This post is all about college essentials you should share with your roommates to save money!

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It’s no secret that college is super expensive and because of this, it’s essential to do everything we can to save as much money as possible.

One of the best ways to save money in college (and my all-time favorite college roommate life hack) is to share some college essentials that you just don’t need doubles of with your roommates.

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How should you share these college essentials with your roommates?

The best thing to do is to split up the college essentials you’re planning to share among yourself and your roommates. That way, everyone brings something, and it’s fair. My roommates and I did this, and it worked really well!

30 College Essentials You Should Totally Share With Your Roommates!

Electronics:

1. Portable Speaker

A speaker is a great thing to share if you just want to play music in your room. That way you and your roommates don’t all have to bring their own speaker.

2. Television

If you have enough room for a TV in your room, definitely share one with your roommates!

If you don’t have enough space in your room don’t worry! My roommates and I didn’t have a TV in our room freshman year and it was totally fine.

3. Amazon Fire TV Cube

Okay, I know this is kinda random and not actually a college essential but my family has one and it’s the best! If you don’t have a smart TV this is the best way to watch all of your favorite programs (Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and everythingg else) and it comes with Alexa.

4. Printer

Having a printer in your dorm room also requires extra space and is also not essential.

Personally, I did not find it necessary to have a printer in my room. There was a printer in my building and it didn’t cost very much money to print.

However, I know some students LOVE having a printer in their room, so I wanted to include it on this list. If you do want one, definitely share it with your roommates (sharing one will definitely save you some extra money!)

5. Portable Projector

If you want to be able to project movies onto a wall or ceiling to make movie nights even cooler definitely consider sharing a portable projector! One of my friends brought her projector to college and it makes having movie nights so much fun!!

School Supplies:

6. 3 Hole Punch

I brought my own 3 hole punch to college freshman year but never really used it. It ended up just taking up a little bit of extra space in my desk. If you don’t think you’ll use one a lot either, it’s probably best to share one with your roommate!

Bedroom:

7. Fan

I definitely recommend bringing a fan to college! Dorm rooms can get super hot, especially the first month of school. If you want to bring a big fan for your room, you’ll only need one so you can share that with your roommates.

My roommates and I have also found it helpful to each have our own mini fans so we can put them closer to our beds.

8. Rug & Curtains

Having cute rugs and curtains in your dorm will definitely add some cute decoration and make your room feel more like home. If you want to bring these for your room, make sure to coordinate with your roommates so that you all know who is bringing what. This will also help make sure that no one brings an extra of something that you don’t need.

9. Extra Cute Chair

Your dorm room might not have enough room for an extra chair which is totally okay but if it does you can think about bringing one for your room. It is always good to have some comfy extra seating because it’s cute decor and will be great to have when your friends come over.

10. Futon

I’ve never had a futon in my dorm (definitely wouldn’t have enough room) but I know that some people love having them in their room! If you and your roommates want a futon for extra seating and have the room definitely share one.

11. Oil Diffuser

It’s super nice to have an oil diffuser in your dorm because it will make your room smell so good! It’s also a great thing to share with your roommates.

Cleaning Supplies:

12. Hand Soap

If you and your roommates are going to have your own bathroom, you can obviously share hand soap. However, hand soap goes quickly, so you should both pack a few bottles to share.

13. Small Vacuum

My roommate brought a small vacuum for our room and it was really nice to have! This cordless vacuum is the vacuum one of my college friends has and she loves it! She let my roommate and I borrow it and it works so well. It’s also cordless which makes it so easy to use!

14. Broom & Dustpan

A broom and dustpan are super helpful college essentials! My roommates and I used ours almost every day.

15. Febreeze

If you and your roommates share a bathroom, you’ll definitely want to bring fabreeze or an air freshener of some kind.

16. Sponge

My roommates and I shared a really cool soap dispensing sponge brush freshman year and it worked really well! Our only problem was that we never had anywhere to put it so make sure to bring a sponge holder or dish of some sort.

Sponges also get really germy quickly so try your best to consistently change the sponge. 🙂

Kitchen:

17. Microwave

You definitely won’t need more than one microwave in your dorm. Make sure to coordinate with your roommates beforehand so that you know who is bringing one.

Having a microwave in your dorm room is the best and you’ll get a ton of use out of it!

18. Mini Fridge

You will also be able to share a mini fridge with your roommates. Make sure to check with them to see who wants to being the fridge.

19. Paper Plates

It’s always good to have extra paper plates that you can share with your roommates. Paper plates are inexpensive so this isn’t that important but it’s definitely helpful to have paper plates that anyone can use in your dorm.

20. Plastic Silverware & Napkins

Just like paper plates, buy plastic silverware and napkins in bulk. You can share with your roommates and it will make eating food in your dorm a lot easier!

21. Mini Keurig

If you love coffee, tea, and/or hot chocolate you’ll definitely want a mini Keurig for your dorm! If so, I would recommend splitting the cost of one with your roommates. My roommates and I used this Keurig our freshman year, and it works great!

22. Water Filter (Brita)

My roommates and I shared a Brita water filter our freshman year, and it was the best! It works really well, and it’s so nice knowing the water your drinking is clean.

Organization:

23. Rolling Cart

If you’re looking for a smart way to store all of your snacks and food supplies (dishware, plastic silverware, paper plates, napkins, etc.), consider using a rolling cart. You can share one with your roommates to organize all of your food supplies and to save space!

Important Random Items:

24. Drying Rack

Thank goodness that one of my roommates remembered to bring a drying rack to college our freshman year!

It was such a helpful item to have in our room, and we used it all of the time. You will probably not want to use a dryer for some of your clothes, which is why a drying rack is so helpful!

My roommates and I used the rack above and it was a lifesaver! The best part is, it’s foldable so it won’t take up a lot of room when it isn’t being used.

25. Iron

I’ve never used my iron enough in college to need my own so it’s definitely something you could share. However, if you iron all of the time, definitely bring your own!

26. Ironing Board/Mat

You can also consider sharing a small ironing board or ironing mat with your roommates to save space.

27. Door Stopper

One of the best ways to meet new people, especially on move-in day is to prop your door open so people near-bye see you and feel more comfortable coming in. I know it may be awkward but I swear it’s a good way to meet others in college!

28. Shower Curtain

If you have your own bathroom, your roommates and you may want to consider sharing a prettier shower curtain than the one that comes with your room. The shower curtain above is from Target and I’m obsessed! It’s so cute!

29. Bath Rug

You can also share a bath rug if you have your own bathroom.

30. Holiday Decor

I think decorating your dorm room for the holidays is so much fun! My roommates and I do this every holiday and it makes us feel so much more festive!

I hope that you enjoyed this post on 30 College Essentials You Should Share With Your Roommates To Save Money! If you share these products you’ll definitely save a lot of money and space in your room (which is the best!)

Make sure to tell your friends and roommates about this post so that they can save money too!!

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