If your plan is to throw your things into some plastic bags and toss it in storage for years, you may be wasting wads of cash. Long-term storage is an excellent solution for many reasons and circumstances, but make sure it’s the right choice for you. Here are some questions to ask yourself before locking up your things.

Will These Things Go Somewhere Someday?

It’s hard to let go of your child’s finger-paintings and old toys. However, you have to ask yourself: will your now grown-up children actually want these things down the road? While they might not want their old superhero costumes in the future, they may need the old crib, rocking horse, and high chair for their own children. If the items in storage are headed to a great place, it’s usually worth it to store it.

Is it a Seasonal Item?

Do you have certain items you use every year, but only in winter or summer? Long-term storage is a great solution for keeping your home de-cluttered without tossing out seasonal items each year. Store away those Santa decorations, heavy coats, and light-up lawn snowmen until the holidays. Once more, store those beach chairs and umbrellas until the sun is shining bright.

Do You Want to Share a Unit?

If long-term storage doesn’t make financial sense at the moment, but you still need the extra space, consider splitting the cost with a relative. This is a great option for you and your family to store away those sentimental ideas you don’t want to part with, but simply don’t have any leftover cabinets or drawers to contain them. Before signing on the dotted line, however, have a conversation with your relative about logistics. Agree on how much space each person can use before a 50-50 solution turns into a 90-20 argument.