Is More Storage Needed?

It can be true that a room, kitchen, home, with less storage is a challenge to live in. Some homes really are lacking, but many these days have decent amounts. It is us that have too much stuff. Look inside a home built back 75-100 years ago and their rooms, garages, closets are often smaller. We have so much more stuff to find a place for that it can be challenging in those homes.  I moved from a small 1940’s home to a large modern home and had empty kitchen cabinets, closet shelves, drawers etc.  But that didn’t last long. When we have the space, we find things to put there. 

Yes, we want be able to access our things easily. We deserve to enjoy activities that may require equipment or gear, or supplies for projects and hobbies. We just need to be real about when enough is enough, and what we actually use.

When things are organized well, we need less actual space. Too much space and we wont be able to find items - where to even look? Did I put that in the attic, the closet under the stairs, the shed, the garage or the storage unit. Or items will be too far back or buried under other items. How much time do you spend looking for things? Or how often do you buy something only to find later that you already had it, you just didn’t remember or couldn’t find it.

More reasons to pair down and decrease purchasing in the first place:

• less to move when it is time, 
• less carbon footprint,
• less of a burden to your family should something happen to you, 
• less to clean around, 
• less time spent stressing about the need to go through or organize
• less to be damaged or destroyed in case of a water leak, fire etc.,
• less money spent!

Many people hold onto things “just in case”. Murphy’s law says if you get rid of something, that’s when you realize you need it. But there is another law I’d like to re-iterate - what you truly need always finds its way to you! Or you didn’t actually need it. Notice how often this is also the case in your life. Often we find we didn’t need something after all. We made due without just fine. So don’t be too quick to go out and buy, nor hesitate to donate/sell. 

Keep or let go? Things to consider:

• Could you borrow or rent when it is needed rather than own it/store it
• How likely will you remember you have it or where to find it when needed
• How often will it be needed/used
• How hard is it to keep, access and what room does it take up
• Will it need maintained, a tune up later, be out of date/style
• Are you willing to pass it on if you don’t use it even once by a future date you set
• Would it bring you happiness knowing someone else is putting it to good use rather than it collecting dust in your house or causing you guilt

I kept my old skis for a long time, because I meant to get up to the slopes and hey, renting is not cheap. But my skis were so old (I bought them used in the first place) and when I finally did get up skiing, nearly 10 years later than I had intended, ski technology had improved of course. I had to rent boots anyway as mine were not good. Not bringing, carrying, not to mention storing, my skis made the occasional rental price seem like money very well spent. 

Once you have decided to keep it, I offer these tips for storing:

• Label or mark things well
• Clear tubs can be useful, as well as accurate labels
• Keep like items together
• Be realistic - how many left over containers/gift bags/boxes do you really need? Are some in sad shape anyway?
• Keep a file on your computer or a notebook with details about stored items, where to find them, last time you used it etc.

If you have to rent a storage unit to hold all the stuff that wont fit in your house, you likely have too many things. The storage rental business is doing very well in the US! And this is not a good thing. Occasional use of storage units makes sense. But those rents keep increasing and eating up your hard earned money. All for things you rarely look at little-lone use. Time to get back to a reasonable level of “stuff”.  We are over-consuming and contributing to green-house gas emissions with the production of all the stuff we don’t even have room for. This is not a healthy state to find ourselves in. But we can wake up to this silliness and change! Awareness is the first step.

​Good luck! And let me know if I can help in any way.