Glory Box - What is it & Why you should have one

Glory Box. Also known as a hope chest, dowry chest, cedar chest and trousseau chest.

In simple terms; it's a collection of items that your parents store (in a box) ready for when their child flies the nest.

Its traditional use was for women in anticipation of married life, collecting clothing, household linen and sentimental items to pass on through the years from mother to daughter.

In the days where arranged marriages were very common, the grooms family would offer land, property and protection to the bride, and her family would offer the chest to the couple in return.

These days anyone can be gifted a glory box and is primarily used to provide a helping hand to children moving out of home for the first time. The items stored inside are thought to cover a large chunk of the cost to furnish your home.

Parents are the primary contributors, but telling family members and friends never hurts; they can provide fun items to the box.

So what should you include in a glory box?

The basics that are easy to buy, easy to store, and will 100% be required in a new home include:

• Dish-ware: Anything you use on a daily basis to consume meals comes in to this category. Generally timeless pieces that can be used for years if taken care of properly. Serving dishes can be either brand new or sentimental items passed from parent to child.

• Cookware: This can be very broad depending on how you cook, what you cook, how often you will cook etc. When it comes to pans, non-stick is easy but if you love cooking meat consider iron-cast for longevity and perfect cooking.

• Homewares: This can be useful items like storage, and also little knick knacks and decorative pieces that can really make a home feel like a home. Think of items that transcend the trends and will always fit it no matter how many times you change a colour scheme. Also consider random essentials that you might need in case of an emergency.

Things to consider

Fabric items like blankets, towels, cushions etc are a good idea in theory but you should consider how you will be storing them before you jump into purchasing these items.

If you're like me and only have available storage space in your garage, then items might start to smell a little musty over time, especially if you've started the box early in your life and aren't planning on moving out any time soon.

Consider storing these items in a separate space where they won't develop a smell or gather a lot of dust, or purchase the items closer to when you will be moving out.

Big ticket items like electrical appliances (vacuums, kitchen appliances) should be bought around the time you're moving in. They will take up a lot of storage space if you purchase them to save for the future, and newer, better items might come out that will have made it obsolete.

Delicate items like light bulbs and the sort may break if storing with other things. The boxes they usually are purchased in are not made to protect them from being squished under the weight of cookware. They are also generally inexpensive and can be bought in the first grocery shop! Also consider that a lot of modern apartments and houses have LED lights and won't need standard bulbs.

Bulky items like furniture (ottomans, chairs, cupboards etc) take up a lot of room. These can be bought a few weeks out from moving out and delivered to your new place!

Garden tools may not be necessary if you are moving into an apartment or house that doesn't have a garden or lawn to tend to. If you do have a tendency to purchase plants (like I do) a pair of garden gloves (to keep those nails clean!) is generally all you would need.

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It's never too late in the game to request that your parents start a glory box for you. Any little bit can help and make a difference towards the cost of starting your own life outside of home.