Downsize Your Home with Self Storage

I have strong opinions about self storage units. I’ve written about how my family saves money by selling our stuff instead of storing it.

Is it possible that a storage unit could help simplify your life? This guest post is written by Art Decker, a self storage manager.

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Choose your stress: Will it be the stress of living from paycheck to paycheck? The stress of a crowded, cluttered living environment? The stress of living in a neighborhood that you don’t like or in which you do not feel safe?

As a self storage manager, I’ve met people who have used self storage as a way to help them cope with each of these stresses. In each case, families moved from a larger home to a smaller one to reduce one kind of stress, and then added self storage to reduce the strain of downsizing.

I know that professional organizers say that self storage is not necessary, and that using self storage to cope with extra clutter only prolongs the inevitable choices that must be made about what to do with it. With respect, however, that’s one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard.

Most of the people I meet every day are not hoarding “extra” stuff. They are storing things they need or will need in the foreseeable future: hand-me-down clothes for a growing child, the inventory for a home-based small business, the boxes of extra nonperishable supplies, the last several years’ income tax returns and related personal documents and files. They just can’t afford to give those boxes of inventory or files or the coats they will need next winter an air-conditioned, carpeted space, complete with kitchen, bathroom, and cable/Internet access, to call their own.

And rightly so. Skeins of yard don’t need a refrigerator, oven, or stove. A winter coat doesn’t need to use the Internet or watch TV. Your income tax returns don’t need a toilet (no, I promise, they really don’t).

But using a self storage unit wisely takes planning, or it, too, can become a source of stress. Try these strategies:

1. Find a self storage facility that is already on your route.

If you can’t find storage close to where you live, look for space that is close to where you work, close to your grocery store or library, or close to your child’s school or daycare facility. This way you will save time by not having to deviate from your everyday route.

2. Consider renting two or more smaller units instead of one large one.

Depending on the facility, you might find that two or three small self storage units are just as inexpensive as one large one. If you are trying to keep your business inventory separate from your family belongings, you may find that it is less work to use two separate units.

The option for climate-controlled units may be worth the small additional price depending on what you are storing. Though your extra lawn equipment or college kid’s sports equipment probably doesn’t need a constant temperature range, if you have treasured photos or other items that may be sensitive to humidity or extreme temperatures such as leather or some art supplies, it would be a smart choice. In the southeast, where humidity reigns, mildew can be an issue, as can the salt air in coastal areas.

3. Store as much as you can on shelves around the outside of the unit.

Leave yourself as large a space in the middle as you can. That way you will be ready if you have to store additional items unexpectedly. More importantly, though, if you have a bit of extra space in the middle (or in a corner, if you prefer), you can, if need be, use it as additional working, living, or hobby space occasionally. But don’t use your space for sleeping, even if you are tempted — a nap may seem harmless to you, but self storage facilities are not zoned for that.

4. Put whatever you can into storage.

Having less stuff around really does reduce your stress, and when your possessions are in storage, they stay organized. Things kept at home tend to get pulled out and disorganized on a fairly regular basis. When you do add to your unit, be sure to take the little bit of time to put it in its place. Though dropping a box off from time to time seems harmless, they add up quick and your storage unit will end up as cluttered and confused as your closets may once have been.

Try to keep an inventory of what you have put into your storage unit, as well. Some people like to keep their self-storage inventory in a three ring binder at home, with tabs for each area or for each family member. Whenever they take another load to the unit, they take a moment to log its contents in the storage inventory. Other people prefer to use an online program so they can reach their storage unit inventory from any location.

Also, watch out for odd-shaped items — the enemy of organization! If you are storing many items with a standard shape, and two or three of rather odd shapes, pull the odd-shaped ones out and put them in their own spot. Even libraries store oversized books in their own special location.

5. Use storage as a way to transition to a simpler lifestyle.

If you would like to have fewer belongings but can’t decide what to get rid of, one way to find out what you can live without is to put almost everything in storage — this time at an out of the way location NOT on your usual route. Then observe what items you find yourself going out of your way to pull back out. Everything else is stuff that you probably don’t really need.

