I joined the storage unit club two weeks ago

[clarkfan1979]

My wife and I live on Kauai, HI for roughly 8 months and the Denver area for 4 months. With the arrival of a new baby, I no longer felt comfortable leaving our stuff in her parents basement in the Denver area. The pile started to get bigger with baby stuff.

I got a storage unit for $59.50/month in Fort Lupton, CO. The storage unit is about 5.5 ft. x 11.5 ft. It's about 60 sq. ft. with a 9 ft. ceiling. The storage unit is also a little closer to where we stay in the summer (15 minutes) in comparison to her parents (1 hour).

We can comfortably afford it, but it just doesn't feel right. I know that it's worth a face punch, but it could be worse, right?

[Sibley]

as long as you don't pay for it when you're not using it, I think you can have a pass here. Make sure also that you're not getting more space than you need.

[isaakthepirate]

If want encouragement to let it go I'm willing.
I encourage you to get rid of/make use of the stuff in storage. Especially with a baby on the way- you are not going to have the energy or interest to empty that out any time in the next year.
Maybe it's worth it to keep it, I can't tell you that. But consider the monthly costs and the massive amount of energy it takes to move these items back and forth. I can't imagine a scenario where that would be worth it for me.
You know best, but you seemed to be looking for someone willing to budge you the other way.

[YttriumNitrate]

How much land do your wife's parents have? At $720/yr, a nice storage shed added to their yard would pay for itself in a year or two and add to the value of their property.

[englishteacheralex]

Have you done the math? How long are you going to store the stuff, and how much would it cost to replace the stuff?

With baby stuff, we just buy it on craigslist and then immediately sell it when it's no longer needed. Usually we lose around $10 on the bigger items. This is actually the case with almost everything we own: buy/sell on craigslist, lose very little money, don't store anything (we live in 850 sqft in Honolulu with two kids under 3). We also use our social network for kids' stuff and pass items around until they aren't functional anymore. The baby swing has rocked five kids in our friend group at this point. I can't remember who actually bought it.

So yeah, I issue a face punch for this. Storage units are dumb. Unless it's just for a month or two. In that case it might be more cost effective.

[abhe8]

Do her parents have the space and are they willing to store your stuff? If so, no reason to let your pride cost you 59.99 a month!

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[marty998]

I'm surprised storage is actually that cheap. Do you rent in each of the locations?

Initially I was thinking why can't you just leave it all in your house, and/or rent out your homes as fully furnished while you are away.

Storage usually indicates too much stuff, however if it is a consequence of your particular lifestyle it may be a necessity.

@englishteacheralex - I can see the merit in the example you suggested. However with regards to items such as

- bedding/mattresses/blankets
- kitchen utensils/small & large appliances
- bathroom towels

The constant buying and selling twice a year may not be practical, nor cheap for items that are difficult to acquire clean (mattresses) or give away. In these cases, storage may be a small price to pay for sanity.

[accolay]

I've done the storage shed thing before four times and with hindsight being what it is, it was only worth it once when I had one for three months between moving out of an apartment and moving into my house.

Moving is a pain in the ass at best of times. I can't imagine lugging that junk back and forth twice a year.

[paddedhat]

I'm surprised storage is actually that cheap. Do you rent in each of the locations?

Talk about a commodity that's priced all over the map.  We sold a house and moved 100 miles away. In order to plague myself, and make everything as difficult as possible, we sold, lived in our RV for eight months, then found a new house.  I found that along the trail from one house to the next, big storage units (10x20 or 10x25) were running $2-300. I found a great place that had an open 10x30 with excellent security, gated access,  and overall top notch facilities, for $110 a month. I never wrote a check so fast in my life. I have zero issues with storage when, like the OP, you have a clear need.  In my area, storing things in a basement can lead to lots of destroyed, moldy items. Storing in the attic leads to heat that melts pictures to album pages and destroys other delicate items, so it isn't typically optimal.

[Cwadda]

We can comfortably afford it, but it just doesn't feel right. I know that it's worth a face punch, but it could be worse, right?

It's also environmentally and socially irresponsible.

as long as you don't pay for it when you're not using it, I think you can have a pass here.

