What's worth more: $160 or staying in the closet?

[alyssaenglefield]

That's the question on my mind at the moment.

It's the end of the university year tomorrow (Sat), and after my jury service here in Dunedin next week, I'll be heading home to my parent's for the summer, returning late February. I also have to vacate my dorm as my lease expires on Sunday 28th.

Here's the problem - I don't want to come out to my parents, and I can handle 16 weeks without CDing (for goodness sakes - I didn't crossdress for 18.5 years, so 16 weeks is puny). So I have almost finished packing my stuff into 2-3 boxes, and decided to walk down to the nearby self-storage to see how much it would cost. They said they could fit it, but it would be $10pw. Hopefully you can work out that is $160 +locks and insurance - which is a lot of money (unless you fork out on champagne and caviar, $160 is sufficient to by a week's groceries for a couple).

I'm looking at another self-storage across town (which fortunately enough has a $50 of your first month coupon that I can "borrow" from the dorm's Yellow Pages), but it still comes down to one question.

What's worth more: $160 for 3.5 months self-storage, or staying in the closet from my parents?

[Debglam]

Can you just tape up the boxes, mark them "books" or "papers" or something like that and store them at your parents?

LUV! New Zealand - spent a lot of time in Christchurch.

Debby

[Ann Thomas]

Honestly, I wish I had found a way to come out to my dad when I was young. On his deathbed I found out he also crossdressed. I missed a huge opportunity to bond with my dad in a very special way. Personally I feel it's a genetic trait. If I'm right, there's a chance it's coming to you from your mom or dad. Might be a good time to explore family roots. Maybe your dad is hiding it too. Or, maybe he or your mom hasn't told you about a mysterious ancestor, such as a grandfather or great-grandfather. You never know what you'll discover. If I were in your shoes, doing it over, I'd come out, because the risk to me would be worth it if it were my mom and dad. My son's now 21 and in college and he knows about me, and he told me he does as well.

All the best to you!

Hugs,
Ann

[Stephanie Miller]

I kind of go with Debglam - except I would just tell your folks your holding on to them for a classmate ( Heck, classmate could be female. Why not) that is traveling and won't be back till school starts again. Your just doing her a favor and saving storage fees.

[Schatten Lupus]

I too would just tape the boxes up, label it as something your parents won't be inclined to look at, and keep the boxes as out of site as much as possible. Or depending on what you are storing and how much, you might be able to get a large duffel bag to store everything in, and put it with the rest of your bags and boxes that you will be putting up anyways while you are staying at your parents.

[Chickhe]

Even better, tape the boxes up and write 'Alyssa' on the boxes. Just say you are holding them for your friend so she will save $160 in storage fees. ;-)

[GaleWarning]

Even better, tape the boxes up and write 'Alyssa' on the boxes. Just say you are holding them for your friend so she will save $160 in storage fees. ;-)

Excellent idea! Do you own a car, Alyssa? The boxes could spend the summer in your boot.

[alyssaenglefield]

Excellent idea! Do you own a car, Alyssa? The boxes could spend the summer in your boot.

Unfortunately, no. The best places I can think of storing it safely at home would be under my bed, in the wardrobe, or in the Harry Potter cupboard. The only major problem now is how to get it home: my parents (or one of my parents) is/are coming down with the car to get me home!

P.S. the second quote was $78 per month - no thanks!

[Kelly DeWinter]

Check with some of your friends who rent house's (frat house, sorrority house) etc. , buy a footlocker from Sears, with a lock, and offer your friend 20 bucks for summer storage.

[Loni]

job? rent your own place?
if not spend the cash or just box up and tape shut.
keep in your room at your parents place.
tell them?
jump into the car with your dad with a cute skirt and top on. and say home is a great place like nothing is wrong....then let him ask the questions. it is going to be a long drive home right??

[alyssaenglefield]

Kelly - most leases in Dunedin are 52 weeks fixed term, running from 1 Jan to 31 Dec. Also, most first years (of which I am one) live in residential halls - only in the second year do they go "flatting" and end up signing a $170 per week per person joint and several lease before they even get their exam results!

And there is no Sears, or a direct equivalent, in New Zealand. the closest I can think of is The Warehouse (but that's more like a Wal-Mart/Target)


Loni - I currently don't have a summer job (I have to get home first), and I don't rent my own place (other than my dorm until 28 November).