7 Ways to Add More Storage Space to Your Home

Our Craigslist dresser and rain gutter bookshelves in the nursery.

Last week when we talked about undoing the mess and putting things away, one topic we discussed in the comments was how hard it is to put things away when your home has little to no storage space.

It’s not only a problem with apartments, many houses lack good closets, and everything ends up out in the open.

When most people think about adding storage, they often think of containers like baskets, boxes, and jars, but you still need a place for the containers to go. You want to avoid having too many small containers. Like Zoanna mentioned, a lot of storage containers can make any house look cluttered, even when stuff is stored neatly in them. Before you think about containers, let’s think about space.

Assuming that you’ve sorted through your stuff and given away what you don’t need, let’s brainstorm how to add more storage space to your home.

1. Shelves. For the square footage, shelves make the biggest difference. We  have restaurant-style metal shelves in our closet. They are well-suited for apartment living because they’re adjustable and can be taken apart when we move. The best part is they don’t need to be mounted to the wall.

I got ours used from a local grocer and it held hundreds of pounds of food, so it’s strong. I found it on Craigslist (listed for sale in the business equipment category).

2. Dressers. Drawers can hold more than clothes. Spruce up old dressers and buffets found on Craigslist with a bit of paint, and use them anywhere in the house.

3. Under the bed. The college dorm trick is to raise your bed on cinderblocks and add an extra-long bed skirt. It’s so much easier to put boxes underneath the bed this way. Some people don’t like having anything under the bed, but I’d rather store something under the bed than not have another place for it to go. What do you think?

4. Hooks. Whether it’s a decorative hook, a plain nail in the wall, or a peg rail, hanging stuff on the wall helps. Most of our hooks are low on the wall so kids can reach them.

5. Hanging tote bags. Almost every room in our apartment has a tote bag hanging on the wall. I keep one hanging by my desk to hide loose papers in when my desk gets messy.

6. Behind the door. I’m not really a fan of hanging organizers on doors. They make the door difficult to swing open and close, but they work.

7. Maximum closet use. What do you need to add to make extra stuff fit in your closet? A double rod? Another shelf? Make full use of all three areas in a closet: the upper shelves, the space for hanging clothes, and the floor space.

I’m Free! How I Broke a 30-Year Caffeine and Soda Addiction

Tom turns one year old today, and it doesn’t feel like that long ago we were sharing crazy nesting stories and I introduced him to you. The festivities continue into the weekend, but for now I was thinking about how I’ve made so many personal changes thanks to him, things I never thought I could do.

The year my daughter, my first child, was born was the most blissful, peaceful year of my life. She was an easy baby to care for and indulged me with three naps a day. I had free time to read, become accustomed to being a stay at home mom, and pursue my interests which led to writing here at Small Notebook.

This past year that Tom was born has challenged me to grow in ways I didn’t expect, it has stretched me beyond what I thought I was capable of and refined me to be stronger in the end. Oh baby who does not nap and who cries whenever I set you down! On your very first day the Lord impressed on my heart, “Be gentle with him.” I would have been at my wit’s end otherwise.

When he was three weeks old I felt convicted to stop drinking soda. My daughter was old enough to notice what I drank, and I didn’t want her to develop a taste for it. I stopped buying soda and drinking it at home, although I still had it sometimes when we went out. I drank more tea.

Shortly after that, we realized Tom showed several signs of food intolerance from the beginning, and I gave up all my favorite foods. My husband and daughter have food intolerances too, and though I tried to be similar to them, I found it so hard to do on my own. A couple of years ago I read Sally Parrot Ashbrook’s story of how when she changed her diet, her husband supported her and gave up foods too. When I read that, I thought two things:

1. What a loving thing to do.
2. I could never do that.

So here I had just stopped drinking soda at home, which was something I had depended on when I needed a shot of energy or a break, and now I was avoiding the foods on a list that grew longer with every passing week. I was giving up my dependence on comfort foods. It was worth it though. I realized I could make a safe haven for my kids at home, because everywhere else they go they are exposed to risk of becoming sick from other people’s food. I didn’t expect the blessing of family unity when I conformed to their needs instead of holding out with my own.

