Our money got frozen - then thawed
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325759)
Rockingham, Australia
November 30, 2018 9:19pm CST
I hope I haven’t written about this before but I’ve search for keywords and nothing is coming up. Perhaps it was on Bubblews but I’ve looked in those files too.
In 2015 we were touring Europe in a motor-home. In Vienna, Vince had his wallet stolen which as you can imagine set the cat among the pigeons (colloquial speak for ‘caused great panic’).
Because we weren’t able to get new credit cards quickly, we arranged the transfer of quite a big amount of cash. But then, of course we worried about how we could keep the money safe. In a motor-home there are very few places to hide money but I wrapped some notes in wax paper and put them in the freezer between some layers of meat. I know this isn’t recommended but I had few other choices.
However the gas bottle ran out, the fridge stopped working and the next morning I threw out the thawed stuff from the freezer, forgetting about the money stored there.
We were in a bank in Vienna when it suddenly hit me what I’d done. When I stopped sobbing long enough to tell Vince, the wonderful man just laughed and said it wasn’t the end of the world. We went back to the caravan park, back to the bin where I’d thrown the food and there was the money, safe and sound. In my life, I have had some wonderful pieces of luck. This was one of them.
The photo is of the Neuschwandstein Castle in Bavaria.
34 people like this
33 responses
@Namelesss (3368)
• United States
1 Dec 18
Oh wow, how lucky was that! I had a friend who put some money in her freezer once then spent a week panicking cause she couldn't find it. Imagine her relief later when she found it lying right on top of the refrigerator, right where she had left it. Whew!
6 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
1 Dec 18
Praise the Lord on that one, your guardian angel was looking out for you for sure!!
6 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
1 Dec 18
yes, i remember this, but not the whole story or the details. it's amazing vince could just laugh about it. he's definitely one of a kind.
4 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
2 Dec 18
@JudyEv oh, i would be frozen in shock and fear by that amount, too. does he never ever get rattled or mad?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Dec 18
@hereandthere Only very rarely. He is mostly very laid-back.
1 person likes this
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
1 Dec 18
Certainly is. The best part more than getting the money-back is your hubby's reaction
4 people like this
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
1 Dec 18
@JudyEv more to his credit then he was not upset
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Dec 18
@everwonderwhy It was like a living nightmare for a while.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (71666)
• United States
1 Dec 18
Oh wow I was thinking it was a great idea so I didn't understand why it said it's not recommend. But after reading what you went through I can see one reason that was not a good idea 
I am so glad you were able to retrieve the money and that your husband was so kind about it.
I am so glad you were able to retrieve the money and that your husband was so kind about it.2 people like this
@snowy22315 (169950)
• United States
1 Dec 18
Wow, quite a castle! Friend left his wallet on a sightseeing bus in London and had to cancel all his cards. We got the wallet back cards intact, but the money was gone. Also, one time when traveling with my husband his mouth guard which cost 500 bucks got thrown in the trash at a donut shop. We had to search through trash until we found it.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118442)
• Gainesville, Florida
1 Dec 18
Luck was definitely with you that day Judy since you were able to go back and find all that money! I once left $1000 dollars in an envelope in a shopping cart in the parking lot of a store, and realized it when I drove home. I was in a full-blown panic, just knowing that someone else had grabbed that shopping cart and had found the money. However, against all hope, I went back to the store, and sure enough, the envelope with the money was still sitting in that shopping cart out in the parking lot. How somebody didn't find it is beyond me. My guardian angel must have been looking out for me that day.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118442)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Dec 18
@JudyEv Let's just say that someone up above was watching out for both of us!
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
1 Dec 18
You are so lucky! That is an awesome photo
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Dec 18
I could hardly believe it when the money turned up in the bin. We found the blue bag that I'd used and inside was the money.
@SophiaMorros (5046)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
1 Dec 18
When we traveled to a few of this nation's national parks a number of years ago I felt that we needed to have enough emergency cash to pay for food and gas and hotels to get us home if something happened to prevent us from using our funds electronically.
Our nights were mostly spent tent camping and our mini-van was stuffed. Where to stash $600 so that it would be there if we needed it. I wasn't comfortable putting it all in the glove box (what if our car were stolen, what if we got into a serious wreck--yes I'm an over planner). We ended up dividing the funds up between glove box, camera bag, my trail pack and a couple of other places and making sure it was well hidden (I think one of the envelopes was actually labeled "Uncle Ben". The kids were all told where it was stashed. Our trip went off without a hitch, and the last of our emergency money got spent nearly two years later when I found it long after we had all forgotten it was there.
I think I have a very similar photo in my files. I'm going to bet it was taken from the bridge.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Dec 18
You'd be right about the photo. And yes, we split the money up as best we could. There was a short pipe which formed the leg of the little table and we stuffed some down that as well.
@allknowing (130066)
• India
1 Dec 18
I hope you remembered to hug Vince when he said it was not the end of the world. I would (lol)
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
2 Dec 18
@JudyEv His kind words surely helped you go through those anxious moments.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Dec 18
@allknowing When I realised what I'd done I didn't think about how he'd react. I couldn't think past the fact that I'd thrown out so much money.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
1 Dec 18
that was fortunate though the original theft was less so of course
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
2 Dec 18
@JudyEv yes they know their work well
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
1 Dec 18
Oh, wow! You really were lucky, Judy! 
And how nice was it that Vince just laughed instead of getting mad and yelling at you for the mistake?
I'm happy things worked out for you and Vince!
And how nice was it that Vince just laughed instead of getting mad and yelling at you for the mistake?
I'm happy things worked out for you and Vince!1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
2 Dec 18
@JudyEv *smiling at you* Yeah, that's usually the way it happens. The person who made a mistake already feels terrible. But usually their husband/wife makes things worse by getting upset about it. *shake my head*
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Dec 18
@DaddyEvil I was beating myself up about it for sure.
1 person likes this