It's a long drive: a 9hr drive from Dunedin to Picton, then a 3hr 15min ferry across Cook Strait to Wellington, and then another 1hr 20min drive to my parent's house, which is near Masterton.


I'm still undecided on what approach to take, but it was a point of contention over dinner - i swear half the "female" customers at KFC were crossdressers. (Either that, or girls around here have really dropped in standards recently - no offence!)

[AllieSF]

You have spent time to accumulate your "special things". I think you should just bite the bullet and pay the $160 and be done with it. You will probably put more effort into worrying about making the decision than going home and trying to find a good job. Good luck.

[LeannL]

All I can add is that when I was your age, I purged a few times only to really miss some of the things I had accumulated. Unless your parents are really nosy, they aren't going to want to open up a fully taped box that is marked "books and notes". Just make sure that the weight of the box matches the label on it. Just put the box in the car, make sure you take it out and then put it in the back corner of your closet. If you have other boxes you won't open while home, put them on top of the box with your things. Then relax and enjoy your time off. Your parents will be more interested in you and your experiences at school than what is in a sealed box containing "normal school stuff".

Leann

[linda allen]

Even better, tape the boxes up and write 'Alyssa' on the boxes. Just say you are holding them for your friend so she will save $160 in storage fees. ;-)

I think that's a great idea. They will not be going through a stranger's stuff.

[Tbirdgal]

I saw fabulous suggestions here . I like the taping boxes , borrow storage and the like..........

[pernille d]

If you want to be extra safe just buy a cheap holdall or suitcase , with a lock put the stuff in there then put it in the box and tape it up. Then if you say you are holding it for a friend. And some one does open the box by mistake , there will not find things just loose. As that will attach attention as it will look like someone else,s suitcase

[thechic]

Hi there
years ago i used boxes and put the clothing in and topped it with some books and folders,marked the box with the type of books i had in them,then taped them up.you need to put a layer of mags or books at the bottom of the box also

[alyssaenglefield]

Re-read everything and realised two things:
* i can pay monthly on the storage via automatic payment - a $40 payment monthly is much better than a $160 lump payment
* my contents insurance policy covers items in storage, so as long as I remember to renew it in February, I don't need insurance.

Plus as my parents don't see my credit card statement, It would be much easier than having to take it home to my parents - chances are very likely she'll unpack the box!

[Tasha Meredith]

Plus as my parents don't see my credit card statement, It would be much easier than having to take it home to my parents - chances are very likely she'll unpack the box!
I had this exact same thing happen to me (stored my boxes off-site for months, got careless and brought them home, then arrived the next day to see *everything* was repackaged by mom the night prior). So it doesn't hurt to be cautious. For what it's worth though, having her finally know was like a huge weight off my back.

[Robyn B]

I'm a huge supporter of the storage unit concept! A 6x6 "closet" of your own is great when you are in the "closet".

Also find the long halls typical in a storage facility are a great "catwalk" to try out those new heels (be sensitive of security camera locations though, if you are shy).

[alyssaenglefield]

I'm a huge supporter of the storage unit concept! A 6x6 "closet" of your own is great when you are in the "closet".

Also find the long halls typical in a storage facility are a great "catwalk" to try out those new heels (be sensitive of security camera locations though, if you are shy).

You do realise that i'm self-storing it in Dunedin, not Masterton. They're 860km/535mi from each other. Unless I can explain where I have gone for a few days, it is highly unlikely I'll dress in the next 16 weeks.

[Laura Jane]

Vaccumm storage bags are a must for long term storage, wouldn't want moths etc eating your expensive stash!

["Mary"]

I like the friend's box idea. She lives out of the country and can't take the stuff on the airplane, so she asked you to hold them. Possible love interest.... etc.

[docrobbysherry]

I do this ALL THE TIME at my house!
Recently, my daughter found some of Sherry's "props" I left out after a session. Simply told her some kids left them in our yard and I was giving them to Goodwill!:D


I like the friend's box idea. She lives out of the country and can't take the stuff on the airplane, so she asked you to hold them. Possible love interest.... etc.

