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College storage. We all need it!

Summer arrives at every college campus sooner than we anticipate. Students around the country are figuring out their best options for what to do with their stuff. There are a few options, but all of those require some resources--people, supplies, transportation, time, energy, and money.

Yes, even college student storage costs money. And sometimes a lot of it! Education can be expensive enough, so I'm here to show you how you can save some money on your summer storage. Here are eight hacks you can implement now to save some cash before you stash. 

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Get rid of what you don't need‍

Yes, I said it. Get rid of some stuff! If you don't use it, toss it. Or pass it on to someone who will. College is not the time to carry around unnecessary stuff. If you aren't using that air fryer weekly, give it to a friend. If your old textbooks are collecting dust, donate them. 

You have all of your 20s to hoard junk, so do yourself a favor and declutter your dorm before summer rolls around. Not only is decluttering a well-known stress reliever, but it can also save you money on storage. Less stuff means less cash on boxes or bins and less space to rent. It could also mean the difference between transporting in a car or renting a moving truck. Less stuff means fewer trips which will save you gas money. 

Consider eliminating or keeping décor to a minimum, so you aren't spending a ton to store the things you don't necessarily need. At Storage Scholars, we charge per item, so if you downsize your stuff, your cost to move and store with us will be significantly less. So take inventory of your belongings early on, and start decluttering now.   

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Sell items that you can easily repurchase

If you got a free desk, it might not make sense to spend the money on storing it. It may be less expensive to sell or donate it and get another one next year. This isn't always the case, so do the math and figure that out first. Plastic drawers, oversized mirrors, sofas, and things that take up a lot of space can be expensive to store and a hassle to move back and forth. Sometimes it makes more sense to sell and rebuy more oversized items year after year.  

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Get boxes and packaging materials for free ‍

‍‍Moving supplies can add up fast. Boxes, plastic bins, storage containers, tape, and bubble wrap are costly. First, ask around and see if your family or friends have any to spare. Check the Facebook Marketplace to see if anyone local is giving any away. Often you will find local families who have moved to the area recently are generous with passing on their moving supplies. Start looking in February or March and stash away what you find.

If you don't have any luck there, large retailers and liquor stores are known to discard lots of boxes regularly, so call around and ask. 

U-Haul Box Exchange is a website that will allow you to connect with people giving away free boxes in your area. 

If you hire Storage Scholars to move your belongings and store them over the summer (and then move them back to you before school starts), you won't have to worry about boxes or packing materials AT ALL because they're complimentary. That's right, boxes are 100% free of charge and included in your service so don't be shy on your campus distribution day and take as many as you think you will need (and return what you don't use). Tape and bubble wrap are also 100% free of charge so take plenty of that. Our boxes are also much sturdier than the standard cardboard box, so you won't have to worry about overpacking them. 

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Combine and compact

Do you remember those little Russian stacking dolls you played with when you were a kid? Think about storing your belongings that way! The more you can compact your stuff, the less expensive your storage will be. Your goal is to get it to fit into as small a space as possible! So stick your microwave inside your ottoman and your textbooks inside your microwave! Well, maybe not, but you get the idea. 

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‍If you decide Storage Scholars is your best and most convenient money-saving option for summer storage, I've got some great news. There are even more ways that you can save money with us! Here are a few: 

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1. Schedule your pickup and drop-off on a green date

While every campus has different dates to choose from, your price remains low if you select one of our green dates. All the green dates are complimentary and completely free of charge. You might be wondering why other dates are not free. We base our green dates on the most popular move-in dates at every campus. It's when most students are moving in (or moving out). Because of the popularity of those dates, we have moving trucks available and hire student movers on a large scale. It allows us to keep the cost of our service so low compared to others who offer a similar service. 

If you select to have your items dropped off or picked up on a date that is not complimentary, it will add an extra fee to your cost to cover the cost of hiring movers and renting additional trucks to help with your unique move.

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2. Show up

Once you select your drop-off or pickup time, add it to your calendar, and remember to be there during your window. Not showing up will force our movers to have extra work; they'll have to haul your belongings back to the warehouse and try again on another day. Doing this will incur an additional fee on your account that could have easily been avoided. Our movers are great about communicating with you on the day of your move so you can know precisely when they will arrive. We also have a live queue from your online portal to find your place in line. We put everything in place to assure that we will be there when we say, so we hope you will too. It can save you some much-needed money on your summer storage!

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3. Defrost your minifridge

It sounds simple enough, but this simple task can save you a lot! Remembering to defrost your minifridge requires a little planning. You will need to start the process at least two days ahead of time. This ensures you have plenty of time to eliminate excess water and ice and dry off your fridge. Doing so will ensure that your item doesn't leak water or damage any other items and so it doesn't acquire insects, mold, or mildew while in storage. While all of our facilities take reasonable measures to control these things, we can't prevent the damage that can occur because of an improperly stored minifridge. Aside from the damages that this can cost you, you will also incur a fee on our end because of the additional handling it will take our movers to prepare your minifridge for you properly. So, save yourself some money and set a phone reminder to defrost your minifridge before you move.  

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4. Refer a friend:‍

Storage Scholars rewards customers for sharing with friends! Surely you have a roommate or friend who could benefit from our services. Please don't be shy and tell them all about your experience! If you love us, rave about us to your friends because you never know who is stressing about the upcoming move-in/move-out. When they sign up, you'll both be rewarded with a $50 credit on your accounts. Be on the lookout for emails and texts with your unique referral code.  

There you have it! These are some quick and simple ways to save money on your college storage this summer. College is expensive enough–your summer storage plans don't need to be costly too. At Storage Scholars, we would love for you to consider us in your plan and let us take care of your moving and summer storage needs!

If you have any questions about summer storage for college students, visit our website today or email us to see how we can help you. Get your deposit in early and reserve your spot for a chaos-free move.