Without a break during the day, I was exhausted by 9 p.m., and I started going to bed early. I wrote about how changed from being a night owl to an early bird, and how it once felt natural to stay up late, but I finally started taking better care of myself.

Recently I had started drinking more tea with caffeine. I also started drinking more soda because when we went out I got refills since I knew I wouldn’t have it at home. I suspected caffeine made me irritable, but I assumed it was normal for a mom to feel slightly run down and tired at the end of a hard day. I loved the momentary boost I got from drinking tea or soda. I depended on it. I thought I needed it.

I loved drinking cups of hot tea. I love the routine of preparing them, the tradition, and the social aspects of getting together over coffee and tea. It was a nice respite that I still clung to, but then my baby boy changed it all. I became aware that every time I drank caffeine, his eczema flared up. So I gave that up too.

I started drinking water exclusively. After a week, I was amazed at how my mood and alertness improved. Even my husband noticed. I didn’t have mood swings in the late afternoon. I felt even-tempered and happy!

I had given up caffeine before, and I had tried to drink more water before, and I sort of tried to consume less sugar, but this was the first time I consistently did all three at the same time. For me, that was the secret.

1. I completely stopped drinking caffeine. Though some people favor a gradual step down, I always prefer to make big changes cold turkey.

2. I started drinking lots of water. I have a big jug I fill up twice a day, and I add sprigs of mint and a scant teaspoon of sugar to 32 ounces of water. It makes a refreshing minty water that I drink much faster than plain water.

3. I avoided extra sugar. After giving up so many foods, the cups of tea became my main source of sugar. I avoid herbal tea now. Though I don’t have a problem with herbal tea, I found myself adding heaping spoonfuls of sugar to each cup. If I slowly drink a cup of herbal tea, I won’t be as hydrated as when I drink a jug of water.

When I had previously given up coffee, tea, and soda, I was always conscious of how I was going without something that I wanted. It was really hard, and it only lasted as long as my willpower.

This time is different. I feel good, and I don’t feel like I’m going without. I finally found good health that other people alluded to, but which had seemed impossible, or impossibly hard.

All the times before that I had heard other people say to consume less caffeine and more water hadn’t motivated me to make a change, but feeling this good motivates me to keep it this way. I knew I had broken free from my addiction when I didn’t want to drink any tea or soda because it didn’t feel worth messing up how good I felt.

I want to be a “drink water” evangelist. I didn’t know it was possible to feel this way on a daily basis. I get to be a happy mom, and I really feel like it, I don’t have to fake it for my family. I can still “go out for coffee,” I just buy a bottle of water instead. I also don’t need to use under-eye concealer as much anymore because the dark circles under my eyes have faded and gone away.

Thank you, sweet guy.

Undoing the Mess

Sometimes I wonder if an apartment is easier to keep clean than a house. What do you think? I used to believe it was true, but that was when I lived by myself, worked full time, and was away from home all day.

Now I think an apartment might have less space to clean, but there is nowhere for stuff to hide. Mess has a bigger impact. You can’t simply shut the door to a messy room when you live in every room every single day. You have to pick up more often in an apartment.

If I leave a couple of plates on the small countertop, the whole kitchen looks messy. A shirt on the floor makes the bedroom unkept.

For a while I was leaving my projects out in the open so they would be convenient to come back to later.

“Don’t put the ironing board away, I’m not done with it yet!”

“Leave the sewing machine right there, I think I still want to use it.” (Even though it was on the floor in the walkway to the bathroom, and I hadn’t used it in a week.)

One time my family was running around doing a quick pickup and Doug finally put away a couple of things I had left out until I could have time to work on them again.

Hmm, it only took a few seconds to put those things away, and it did look better.

Lately I’ve been trying to put more things away because I know it will take a much longer time than I expect before I can come back to it. This way I won’t have to look at a half-completed project a hundred times until then.

More than that, I’ve been focusing on finding a home for things, because the things that linger on the kitchen counter and tabletops have no certain place to go. It becomes automatically easier to put something away when you know exactly where it belongs. You don’t have to make a decision about it, you can just put it away.