15 People Share Their Slightly Illegal Life Hacks

Lowe Saddler
Updated August 6, 2021 26.6K votes 8.6K voters 411.7K views
Voting Rules
Vote up the hacks that work so well you're willing to fudge the law a bit.

Admit it: you occasionally relish cheating the system. It makes you feel vindicated. Sure, government agencies or nosy employers might get you down, but at least these slightly illegal life hacks are there to lift your spirits. In fact, thrifty people on Reddit have tons of shortcuts to make daily activities easier. If you can handle the ethical gray area, these legally dubious tips are for you.

Photo: Erica Fischer / Flickr / CC-BY 2.0
  • 1
    1,770 VOTES

    Ask Bars For Free Umbrellas

    From Redditor u/sugarft:

    Need an umbrella? Go into a bar the day after a rainy day and say you left your umbrella there last night. I did this once (I really left my umbrella), they literally had like 10 of them so I upgraded.

    1,770 votes
  • 2
    1,680 VOTES

    Get Your Coffee Creamer From 7-11

    From Redditor u/toocontent: 

    Instead of spending $5 on flavored coffee creamer, go to your local 711 and fill a coffee cup with creamer. You'll end up spending only $1.

    1,680 votes
  • 3
    1,547 VOTES

    Get A Free Phone Charger At A Hotel

    From Redditor u/Fallenangel152: 

    Go to a hotel and tell them you left your phone charger. They pull out the inevitable giant box [of] chargers. Pick one and get a free charger.

    1,547 votes
  • 4
    1,817 VOTES

    Sneak Plant Clippings

    From Redditor u/SoulSylveon: 

    For any of you patient green thumbs out there: next time you go to a green house, carry a ziplock bag with a little bit of water in it in your purse. Whenever you find a plant you like, take a clipping from it, and put it in the ziplock. Take the clipping home, let root in water, and voila! A perfectly pirated plant. I have a whole host of exotic, pirated plants in my place and I didn't pay a dime.

    1,817 votes
  • 5
    1,086 VOTES

    Pay For Lost Garage Tickets Instead Of Parking Fees

    From Redditor u/Heiminator: 

    At the Frankfurt airport garage: If you park your car there longer than 2 weeks it becomes cheaper to claim you lost your parking ticket and pay the extra fee that comes with that than to pay the actual ticket.

    1,086 votes
  • 6
    1,084 VOTES

    Register Cars In Vermont

    From Redditor u/TrashCastle: 

    If you want to buy a car that doesn't have a title, first make sure it's not stolen, then register it online in the state of Vermont and they will make you a new title and send it to you without needing to inspect it.

    1,084 votes