How I Keep My Money Safe while Traveling or in Crowds

If you are like me, you hate those money belts. 

Face it, they are fannypacks, flat fanny packs you keep inside your pants, causing very obvious buldges (especially if you are smaller in stature like me; money belts only come in one size) and are hot as hell.

I do use a money belt sometimes; to keep my passport, tickets, etc in and to keep large amounts of money in (so im not going to the bank everyday), that I then put in the hostel safe; or once I slept with it on cause the hostel had no safe and I didnt trust the people in the dorm (I got in late, and they were the first hostel I came to that was actually open.  I was only there one night)...but really...my money belt is a place I use to keep track of my passport and more than anything.

So this is my tip on a unique way to keep your money (and ID's or passport if you need to go to the bank) safe...and I learned this trick from being in (on purpose) way to many moshpits at way to many rock shows. 

After finding money in 2 different mosh pits, 2 days in a row (first day $60, second day found $40, guess who bought beer and chinese food)...I came up with a way to keep my dollars and ID safe...AND I HAVE NEVER LOST MONEY IN A MOSH PIT OR TRAVELLING AS LONG AS I DO THIS:

take bills..this wont work if you have $50 in one dollar bills...but it works for walk around change (say a $20, a couple $10's, a couple $5's and some $1's)...and you can keep a few small amounts in a few different pockets.  AND ALL YOU NEED ARE SAFTEY PINS...:

1. take bills.

2. fold bills in half.

3. unfold bills.

4. take heavy duty, large silver saftey pin and stick it through the now crease in the money you just folded in half.

5. hook saftey pin to the INSIDE LINNING of your front pockets, or cargo pockets (im a huge fan of doing both).

6. if you need to carry ID's too, just stick them in your pocket, take a couple smaller saftey pins, and physically saftey pin the top of your pocket shut. 

(you can also, with practice, saftey pin your pockets shut from the inside without stabbing yourself, and now you dont have a obvious saftey pins on the outside of your pockets...not that having saftey pins showing isn't a deterent in itself.)

Most pickpockets want easy money...and its pretty much impossible, unless you are passed out, to have anyone be able to undo the top saftey pins, reach inside your pocket, and undo a large saftey pin from your pocket lining without you at least feeling a minor 'something's not right' feeling.

Face it, if someone REALLY wants your money...they WILL get it; but a common thief will not this way.  And now you dont have to deal with a stupid, annoying, hot, sweaty, bulky money-fannypack.

I dont really recommend doing this to a back pocket though.  Trust me, from expirience, you WILL forget about it, sit down, and pop one open, proceed to stab yourself in the butt, jump up screaming, draw massive attention to yourself, then have to half turn around your upper body to remove said pin from your arse (if you are lucky to be flexible enough to do that) while being starred, pointed, and laughed at by strangers. 

And you will do it again 20 min later.  And 20 min after that.  Just to be safe...leave your butt pocket region alone, and just go with front and cargo ones.

CHEERS!

Written and contributed by GoingNomadDanib
danibisgoingnomad.wordpress.com