Worried About the Economy? --- 3 Things You Can Do Now!

Date Posted: Oct 22, 2008

Watch for November and December tips for information on #2 and #3.

#1 -- GET RID OF THAT SELF-STORAGE UNIT

A unit the size of a closet without climate control in the Athens areas will cost around $40 a month.  A large 15' x 20' climate control unit can cost around $185 a month.  If you are currently renting a unit, ask yourself why.  Sometimes it makes sense to rent a self-storage unit.  For example, if you sold your house and are renting while your new house is being built, it makes sense to store items temporarily.  However, many people pay large amounts of money to keep things that will just be donated or thrown away someday.  The items are stored for years and no one is getting any use out of them.

Check out the link below for more information on the self-storage problem in the U.S. today.   Some key statements from this article are:

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/TheHighPriceOfTooMuchStuff.aspx

• "In 1995, one in 17 American households rented storage space.  By 2007, that ratio had increased to one in 10..."
• "...the...expansion of self-storage industry in recent years reflects something disturbing about the way Americans acquire stuff and then cling to it:  how much we buy, what we save, what we think we need."
• Consider this:  The self-storage industry grew from about 289 million square feet in 1984 to nearly 2.2 billion square feet by the end of 2007...."
• It took 25 years for the industry to build its first billion square feet of storage space.  The second billion square feet was added in just seven years..."
• "The average American home has grown from 1,400 square feet in 1970 to 2,300 square feet today, but the average size of the household has shrunk from 3.1 to 2.5."
• "...these uneasy economic times demand a long, hard look behind those corrugated doors:  Can we afford the storage lifestyle?"

The last statement says it all:  Can we afford the self-storage lifestyle?