Alright, look. I’ve been running this storage business for fifteen years. I’ve seen it all. And the biggest mistake I see people make? They treat their storage unit like a magic trick. They wave a wand, and poof! The clutter from their house disappears into my unit.
But it’s not magic. It’s just moving the problem. And now you’re paying me $80 a month for the privilege of still having that problem.
So let’s get real. If you want to do this right, you have to make hard choices before you ever call me. It’s not fun, but it’s the only thing that actually works.
The One Question That Changes Everything
Here’s the only question that matters. It’s a question I had to ask myself when I cleaned out my own dad’s garage after he died.
For every single thing you own, ask: “Does this have a real, active job in my life?”
Not a “maybe” job. Not a “someday” job. A real, right-now job.
Real-Life Examples: What “Employed” vs. “Fired” Looks Like
Let me give you examples from my dad’s garage.
- The lawnmower. Job: Cuts the grass. Active? Yes. Keeper.
- A perfectly good set of wrenches. Job: Fix things. Active? Yes. Keeper.
- Three cracked flower pots. Job: Hold plants. Active? No. They’re broken. Their job is over. Trash.
- A box of old National Geographic magazines from the 1970s. Job: To be read. Active? No. He hadn’t looked at them in 30 years. Their job was over. Recycled.
- My grandmother’s recipe box, stained with butter and flour. Job: Hold family memory. Active? Yes. A powerful, important job. Absolute Keeper.
See the difference? You’re not deciding if something is “good” or “bad.” You’re deciding if it’s employed or fired.
That box of cables for phones you haven’t owned in a decade? Fired.
The winter coat you wear every year? Employed.
The ugly vase you hate but feel guilty about? Its job is to make you feel bad. Fire it.
Your Simple Action Plan
This is what you do. You go into your spare room. You pick up one thing. You ask, “What is your job? And are you currently doing it?”
If the answer is no, thank it for its service and let it go. Donate it. Sell it. Trash it. Just get it out.
The stuff that’s left—the stuff with a real, active, important job—that’s your A-team. That’s the stuff worth keeping. And if you don’t have space for your A-team in your house, that is when you call me.
The Bottom Line
That’s what we’re here for at B&D Self Storage. We’re not a landfill. We’re the off-site headquarters for your best stuff. The employed stuff. The stuff that earns its keep.
Do the hard part first. Be the boss. Fire the clutter that’s not pulling its weight.
Then, bring the champions to me. We’ll keep them safe for you.
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