for money.

And since cat litter tends to be heavy, it will weigh down larger envelopes of money without making it look like there is something under the tray.

#28. Your Garage

When thinking of places where money is hidden, most people will start naming places inside the house.

The last place will think about the garage. But this is an excellent place and you can hide money just out of plain sight.

For example, if you have an old push mower you no longer use, you can fill the bagger with money. Or if you have old PVC pipe laying around, you can stuff some cash in there.

There are lots of options when it comes to a good hiding place for money in the garage. Just spend a few minutes looking around and you will spot a handful quickly.

#29. Diversion Safes

Using a diversion safe is arguably one of the best places to hide money. These safes appear to be regular products, from a water bottle, a can of tire spray, or a jug of Clorox.

The reality is they are all empty inside and are intended to hide your money and valuables. The best place to buy these is on Amazon where you will find the largest section and best prices.

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