A locked chest, or heavily taped box says, "I'm HIDING SOMETHING!":brolleyes:

A sloppily packed box, loosely closed, with a female's name crudely markered on it, will most likely remain undisturbed! Even if your mom will peek. If it's all ladies gear, mixed with books, maybe a few ladies magazines, she won't bother with it! If u could get a female friend's class papers or projects to throw in there, she'd be SOLD! Maybe u can find someone's discarded notes in a trash bin?:thumbsup:

AND, u won't have explain taking at ALL back to school next semester! But, U will have to hide your "D" breast forms somewhere ELSE!:heehee:

[alyssaenglefield]

Spent all of today packing and rearranging my room - only the essentials (1/3 of my male clothing, alarm clock, plate knife and fork, toiletries) still have to be packed.

However, it looks inevitable I'm going to have to put my crossdressing stuff in storage - aside from my crossdressing stuff, already I have:

1x large suitcase
2x apple boxes
2x banana boxes
2x rubbish bags (clothes)
a low shelf unit (size of banana box)
a modular drawer (size of banana box)
a clothes horse
a 45L recycling bin
a washing basket
an overnight duffle bag
a backpack

Plus two adults (me + dad) and an additional overnight bag, all to fit into a car similar to this one (just a brighter red):

146413

So, some time tomorrow, I'm putting all but one item of my crossdressing stuff into storage until February.

And that one item going home - my wig. Not only is it my favourite item and makes me feel the most feminine, but it's the easiest item to explain - I accidentally left the wig stand out when my parents came down in August, and "it was just natural to buy a wig for it" (and shampoo).

[eluuzion]

Spend the $160. It will be worth twice that much in piece of mind knowing your stash is "safe". Make sure you discard all items with strong odor (perfume/cosmetics etc. the shelf life will expire in storage anyway.) Do not store any "liquids". Wrap each item separately in a sealed plastic bag, removing all air prior to sealing. Then put all sealed items into another larger sealable plastic bag, removing the air prior to sealing. Do not leave any personally identifiable information in the the contents of the storage container. The container should be hard-sided and not contain any glass, or any item that could arouse suspicion if the case is dropped or shaken. Pay for the entire storage time, in advance, in cash. Use your initials for your first name. Do not list a forwarding address. Make the sides of the storage container at least 4" less than the compartment it will be stored in. Do not store anything inside that is not in the original container with the ingredients marked clearly on the box. (like baking soda, etc)

Use a commercial padlock, never a luggage key of any kind.

Just a thought...lol
:love::cool:

[alyssaenglefield]

Thanks eluuzion for your thoughts, although some of your ideas are not valid in New Zealand - too many people have tried to grow marijuana or set up a P lab (P is a ubiquitous New Zealand term for methamphetamine) in self-storage units, so procedures are different.

Just remind me not to repack at 11:30pm at night - your transphobic next-door neighbour will call the dorm manager. But then I think she is trying to bluff me into thinking she is 19 - I found an old advertisement from 1990 in which a girl looking freakishly like her appears at one point in it. (right side, 1:35 in, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDoMoRRQgSQ). I actually have to go on this ferry service to get to my parent's (although the ships look a bid different these days)!

[Kathleengurl]

K's 2cents worth:
1) Sell your clothes or give them to another CD or to goodwill
2) Spend the time as male.
3) This will give you some time to think and focus w/o the distraction
4) You'll be able to save, and plan your next wardrobe.

Giving is good for the soul, and it's a good segue into a break. I think breaks help us cut away the chaff and deeper into the core of what each of us want's out of this lifestyle. Too much indulgence can cloud our vision and judgment.

[sometimes-stacy]

I have had to have massive 'cleanouts' many times in the past and I have regretted it most times. It can be more difficult for me, having a clean freak girl friend who must have every area of the house spotless (including my hiding places).
Defently just bite the bullet and pay for storage. I wish I was in more of a position to help you out. As it seems I live jsut down the road from you.
All the best anyhow:)

[alyssaenglefield]

I put all my stuff into storage this afternoon - Alyssa has gone physically for 3.5 months, but she still is here mentally. Now I just have to remember to clear my browser history and press Ctrl-Shift-P when logging into this website so my brothers don't find out.

Although the Pirihimana found out about my CDing - don't ask.

[alyssaenglefield]

I put all my stuff into storage this afternoon - Alyssa has gone physically for 3.5 months, but she still is here mentally. Now I just have to remember to clear my browser history and press Ctrl-Shift-P when logging into this website so my brothers don't find out.

Although the Pirihimana found out about my CDing - don't ask.