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How to Hide Money When Traveling – 10 Effective Methods

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If you’re looking for smart ways to hide money when traveling, take a look at some of our smart and effective methods to hide cash in plain sight.

How to Hide Money When Traveling

You should never be too trusting of your environment when traveling. Knowing how to hide money when traveling will go a long way to giving you peace of mind and allowing you to relax.

As a tourist, you can be a target. Thieves know you have money, so will always be ready to seize any opportunity you may present them. What’s important here is to outsmart them and make it hard for them to take your belongings.

It’s not that a thief will necessarily steal from you on your next trip. It’s that in case it does happen, which is possible, you will have yourself covered. The most common mistake new travelers make is keeping all of their cash in one place. This is a big no-no! You need to think smart and use a variety of techniques to keep your money separated and safe.

So, without further ado, let’s answer how to hide money when traveling with six simple but effective methods you can adopt when traveling.

1 – Use a Money Belt

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You can hide part of your cash in a travel money belt. Money belts are typically worn underneath your clothes. This is one of the oldest and safest ways to keep your money safe. Experienced travelers will often have tried a money belt.

The traditional type of money belt is the one that’s placed around the waist, but nowadays, there are variations that are placed around the neck or thigh.

If you’d like to learn more about money belts, our article best money belts for travel will give you a great insight into some of the best money belts on the market.

2 – Use a Money Belt That Looks Like a Regular Belt

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If you’re hiding smaller amounts of cash, this is often a better option than a standard money belt. This is because it’s a standard belt with a zippered pocket, where you can hide a part of your money.

The secret compartment of this belt is not accessible to other people, but very accessible to you. That makes it even a safer option than the traditional money belt, which can be easily noticed if worn outside the clothes.

3 – Wear Clothes with Hidden Pockets

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You can sew a hidden pocket into your trousers or jacket to hide some cash. It is almost impossible for thieves to notice your secret internal pockets. This is an excellent way to hide a small amount of money.

Alternatively, there are plenty of clothing items on the market that come equipped with hidden pockets to stow away small amounts of cash.

4 – In Your Bra (For Women)

Even though this solution may seem pretty obvious, it’s still one of the best places to hide money when traveling. No one can get access to your cash hidden in your bra without you noticing. That makes this method so effective.

The only disadvantage of this method is that the money will be in direct contact with your skin. Be careful if you have extremely sensitive skin, as the paper may rub against your skin.

5 – In the Handle of a Hair Brush

This is a simple but ingenious way to hide some of your money when traveling. How many thieves would suspect that your hairbrush would have money in it?

You can get a hairbrush that has a hollow handle and a discreet removable lid that allows you to hide some cash. The hairbrush is functional and blends with the rest of your beauty items so that no one would suspect its secret function. You can leave it in your hotel room while exploring your destination.

6 – In Your Shoes

Hiding some money in your shows may be a cliché, but it’s still one of the best places to put your cash if you’re worried it may be stolen. It’s a method that has been used for centuries. Unless the thief forces you to give them your shoes, there’s no way you can lose this money.

Hiding money in your shoe, however, isn’t without its drawbacks. You’ll want to use an odor spray to stop your feet from sweating if this is a common problem for you. I’d also advise putting the money inside a small plastic bag so that it isn’t coming into direct contact with your feet.

If you don’t wear flip-flops, this can be an inexpensive and effective way to hide money on your travels.

7 – Carry a Dummy Wallet

Carry two wallets with you, and keep a few small bills and some fake or old cards in the dummy wallet. If you do end up in an unfortunate situation where you’re confronted, you can hand over the dummy wallet which doesn’t contain any valuables or your current credit cards.

8 – In an Empty Water Bottle

Carry an empty water bottle either in your backpack, or attached to your daypack, purse, or clothing via a fastener or key chain.

Especially in hot countries, it is common for people to walk around with plastic bottles or water bottles. Many thieves won’t think to go for a water bottle.

9 – Wear Wrist Wallets

A wrist wallet is a handy little accessory you can wear seamlessly while keeping some cash inside for use at restaurants, bars, or on excursions.

10 – Only Carry Small Bills

Carry enough money on you for wherever you are heading, but don’t carry all your money, or large amounts of cash on you. Instead, keep that cash hidden away back at your apartment or hotel room in a safe.

How to Hide Money When Traveling Summary

Don’t give thieves and pickpockets a chance to make your trip a stressful and frustrating experience. Protect your money by splitting it between some of these secret locations, and you won’t have to worry about becoming one of their victims. Divide and conquer is the name of the game!

One final time, here’s how to hide money while traveling, using these simple but effective methods and clever ways to conceal and keep money hidden.

  1. Use a Money Belt
  2. Use a Money Belt That Looks Like a Regular Belt
  3. Wear Clothes with Hidden Pockets
  4. In Your Bra (For Women)
  5. In the Handle of a Hair Brush
  6. In Your Shoes
  7. Carry a Dummy Wallet
  8. In an Empty Water Bottle
  9. Wear Wrist Wallets
  10. Only Carry Small Bills

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Did you find these methods useful, and want to keep them for reference for when you next travel? Be sure to save it and pin it to one of your Pinterest boards, so that you can find it again when you’re next about to travel.


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