Keeping your money out of the hands of pickpockets and thieves just seems like so much more fun than calling home to get emergency money wired to you by your friends or family. You want to have a good time, and you also don't want to memorize 15 ways to keep your money safe while on vacation. I get it. So here are three simple ways to protect your money while traveling to another state or country.

Split your money and credit cards into at least two places on your person. 
You could even go so far as to have a "dummy wallet" in the obvious places, like your front pocket or your purse. A dummy wallet can have some of those fake credit cards that you get in the mail (start saving them). The fake should also have a small amount of cash and maybe even a picture or two. Maybe even a real credit card (not your debit card, but that's for another blog post). Make it look real. Good pickpockets know how to get that wallet out of your front pocket or tightly held purse. They got mad skills.

So divide your cash and cards between two places. The secret place can be, well, secret (inside shows, socks or underwear). Yeah. Not a topic for polite discussion. But use your imagination, and if wallet number one has been stolen, you'll still have a backup source of money and credit cards to get back to the hotel or police station.

Most hotels have a safe that you can use to store valuables. Use it, even if it costs extra. 
You should keep your passport, proof of identity and at least one backup credit card in this safe, as well as some cash. And that reminds me (free extra tip)... take copies or photographs of all of your documents and credit cards and give these copies to someone you trust back home. It's amazing how many people have all of their important documents and credit cards stolen, and none of that information is on record anywhere. When a theft occurs, you need to be able to "call a friend."

Don't be the "weakest link."
Thieves and pickpockets are not much different than lions on the African plains. We've all seen the National Geographic shows where the lions wait patiently for hours, watching a herd of gazelle. And we all know what they're watching for- the most inattentive gazelle in the herd.

Thieves are opportunists, and they have thousands of potential victims to choose from. They target the absent minded and inattentive so they can do their dastardly crime with the least amount of fuss.

So look like you'll be  the one who makes a fuss. Look like you are the person looking at everyone. It doesn't matter if you actually "see" a thief. Just the appearance that you aren't missing a thing may cause them pass over you and move on to the next person.

As they used to say on the old TV show, Hill Street Blues... "let's be careful out there."

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Getting ready to barbecue, grill out, or cook out. Whatever you call it, we're all going to do it this weekend! So let's barbecue brilliantly and safely.

Safety First - Think Fire & Food

You have to fire up the grill before anything else happens. Now I know most of you are using propane. And that's fine. The rest of you die hard purists are cooking over charcoal or wood. These safety rules apply to all of you. I could add more, but let's do a Top 5:

1. Grill outside only. 
   We shouldn't have to say this. But every year someone thinks it's fine to grill in an enclosed garage or porch. No. It's. Not.
   
   
2. Look up. Don't grill under anything.
   This is kind of like the first one, but I don't want you to grill underneath an awning or tent or overhang. It's just never a good idea. Grills are always hotter than we think.
   
   
3. Keep the grill stable.
   If it wiggles, fix it. If it's on a slope, move it before you fire it up.
   
   
4. Stay with the gill.
   Don't leave the grill unattended. Ever. Kids and pets have a way of wandering towards a grill like it's a magnet. Get someone to watch the grill when you step away.
   
   
5. Don't move the grill after it's lit.
   You don't see this tip on many safety lists. But folks sometimes think, after the grill is good and hot, "Hey, I should move this grill." Bad idea. Really bad idea.
   
   

I'm going to give you charcoal Barbecue Kings & Queens a bonus safety tip. It's a tip that you know already. Don't ever add lighter fluid to an existing flame. Not from the can or a cup. Make sure you get the right amount of lighter fluid on the charcoal before you light it up.

Here are three simple food safety rules:

1. Keep it cool.
   Meat and poultry don't do well in warm weather. Thaw the meat out the day before grilling (never grill frozen food). But keep it in a cooler or a refrigerator, and take it out only when it's time to grill.
   
   
2. Cook it to temp.
   We all know too many stories of "so and so's friend" who ate under cooked meat at a barbecue. Don't be the perpetrator of Salmonella and other icky food borne diseases.
   Minimum internal temps:
   Whole poultry: 165 °F
   Ground meats: 160 °F
   Steaks, roasts & chops: 145 °F (then let sit for 3 minutes)
   
   
3. Don't burn it.
   Charred meat can increase the risk of cancer. Something to do with HCAs and PAHs. That's what the National Cancer Institute says anyway. But what we care most about is this: don't burn the burgers... what a way to ruin a good cow! Seriously though, turn down the heat a bit, cook your meats slower, and you will increase the flavor while lowering the health risks.

And here's the bonus tip: don't leave the leftovers out for more than two hours. Change that. It's California, and it's over 90 degrees most summer days. On a hot summer day, that window shrinks to ONE HOUR. Put the leftovers in the fridge before they go bad.

I hope this helps keep your holiday barbecue safe. Grill On, Have Fun and Stay Safe.

Happy Fourth of July!

~Jeff St. Clair

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