52 hilarious 'broke' college student hacks that are actually quite genius

Desperate times call for desperate measures. And for college students who are desperately holding on to realize their dreams and managing their needs despite being broke, the only way to cope is by being extremely frugal. Every dollar counts, that’s for sure!

Being broke is the perfect reason for someone to be in their most creative version, especially when you are trying to make ends meet while struggling to graduate. This is why college students are the experts when it comes to improvising. Their tricks into surviving the school year will surely amaze you.

Read on to discover 52 incredible hacks that broke college students use to survive. Some of these are really genius!

1. No one will suspect a thing

Why break out the needle and thread when you can just find the nearest marker? If you can’t fix your sock, fix your foot.

2. No trash can? No problem.

Did you know a bar stool turned upside down will hold a garbage bag? Now you do. Sometimes cleanliness is more important than extra seating. Hats off to these creative young people.

3. Blizzard fridge

These students made the most out of being trapped in a blizzard. Good thing they stocked up on provisions before it hit. We’re particularly impressed by the shelf!

4. Porch furniture of champions

Well, it ain’t pretty, but we have to admit that chilling on this porch looks kind of cozy. We just hope there’s not a bus or train out there missing those seats.

5. When lazy meets genius

Moving off campus can bring a whole new set of responsibilities, like yard maintenance. We’re just glad they have a helmet for this contraption.

6. When you hate doing the dishes

Luckily, most college cuisine doesn’t require a steak knife, so these geniuses are skipping dishes tonight thanks to their their plastic wrap protectors.

7. You work with what you got

Unless you really like your noodles al dente (and the other half crunchy) we don’t see this innovation working out, but it’s certainly a valiant effort.

8. Makeshift cups

Can’t afford new cups or don’t want to go out to the store? Reuse your plastic bottles as cups before you toss them into the recycling bin. Bonus: if you cut your lip, the alcohol will sterilize the wound.

9. Let me guess, engineering major?

A knife would also work, but where’s the fun in that?

10. Curtain hanger win or fail? We’re not sure.

Sometimes you get home from a long day of running errands only to find you forgot something important. If you’re a college student, chances are most of your clothes are dirty anyway, so there are always some spare hangers lying around.

11. Wait, what happened to the couch in the first place?!

These students clearly can’t be trusted with nice things. This couch might not be a good place to nap anymore, but it does the very minimum of what it needs to do, thanks to this hack.

12. That’s actually pretty clever

Not a bad security system if you live in the kind of neighborhood where people take the whole car and not just its contents.

13. College ingenuity at its finest

Who has room for a colander in a tiny dorm room or communal kitchen? If you can find someone on the tennis team, pasta night is on!

14. Milk is expensive, okay?

We’ve all seen students walk out of the dining hall a little bulkier than when they came in and it’s because of all the calories. We just want to know where this student is going to hide a whole gallon of milk this as she saunters out innocently.

15. From a distance, you can’t even tell

Not a bad hack, unless the officer pulling you over takes a closer look and starts asking questions about that giant pill bottle.

16. Get a grip

It’s a bit of a risk, but but razor handles can be expensive. These pliers provide a cheap, albiet less safe alternative.

17. Why don’t college kids own a proper pot?

The coffee maker has been drafted into many different dorm duties over the years. These eggs might take a little longer to cook, but at least you can forget about them for a while without starting the kitchen on fire.

18. A bookshelf made of books

As long as you never need one of the bottom books, this is a great way to save some money on shelving.

19. Sweeping the floor: college edition

Who needs a dustpan when you have a pizza box? You’re going to throw it away anyway, so why not make it do double duty?

20. Who needs candles?

You’ll need to blow them out fast, but at least you don’t run the risk of getting wax on your cake.

21. Those nickles add up

Talk about passive income streams. If your neighbors are the type to litter, you might ask well benefit from their bad manners.

22. Writing utensils

Missing forks, spoons, or chopsticks? Grab some pens and get your ramen on.

23. Dorm room hot tub

We’re pretty sure renters insurance doesn’t cover this makeshift hottub, but sometimes you just need a little luxury.

24. Seems safe

Need to burn the evidence? Add some mood lighting to your college party without things getting out of hand? Just add a kiddy pool to prevent disaster.

25. Pop goes the fire alarm

You should really let someone know if your fire alarm is broken, but in a pinch, you can grab a snack as you run to safety by using a popcorn alarm.

26. Good luck getting that on the roll

You don’t realize the added cost of necessities like toilet paper. These roomates decided to shop in the public bathroom for a long-lasting solution.

27. It’s their one and only plate

The Japanese have made an art out of repairing broken pottery, but this isn’t quite up to their artistic standards. We think these students should invest in some paper (or even plastic) plates to avoid the inevitable disaster.

