It’s always sad to have to live through the process of disposing of household items, a home or condo and other sentimental items after a loved one has died. But to protect the estate, AARP The Magazine (February/March 2022, page 14) recommends searching through well-known hiding places that many seniors hide cash. These include:
- Toilet Tanks : There is room back there to stash a jar stuffed with jewelry or cash. Also, make sure nothing’s taped to the inside of the lid;
- Freezers : Are a good hiding place for zipper bags or even blocks of ice filled with valuable goodies;
- Bookshelves : Check for hollowed-out Bibles, dictionaries or books. Shake out every book which can sometimes include cash or stock certificates;
- Under the Floorboards : Check for loose boards under throw rugs and loose edges around wall-to-wall carpets;
- Old Trunks “ Steamer trunks from World War II had special compartments built into them for wives to pack mementos for their husbands. Check under the lining and look for a false bottom. The secret compartment is usually on the right-hand side of the back of the trunk, near the bottom;
- Closets : Go through every piece of clothing and every box. Money could be hidden in shoeboxes or in the lining of old jackets; and
- Drawers : Womens vanities usually have at least one drawer with a false bottom.
Excerpted by AARP The Magazine from Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff, by Matt Paxton with Jordan Michael Smith.
