Tuesday, September 8, 2009

What About Self Storage Units?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/06/magazine/06self-storage-t.html

Check out this very enlightening article about the use of self storage units.  If you are renting one, you may find yourself described in it.

One of the most intersting comments was from a man who said he was storing a table that cost him $1000 because he didn't want to sell it in a yard sale for $10.  But if it is costing him $100 a month to rent the storage unit, he will have paid for that table again in 10 months and if he leaves it there 5 years, it will cost him $6000.  Is his table worth that much?  Better to have $10 in the pocket than a table and $6000 disappeared.

Unless there is a very temporary need for self storage, it is much better to donate unwanted items or those no longer needed to a better use or sell them for whatever the market will bear.  Keeping items in self storage for a rainy day may cause a flood of financial distress.

2 comments:

  1. Its looking fine, you can find more Storage here…..

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  2. I'm really enjoying your blog. But I differ on the self-storage comments. I know that objectively your approach makes financial sense. But if you have things that you love so much you can't toss them (the 200 year old bed I grew up in -- no I'm not 200 years old; some of the things that belonged to my late daughter that will someday go to her daughter) -- I figure I'm spending $120 to keep the clutter out of my living space and preserve it for future generations. Bonus is I get to rotate my craft stuff. Value to me: priceless!

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