Save Money with a Home Organizer

Clutter = Storage Facilities

Let’s take a look at a common way of storing items, from furniture to bookkeeping and private treasures that have wonderful stories behind them – “Storage Facilities”. Storage facilities can be found everywhere. They are easy to access and store everything that for whatever reason, does not fit in your home, office or backyard shed. These facilities can range from $16.00 (2′ x 2′ cubby) to thousands of dollars a month. But unless you truly need to keep an item for legal or sentimental reasons, irreplaceable or a one-of-a-kind items, you are throwing money away!

Let me “tee up” some thoughts and ideas on the subject:

• Did you know that 9% of Americans have storage facilities and the self storage industry is the fastest growing sector of the US commercial real estate industry*? Why? Too many belongings. Clutter causes stress and anxiety, and we need to take time to go through tems and evaluate what is essential to keep.
• If you already use a storage facility, ask yourself WHY?
• How often do you go to the facility? Weekly, monthly, yearly? Remember the old saying; “If you haven’t used it in the past year, you probably don’t need it”
• How important are the contents in that facility to you? What if the contents were destroyed by fire or water damage would you immediately replace them?
• Inherited items: Do your family members some day want these items or would a non-profit organization get more pleasure out of them.
• What are the costs in keeping those special items you THINK you will need or someone MIGHT want in the future? You might be surprised how much you have spent in saving something of no use or value, or that a family member does not have any interest in keeping.
• Unless you would replace the item (similar to insuring a piece of jewelry or art) why pay the storage facility to store something for extended periods of time?

A small facility costs on average $50 per month which equates to $600 per year which adds up to $3000 for 5 years.  Could have been money spent on a nice vacation!  It is never too late to get those storage facilities cleaned out and free yourself from all the excess “stuff” as well as your wallet from expensive fees.

Send us your reasons for why you have a storage facility.

*self-storage association 2013 SSA fact sheet.