Keep Your Emergency Road Trip Money Safe With This Clever Mini M&M Storage Hack

When you're embarking on an epic and exciting road trip, one thing you should consider beforehand is how to stay safe while on the road — and especially how to keep your money safe. You've probably heard about carrying a money belt under your clothes, and you're not alone. TODAY reported on a PayPal survey where one third of the 1,011 people surveyed reported carrying their money belt "at all times" while 7.5% tape cash to their bodies.

But let's not pretend that thieves aren't aware of money belts. If you want an inconspicuous and discreet way to hide your cash or coins, there's a new hack that's taking the travel community by storm. Reddit users have posted about their love of stashing cash in empty M&M Minis tubes, noting that the larger tube holds 80 quarters and 53 quarters in the smaller ($20 and $13, respectively). If you're road-tripping, those quarters will not only come in handy for grocery store carts, parking meters, and bridge tolls. They keep your money hidden in plain sight should you be worried about pickpockets. They're not just great for quarters, you can also roll up some bills perfectly in the tubes.

If your road trip involves stops at the beach, or being a tourist in a big city, the M&M tube hack is genius, yet it's not the only option out there. The internet is full of fun and clever money-hiding hacks that we are absolutely loving.

Along with the M&M Mini tubes, this simple TikTok hack can protect your money from thieves. User @the_gooch shared to his over 765,000 followers this hack where he cuts off the bottom of an air freshener spray bottle and stuffs in emergency cash, making for an excellent hiding place thieves are unlikely to target. Another cash-hiding hack that just makes so much sense was shared by YouTuber Troom Troom Select. In a video shared to their 9.25 million followers, they demonstrate how you can empty a glue stick  and hide your rolled up bills inside. Later in the video, they also recommend rolling it up with a toothpaste tube. Honestly, what thief is gonna nick your air freshener, glue sticks, or toothpaste?  If you're at the beach, this means no more keeping an eagle eye on your towel when you're in the surf! Just genius!

If you'd prefer not to MacGyver your stationary supplies to hide money, Allianz Travel Insurance reports that there are a whole host of anti-theft items of clothing with hidden money compartments, like money socks, money bras, money underwear, and money shoes. Barring that, you could always carry an extra wallet, known as a "dummy wallet," to fool thieves. Travel expert Christine Sarkis writes for USA Today that, when it's filled with a fake credit card and a few small bills, if you're mugged, you won't lose anything of major value.