Alright, let me put the computer aside and just talk to you. I’m going to write this like I’m explaining it to my sister over coffee, because honestly? I’ve been exactly where you are.
So. The storage unit.
Remember when you got it? That feeling of freedom—like you’d finally solved the puzzle of your cluttered garage or spare room. You drove away feeling lighter. And then… life. Months go by. That automatic payment comes out of your account every 4th, and after a while, you don’t even flinch. It just becomes background noise. Another bill.
But here’s what hit me one Tuesday: I was paying for a space I hadn’t even looked at in maybe nine months. What was even in there? An old couch? My kid’s baby clothes? That box of “important paperwork” from 2015? I was basically throwing money at a ghost.
The One Dumb Little Thing That Changed Everything
So I started doing this one dumb little thing. And it changed everything.
I call it my “Drive-By Check-In.” No lists, no spreadsheets. I’m not that person.
Here’s what it looks like in real life:
My unit is near the grocery store. Once a month, after I buy milk and eggs, I don’t turn left toward home. I turn right into the storage place. I don’t even get out of the car sometimes. I just roll down the window, look at my unit door, and ask myself two questions:
- “Does anything look broken or wet?” I’m literally just checking if the door is still shut, if there’s a puddle, or if some animal has chewed the corner. It takes ten seconds. Last year, this saved my butt. I saw a tiny trickle of water from the unit next door creeping my way. I called the office, and they handled it. The stuff in that corner? My winter coats. A close call.
- “What’s one thing in there I actually need soon?” I just think about it for the drive home. Is it Halloween decoration time? Then I know next time I come, I’m grabbing the orange tub. Is summer coming? The patio cushions. This simple mental note means I never, ever buy something I already own. How many times have you bought another extension cord or another set of Christmas lights because you couldn’t remember where yours were? That’s a $40 mistake that adds up.
Once every few months, I actually go inside. Not to clean, just to see. And I always play this game: I find the one thing that makes me say, “Why on earth am I still keeping this?”
Last time, it was a perfectly good bread maker. I used it three times in 2012. I took a picture of it right there in the unit, posted it on Marketplace from the parking lot, and sold it for $30 in two hours. That $30 paid for more than half of that month’s rent. Felt like a genius hack. The unit almost paid for itself.
The real money-saver, though, is the quiet confidence it gives you. When you’re in there regularly, you lose the fear of the unknown. You realize, “Hey… I’ve used a lot of this stuff. It’s looking kind of empty.” That’s when you get to make the powerful choice to downsize to a smaller, cheaper unit. That’s instant savings, every single month, just for paying attention.
This isn’t about being a perfectly organized person. It’s about not letting your past clutter dictate your present budget. It’s about being the boss of your stuff, instead of the other way around.
The Bottom Line
I run Storage One Hubert, and I’ll tell you why this matters to me: I hate the idea of your unit being a place of guilt or wasted money. We built our place to be clean, safe, and easy to get into—not a dungeon you avoid. We want you to feel okay swinging by. To honk and wave at Joe at the gate. To know what you’re storing is safe, and that you’re in control.
So my challenge to you is this: Next time you’re near your unit, just stop for five minutes. Don’t make it a project. Just open the door, take a breath, and look. Your stuff is there waiting for you. And your wallet will thank you for the introduction.
Trust me. It works.
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