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15 Creative Ways To Hide Money in a Dorm Room

Keeping money and items of value safe in your dorm room can seem like an impossible task. You are almost always surrounded by people, and lack of space can make hiding places seem scarce. Thankfully, there are some pretty effective ways you can keep your belongings safe in your dorm if you get a little creative. 

Here are 15 ways to hide money in a dorm room: 

  1. Stash it in a dresser drawer.
  2. Purchase a safe or lock box .
  3. Slide it in between the pages of your textbooks.
  4. Tape it to the wall behind a photo or poster.
  5. Use an old CD/DVD case .
  6. Empty a tube of deodorant.
  7. Keep it at the bottom of your laundry bag.
  8. Tape it to the bottom of the furniture.
  9. Cut out/hollow out a book.
  10. Put it inside a potted plant.
  11. Stash it inside your pillow case.
  12. Stick it under your mattress.
  13. Empty a shampoo bottle.
  14. Tape it behind a full length mirror.
  15. Deposit your money into your bank account.

This article will outline and explain in detail how the strategies listed above can be used to hide money in your dorm room creatively. For more information on how to keep valuables secure in a dorm room, continue reading. 

How to hide money in a college dorm room.

1. Stash it in a Dresser Drawer

One very effective way to keep your money secure is one of the oldest tricks in the book: hiding items in your sock drawer. 

This works as a successful hiding place for a couple of reasons. For one, most people don’t like diving into other people’s sock drawers. 

Many people regard feet as gross and socks as smelly, so chances are, if you hide your money in an envelope at the bottom of your sock drawer, people won’t go diving in to look for something.

Hiding an item away in a drawer and not taking it out also means it is out of sight, and the less attention to bring to a thing you want to hide, the better. 

2. Purchase a Safe or Lock Box

Another guaranteed way to keep money or any items of value safe from being stolen or taken is to purchase a safe or a lockbox. A password or combination-protected lock will prevent anyone who doesn’t know the code from opening the box. 

Lockboxes are a surefire way to keep your belongings safely in your possession. Look for a lockbox that has a code with several digits, which will make it harder to guess the password.

You’ll want to use a combination of numbers that isn’t obvious, so stay away from using passwords in numerical order or your birthday. 

If you’re wondering what kind of lockbox is best for your dorm room, check out some of the options below (links to Amazon): 

  • Vaultz Combination Lock Box: A 7.25 x 10 x 7.75 inch (18.5 x 25.5 x 19.7 cm) lock box made of aluminum, alloy steel, and chrome. Lightweight and durable, this portable box comes with a key in addition to its number combination lock for an added layer of security. 
  • Master Lock 5900D: A 9.41 x 5.1 x 2.2 inch (24 x 13 x 5.5 cm) portable safe outfitted with a combination lock and an anti-theft alarm. Designed for smaller valuable objects such as money, phones, or passports. 

3. Slide It in Between the Pages of Your Textbooks

One creative way of hiding your money is in plain sight, within the pages of your textbooks. Depending on how thick the amount is, you could discreetly put dollar bills or even a debit card in between the pages of a textbook. 

This is an effective way to hide your money because a textbook isn’t a usual hiding spot, so it’s most likely that no one would ever guess you have cash hidden inside it. It also gives you easy access to your money should you ever need it or want to spend it.

4. Tape It to the Wall Behind a Photo or Poster

Another exciting way to keep your money or any flat and thin valuables safe is to secure them behind a photo frame or a poster on the wall.

Taping your money tightly together and attaching it to the back of a wall decoration is a foolproof way to hide it. 

Make sure the tape or fastener you are using is secure, and make sure your photo frame, poster, or other wall decoration is thick enough to conceal anything you might place behind it.

You don’t want to leave a noticeable bulge behind because someone might go investigating to see what is preventing the decor from laying flat against the wall. 

5. Use an Old CD/DVD Case

When you’re looking for a place to hide your money that no one will think to look for, an old CD or DVD case is an excellent choice. These cases are also thicker and large enough to hold more than just a few dollar bills here and there. 

A CD or DVD case makes a good hiding spot because most people will just assume there is a disc inside the case and not a stash of cash. However, make sure the case you choose isn’t a CD or DVD that your friends might want to listen to or watch, or else your hiding place might be uncovered relatively quickly.  

6. Empty a Tube of Deodorant

Another sneaky place to hide money is again, in plain sight, but this time, inside a tube of deodorant. Simply remove the top part of the tube that contains the deodorant, wipe down the insides, and fill it with whatever money or other valuables you might be trying to tuck away. 

