Planning for your children's future is about more than making sure they get a college education and teaching them morals and values. There will come a time where every child will need to go out on their own. This may be before or after college, but your child will still need tangible items in order to make their new life living alone work. Planning for the day that your children move out means gathering the household items that they need to start a life. Here is how you can use self-storage as a hope chest for your children. 

Repair and keep household furniture

If you end up replacing household furniture, such as dining room and living room furniture, you should keep the old furniture. As long as the furniture is still in usable condition, you can have it cleaned and stored in your self-storage unit. Be sure to properly steam clean all furniture, then have any repairs fixed or any reupholstery done by a professional firm. This is a cheap and easy way to help your children decorate their home and still be able to afford new furniture for yourself.

Shop major clearance sales

The advantage of time is a good one when it comes to acquiring household goods for cheap. If you start combing through clearance sales at stores or garage sales when your children start their freshman year of high school, you can gather together the majority or all of the items your children would need to move out during their senior year. Look for glasses, flatware, dishes, and more on major sales to help collect all necessary kitchen, dining, and cleaning items for cheap. 

Frame keepsakes and portraits

One thing that has to be on the backburner for the majority of people just getting started on their own are decorations. You can help your child with this plus provide them with lifelong keepsakes by framing important photographs of themselves. Frame some baby pictures of your child, along with family photos and their favorite pictures. Blowing up your child's favorite photos and framing them will give them beautiful decorations to use in the long term. Along with portraits, you can give your child their own keepsakes, including bronze baby shoes and some of the old family heirlooms that were to be passed down to them anyway. Gifting keepsakes and mementos can also be a cheap way to show your kids that you care..