Frugal Storage Units: There Aren't Any

I have watched a couple of television shows lately that focus on people that make a living by buying the contents of abandoned storage units.  Most of the time the units are filled with junk.  Most of the buyers own thrift/junk stores and are buying in order to stock their stores.

Today as I glanced through the newspaper I saw three ads for abandoned storage unit auctions.  The ads listed the unit renters names and all of them listed the stored items as "household".

I can think of a few scenarios where a storage unit might be necessary. Home renovation comes to mind or moving if the new home isn't ready to move into.  But, for the most part, I believe that people are paying to store their clutter.  They don't have room for it at home, but "someday it may be needed", so they hold onto this clutter and spend their precious money on storage.

The point of de-cluttering and organizing our homes is to get rid of the stuff.  Sell it or donate it to a charity shop.  Don't just hide it away.

 If you are renting a storage unit when is the last time you used the items in it?  Are you legitimately going to the unit on a regular basis to pull out something that you need to use?  If you haven't been to the unit for months, spend some time there this weekend looking through the boxes.  Will you ever really use these things?  Don't save stuff with the idea that someday it may be used by your children.  To quote my brother, "One person's treasure is another person's junk".  Oh so true.

God bless,
Pam

Thanksgiving Countdown: The List

We are skipping over pantries for a few days to start preparing for Thanksgiving. The first step is to make lists. Lists about needed groceries, house cleaning and decorating. If you are one of those super organized people that made your lists a month ago, God love you, take these five minutes to relax and have some tea. I am not so organized so here I go!

House cleaning list: all the basics, with the addition of cleaning and pressing the turkey tablecloth (yes it has turkeys all over it) and napkins, washing the serving pieces (that haven't seen the light of day since last Christmas), polishing the silver (ditto) and crystal.

Decorating: Cleaning and displaying Fall decorations. Thank goodness I haven't added any turkey statues to the mix, but I do have some lovely gourds and I always use new beeswax candles for the holidays. Don't forget dried flowers which are wonderful for Fall and wonderfully economical since they can be reused.

Groceries: You must make this list and shop today. Why? Because your turkey needs to be in the refrigerator defrosting ASAP. Make a list of ALL ingredients you need for your recipes, check your supplies, then make a shopping list. Make sure your spices and baking powder are fresh. Organize your coupons and head out the door. This isn't a good time to have your spouse or children do the shopping for you; believe me, you will end up running back to the store if you do.

Put your kids to work cleaning. They will grumble, but let them. We are developing their character through meaningful work. Reward them by letting them enjoy doing some of the fun cooking activities (that involve sugar).

Let's get moving!

God bless,
Pam