This method is a highly effective place to hide your money in a dorm room because a stick of deodorant is a common item you find in everyone’s room or bathroom. It won’t appear out of place, and unless someone often borrows your deodorant, no one will ever think to look in there. 

Just make sure it doesn’t get thrown out!

7. Keep it at the Bottom of Your Laundry Bag

A surprisingly good place to keep things hidden in your dorm room is somewhere no one would expect: in the bottom of your laundry bag or basket. No one wants to rummage through dirty clothes, so it’s incredibly unlikely that anyone will go looking for your stuff in a place like that. 

If you’re going to keep money or valuables at the bottom of your laundry bag, just make sure they don’t get jumbled in with your clothes next time you go to do a load of laundry at home or on campus.  

8. Tape it to the Bottom of the Furniture

One other creative way to keep your belongings secure and out of sight is to put your money or other items of value on the bottom of furniture. Make sure the item(s) are secured together and use adhesive or tape to affix them underneath a piece of furniture. 

You might tape your money to the bottom of a dresser, desk, or underneath a chair. When using this method, make sure whatever you are using to attach your valuables is strong. If you decide to use tape, make sure to use one with strong adhesives, such as duct tape. 

9. Cut Out/Hollow Out a Book

Another method you might use to creatively keep your money or any other valuable items safe and secure is to cut out or hollow out the contents of a book.

To do this, you’ll need to find an old book or one you no longer have use for. Plus, it has to be thick enough to hold the amount of stuff you need to place inside. 

Use a sharp narrow object, like a small knife or box cutter, to create a hole inside the book and discard the excess material. Now you have a secret pocket inside a book to stash your extra cash or small valuables. 

10. Put it Inside a Potted Plant

Another creative way you might use to hide your money in your dorm room is to place it inside of a potted plant. For this technique, you will first need to acquire a potted plant that has soil, rocks, or pebbles at its base. Make sure the pot is deep enough to conceal the number of items you want to hide. 

You will also want to place your money or other valuables into a plastic bag or container before placing them inside the plant’s pot to keep them protected from any dirt, water, or other substances that might enter the pot and possibly damage your items. 

11. Stash it Inside Your Pillow Case

Stashing something under your pillow or inside your pillowcase might be one of the oldest tricks in the book. However, it remains an effective way to keep anything you would like hidden out of sight. Make sure your pillow or pillowcase is large enough to fit the items you wish to hide. 

When using this method, you’ll want to make sure that your pillow has enough space for your items and that it covers your hidden money adequately without leaving a prominent bulge or raising your pillow a suspicious height from your bed.

You should also consider what the pillow might feel like if someone were to lay or sit on it. If you can feel the items you are trying to tuck away, someone might be curious to see what it is and might uncover your money.

12. Stick it Under Your Mattress

If you don’t want to place your money under your pillow or it isn’t large enough to conceal the amount you have, your bed still has plenty of other hiding places for you.

If you’re looking for a creative place to hide money in your room, underneath your mattress makes a good spot that is hidden away but also gives you access to your items should you want to have them nearby or on hand. 

To get the best results, you’ll want to ensure that the box spring under your mattress doesn’t have any holes or gaps that your money could fall through. You should also make sure that whatever you place under your bed isn’t visible or raises your mattress off of its base too much. 

13. Empty a Shampoo Bottle

This method might be slightly messy, but it sure makes a successful hiding spot for something in a dorm room. You can use an old shampoo bottle or empty one out if you are desperate. Be sure to rinse out the inside of the bottle before placing any valuable items or money inside.

You may want to place your items inside a plastic bag or cover when you put them inside the shampoo bottle. This will prevent any soap or shampoo residue from soiling or ruining your money or other items. 

14. Tape Behind a Full Length Mirror

One of the most common additions or decorations in a dorm room is a full-length mirror. Hiding something behind a mirror is an excellent way to keep any money or other thin objects concealed and out of sight.

This method works best with a full-length mirror that is hung behind a door. The gap between the door and the back of the mirror gives you plenty of space to place anything you might want to hide discreetly. 

15. Deposit Money in Your Bank Account

All in all, if you have a lot of extra cash or money inside your dorm room, it might be a good idea to simply deposit your stash into a bank account. College campuses aren’t always secure, but keeping your money in the bank is a guaranteed way to make sure none of it is tampered with or stolen. Plus, depending on the bank and account type, you may be able to invest your money and grow it over time. 

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