28. Handheld microwave

Too lazy to get up and use the microwave (or has it been weeks since someone cleaned it)? Bust out the hair dryer to warm up your leftovers. Just don’t blow rice all over your work.

29. They “fixed” the shower

It might not have a massage feature, but if you don’t like showering under a glorified garden hose, a plastic bottle will do in a pinch.

30. Bowls are overrated

Why even own a bowl when you have a hoodie? Bonus: no one wants to share your snack.

31. Pretty amazing actually

Need to fill a large vessel and don’t have the time to wait around? This eternal fountain even has a funnel feature to make it more accurate and efficient.

32. Pizza warmer

Warming up pizza can be tough – you want to keep the crust crispy and not over melt the cheese. The iron ensures a crispy yet warm slice.

33. Cheese warmer

It’s clear at this point that a coffee maker is one of the most integral tools in the college cooking arsenal. We’re just glad we’re not in charge of cleaning it out.

Much Viral...So Wow
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Much Viral...So Wow

34. Grill shopping

Sometimes you’re shopping in the store and it dawn on your that you already have what you need? It’s illegal to steal carts, but we’ll assume this one was returned, smelling wonderful.

35. Surround sound

You’re ready for a house party even if you don’t have speakers with these amplifying jugs.

36. For when you want a ‘fancy’ cocktail

What happens if you want to drink a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned in a fancy cocktail glass but you’re broke? Just copy this savvy college student and use a soda bottle.

37. Make mashed potatoes

Craving homemade mashed potatoes but don’t have a masher? Just use that empty beer bottle you just tossed in the recyling bin! Problem solved.

Gabija Mikalopaite
Source:

Gabija Mikalopaite

38. A DIY bumper

In your college years, you’re bound to get in a fender bender at least once. This person definitely did – and they “fixed” it with a bit of resourceful and creative thinking.

39. Space heater = toaster

Let’s say you’re making a sandwich and would love to finish it off with some toasted bread, but you don’t have a toaster. That’s okay! Just use that space heater you have in the corner, throw it on its side, and crank it up!

40. Luke really wanted a pool

Even though plastic kiddie pools literally only cost a few dollars – sometimes that’s even too much! But if you have a tarp, a pickup truck, and a hose that will reach – you can create your own kiddie pool. Specifically, Luke’s pool.

41. Shish kabobs, anyone?

Just because you don’t have a BBQ or grill doesn’t mean you can’t make delicious shish kebabs. Follow this broke student hack and use a wire hanger in the oven. You gotta hand it to them for the creativity.

42. When you need to iron your clothes but the iron is broken

If you go to plug in your iron only to find it has stopped working for some reason, don’t fret! Just crank up your oven instead. This clever person needed to iron their clothes in a pinch – voila!

43. Look, there’s a lot of people at the party, okay?

If you promised your party guests hot dogs, don’t slave away over the grill cooking them a few at a time. Knock them all out at once by using that rake in your yard! But, you want to make sure to clean it first.

44. For a very tiny fire

The fire extinguisher went missing somehow so a college student decided to do the responsible thing and ‘replace’ it. Not the most effective alternative, but I suppose it’s better than nothing!

45. And if you don’t have an iron at all…

Why this person had an ironing board but no iron, we’ll never know. But maybe it was the person before and now their stove stopped working. Either way – two pots with hot boiling water should do the trick.

46. Keep those chips crunchy

It’s rare that a college student would have a kitchen stocked well enough to have a chip clip lying around. Luckily, a pen with a clip works just as well. Now, you don’t have to worry about stale chips!

47. Trashy or classy?

Are you looking for that extravagant, over-the-top backyard party but only have a budget of like…$15? Just buy a few kiddie pools and some buckets and you can have a drink cooler in the shape of a fountain!

48. Broke but organized

Just because you’re poor doesn’t mean you have to live like a barbarian! Keep your desk nice and tidy with an empty toilet paper roll. What? You were just going to throw that in the garbage?

49. Aren’t hangers so versatile?

As we’ve seen on so many slides – hangers are freaking handy! If your plastic hanger broke on the bottom, you can slide in a paper towel roll and now you have a paper towel holder. Genius!

50. Instant tablet amplification

Trying to binge watch the latest Netflix show with your roommates but the tablet isn’t loud enough? Grab a Solo cup and cut a sliver for your tablet’s speaker. Done and done.

51. Improvised side mirror

Fixing broken side mirrors can be quite expensive. For the broke college student, the fastest way to get this done is by grabbing that huge hair brush with a mirror on the back, and attaching it to the car. Instant and improvised side mirror, y’all!

52. Clock fixed!

A wall clock is very important for any student. It gives you a hint on how many more minutes you can sleep in before you finally drag yourself up from bed for another day of lessons. And when it’s broken and you don’t have the cash, this quick fix is all you need to do!

Source: Shareably, Bored Panda

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