Lip Balm Cash Stash

This is a pretty popular hack that’s been popping up everywhere recently, so I thought I’d give it a go and, at the same time, start up a new category page for any tips/tricks to travel that happen to pop up in South America next year – I’ve got a few up my sleeve already.

So, you’re off on your big, long-awaited trip to Caracas – capital of Venezuela, third most dangerous city in the world, famous for express kidnappings, alarmingly frequent robberies, homicide rates of 122 per 100,000 inhabitants and a rate of nearly 60 murders a day* – and, on top of the DSLR, smart phone, tablet, expensive shoes and flash backpack, you have cash – 626 US dollars, to be exact – to take with you. We’ve all been there.

You might as well slap a big red-and-white target onto your face and replace the backpack with a neon sign – ‘robar y asesinar a mi, por favor’ ought to do it.

Well, I’m here to help. With the cash, at least.

You know all those used chapstick/lip balm tubes you’ve been hoarding for years…?

Stash + Cash = …

CASH STASH

And it’s as easy as pie – an easy pie, anyway.

A few pointers, though.

• Look around for the biggest chapstick you can find. We’re talking length and girth. I bought three, and these pain-in-the-ass dollars were a millimetre too wide to fit in two of them.
• Even this rather girthy Aloe Vera lip balm only fits about 6-7 rolled notes, so big denominations are encouraged, or you may end up with an ungainly assortment of lip balms.
• A fetching yellow elastic band is helpful for a bit of added friction to keep the lid on.
• You’ll probably need to take a pair of scissors, a saw or a blunt axe to the inside of the tube, in order to make some room.

Bish, bash, bosh, you’ve got yourself a tiny, secret cash stash that no-one would suspect to check (unless they read this or any of the many other such articles online)! Leave it in your toiletries, velcro it to some hidden part of your bag, or just keep it on you at all times. Just try not to lose it. It’s pretty small.

*Sorry if you’re from Caracas. I’m sure it’s an incredible place, which is why I’ll be there for a month next year! Just churning out some stats.