Not a free pass IMO. It's 100% anti mustachian and face punch worth no matter how you slice it. So here's another face punch from me.

How much land do your wife's parents have? At $720/yr, a nice storage shed added to their yard would pay for itself in a year or two and add to the value of their property.

A slightly better solution.

I encourage you to get rid of/make use of the stuff in storage.

Bingo! We have a winner.

With baby stuff, we just buy it on craigslist and then immediately sell it when it's no longer needed. Usually we lose around $10 on the bigger items. This is actually the case with almost everything we own: buy/sell on craigslist, lose very little money, don't store anything (we live in 850 sqft in Honolulu with two kids under 3). We also use our social network for kids' stuff and pass items around until they aren't functional anymore. The baby swing has rocked five kids in our friend group at this point. I can't remember who actually bought it.

So yeah, I issue a face punch for this. Storage units are dumb. Unless it's just for a month or two. In that case it might be more cost effective.

Another winner. Glad to see some posters speaking rationally here.  Edit: rationally is the wrong word. What I mean is "speaking in a way that aligns with Mustachianism."

[Hargrove]

Cwadda is on a roll.

Storage facilities are for paying money to rent things you already own because you have no use for them.

Kinda silly, in other words.

[SimpleSpartan]

If your not using it then get rid of your shit.

[RobFIRE]

If the storage is $60 a month, how about offering the wife's parents half that for use of storage in their basement? You save some money, they get some cash to spend on a treat.

[Cwadda]

If your not using it then get rid of your shit.

How about just getting rid of your shit and not using a locker in the first place? Why are people even considering using a locker? I see roughly half of posters condoning this idea, what the hell?

If the storage is $60 a month, how about offering the wife's parents half that for use of storage in their basement? You save some money, they get some cash to spend on a treat.

Another good idea. Thank you!

[farfromfire]

How much land do your wife's parents have? At $720/yr, a nice storage shed added to their yard would pay for itself in a year or two and add to the value of their property.

Hopefully they don't live in an HOA.

The majority of HOA neighborhoods I looked at in Denver do not allow any type of storage unit/shed/what have you in your yard.  I only looked at 2 HOAs in Parker, 2 in Broomfield, Stapleton, 1 in Lafayette and 1 in Erie (back in 2014).

That's horrible. Why would it matter to the HOA, as long as this is a backyard?

[TheAnonOne]

How much land do your wife's parents have? At $720/yr, a nice storage shed added to their yard would pay for itself in a year or two and add to the value of their property.

Hopefully they don't live in an HOA.

The majority of HOA neighborhoods I looked at in Denver do not allow any type of storage unit/shed/what have you in your yard.  I only looked at 2 HOAs in Parker, 2 in Broomfield, Stapleton, 1 in Lafayette and 1 in Erie (back in 2014).

That's horrible. Why would it matter to the HOA, as long as this is a backyard?

Why do half the things HOA's care about matter to HOAs?

[driftwood]

We need some clarification... are you saying that for the 8 months of year that you live in Kauai, your Denver stuff is all packed up into a storage unit, then, for four months out of the year, you unload that storage unit into a place that you rent? 

[MsSindy]

We need some clarification... are you saying that for the 8 months of year that you live in Kauai, your Denver stuff is all packed up into a storage unit, then, for four months out of the year, you unload that storage unit into a place that you rent?

This was my question, too.  And, are you just renting it the 8 months you're in HI? ($480) or a full year?  If it's just mostly baby stuff, won't the baby outgrow it by the time you get back?  We need a better understanding of what's in it and for exactly how long before we commence face punches....but my arm is in the cocked position  :)

[clarkfan1979]

We need some clarification... are you saying that for the 8 months of year that you live in Kauai, your Denver stuff is all packed up into a storage unit, then, for four months out of the year, you unload that storage unit into a place that you rent?

Yes, this is pretty much correct. The only additional clarification is that we stay in Denver for one month over winter break and 3 months over summer break to make up the 4 months. I am a college instructor and we are on an academic calendar. The storage unit location is in my original post. It's Fort Lupton, CO.

[clarkfan1979]

If your not using it then get rid of your shit.

We use our shit in Denver four months out of the year. When we leave Denver and go back to Kauai, we put our shit back in storage.