To store or not to store…that is the question.
Storage units make sense for short-term situations, but if you're using your storage unit to stash unwanted stuff…I have a must-read story that will make any frugal girl cringe!
Storage Unit Saga
Note: Grab a tissue, it's a sad, sad story.
My sister-in-law, who shall remain nameless, put all her furniture in storage after they sold their home. They were planning to rent a furnished condo until they found their dream home.
Not a bad plan.
A storage unit sounded like the perfect solution for this short-term situation, but short-term turned into long-term. Long, long, long-term…as in 8 years!
Yikes…let's do that math.
$100 per month x 96 months = $9600
And it gets worse! $100 a month was for non-climate controlled storage, so imagine what her furniture looked like after 8 years in hot, humid Savannah, Georgia.
You guessed it…moldy, mildewed and ready for the dump.
The items that were not ruined were dated, and she knew they had no place in her dream home.
Regrets, regrets…oh how she wished she had that $9600 to help furnish the new home.
Sadly, she's not the only one throwing money away on a storage unit. After all, tantalizing shows like “Storage Wars” exist for a reason.
What's the solution?
Make Money – How to Get Rid of Your Storage Unit!
If your storage unit is truly short-term…keep it. Storage units are perfect when you're in-between moves, remodeling your house or storing your college kid's stuff for the summer.
Storage units are not a place to stash stuff that you really have no intention of using. Give your items to someone who really needs them.
Storage units are not a place to keep things until you have time to go through the boxes. Make the time.
Storage units are not a place for items that don't fit in your house. Downsize your belongings.
It's time to clean out that storage unit and make some money!
Here's the plan:
- Make Piles – be ruthless! If you haven't used it or thought about it in the past year…away it goes! Don't get sentimental on me.
- Trash – bring some BIG garbage bags.
- Recycle – be responsible.
- Donate – don't forget to get a tax receipt.
- Sell – garage sale, Craigslist, Ebay.
- Keep – as in find a place for it in your home or consider letting a friend or family member borrow that table for a while. Your friend will be thrilled, and you won't be paying for storage.
- Worst Case Scenario – you are able to downsize to a much, much smaller and cheaper storage unit.
Who's ready for a weekend project?
Please leave a comment to share your storage unit saga!
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image courtesy of SundayMorning, FreeDigitalPhotos.net
