Carrying money on vacation is a balancing act between safety and utility.
Making money difficult to access deters thieves, but when it comes time to pay for something, you still want to be able to get to it without stripping off clothes or playing hide-and-seek with a bag's hidden pockets.
With that in mind, here are 10 tips for carrying money safely and elegantly when you travel.
Use a dummy wallet
If you're traveling in a place known for pickpocketings or muggings, consider getting a cheap wallet that looks just real enough to keep in your pocket or bag.
Pad the wallet with some small bills and make it look more real by slipping in one or two of those sample credit cards you get with offers in the mail.
A dummy wallet can stop pickpockets before they get to your real wallet.
And in the scary and unlikely case of an actual mugging, it also gives you something to throw and run, buying you time to escape with your safety and your actual wallet.
Divide money
Even if you disregard all other advice about carrying money, take this tip to heart: Whenever possible, divvy up your travel cash and even credit cards into multiple safe spots.
If you've got all your money in one place, it only takes one time for a thief to totally wipe you out.
You can even apply this idea when you're out and about by keeping some money attached to your person and some in a bag you carry.
That way, if your bag gets lost or snatched, you'll still have enough to get to a police station or back to your hotel.
Favor on-body storage
Under-clothing storage accessories have come a long way since neck pouches and money belts came onto the scene.
Though those classics are still in favor, newer options include bra stashes, as well as long johns, underwear, and undershirts with built-in pockets for safe storage.
On-body storage accessories are particularly useful if you're sleeping somewhere that doesn't have a secure place for cash and other valuables.
Note that on-body storage isn't a good wallet alternative, since fishing around under your clothes for money advertises where you're hiding the goods.
And lest you think a fanny pack is a substitute for a money belt, realize that it can actually make you more vulnerable to thievery since it marks you as a tourist.
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