1) LABEL: Put your name on everythaaaang! WeStash It labels every item, but to assure the items are yours when you return, put your name or initials on your items!

2) CLEAN: Clean out that stinky fridge and microwave! Let your fridge thaw for a few hours. Nothing is grosser than getting your microwave and miniature refrigerator back after sitting at room temperature for three months unopened. That’s no way to make friends with your new roommate.

3) ROOMIES: Speaking of roommate! Store with your roommate! Coupons only get better when the total price goes up! Combine you and your friend’s storage and you will save BIG. HUGE.

4) TINY ITEMS: Put small items in a big bin! If you have a little lamp, a pillow and a small fan – don’t pay for each item! Put those small items in one of WeStash It’s reusable green bins. Nothing moves and nobody gets hurt.

5) BREAKABLES: Remove lightbulbs from your lamps, people! We are super conscious of the fragility of your items and try our best to handle with care. But some days we place an item down and your friend Bob runs over to hug you hello, knocks over the lamp and BOOM – Bob is no longer happy. And you’re not happy. And we’re not happy. Don’t set up Bob for failure – remove those bulbs!

6) STINKY: Put dryer sheets in your boxes and bins! You may think your items already smell like roses, but you may have a change of heart after parting ways for all of that time. This way, you open up your bins in the fall and the fresh smell of clean laundry welcomes you with ease.

7) TEXTBOOKS: Spread your books out into multiple bins – this way when it comes time to unpack and move that bin around your tiny dorm, you won’t pull a back muscle in the name of chemistry (because who wants that.)

8) VALUABLES: Don’t store things that are super valuable to you! I know, that kind of goes against the whole storing-your-life thing. Whether it’s a calculator you can’t live without or a note from your freshman year crush – if you can’t afford to lose it, you shouldn’t store it! We never open your boxes or bins after you’ve handed them off to us – so there is no way to know if an item even got into your bin in the first place. You dig!?

9) EMPTY LUGGAGE: Don’t just store your luggage empty – fill it up! Use your luggage or duffle bags as a means of storing items. Just watch that weight limit!

10) GO BIG: Or go home! Oh, wait… that’s probably where you are going. Okay, let’s put it this way: if you have to sit on the box/bin so it shuts before taping it, it’s stuffed! Move those items into a bigger box or bin. WeStash It offers on-the-spot additions to your order. If you need one more bin that morning of packing, you can just shove all of those items in the new bin as we load up the rest of your items. If you break the lid of a bin, you buy it!

And there you have it! 10 storage tips on how to save money and be smart while storing your items!