Self Storage-Waste of Money or Necessity?

Do you have a self storage container for which you pay a small fee on a monthly basis? How much do you pay a week? £10-15. That is a small price to pay to store your important and unmissable stuff and free up space in your home.

 Or is it?

 Psychologists are doing extensive research into the correlation between depression and material possessions. They are concluding that by surrounding ourselves with more and more stuff, we are becoming more stressed, less creative, suffer from restless nights and lose focus.

 If we compare our lives with those of our parents, surely we have it easier

·    shops are open 24/7

·    electrical goods that wash, clean, cook and radiate

·    access to all we need and crave online, within reach by phone all day and night

·    and don’t forget…, often a higher disposable income.

 Our consumer society teaches us that when something stops working – go out and buy a new one and while you’re at it, why not buy a second half price – a promotion too good to pass by. And so it goes on. There is never a break from our 24-hour life and all the while we are collecting more and more stuff, thinking that the next item we buy will bring the happiness we are looking for.

 And ultimately the bubble BURSTS, BURNS OUT, BREAKS DOWN AND MONEY IS WASTED, so much money wasted and still our craving for happiness has not been satisfied.

 We look around and realise that our homes are bursting at the seams, we have too much of everything and too little of that something.

 So is the answer to store the items we don’t use to create space for new items? I don’t think so. The fact is that unless you store items on a temporary basis due to refurbishments or because you are in between homes, you will probably never clear this container and realise after a year or 2 that you have wasted well over £1000.

 And now?

 The space you cleared in your home? Oh, that has gone too, replaced by more stuff.

 Look around, see what you have, take out all that stuff you don’t need, reduce your possessions until you are surrounded by all that you love – and you might find that happiness you were looking for.

 And all that important stuff that has been kept in the storage all those years – maybe not that important after all.

Blog originally published here.