In her 2002 hit, “Soak Up the Sun” Sheryl Crow sang “It’s not having what you want, it’s wanting what you’ve got.” Today we all have lots of stuff. We live in an increasingly material world and we accumulate possessions at an alarming rate. Don’t believe us? According to The SpareFoot Storage Beat in the US alone there will be 52,952 self storage facilities in 2015 accounting for 28+ billion dollars in revenue. Clearly we’ve got stuff. The question becomes whether or not we need all of the stuff that we have and whether owning it all is helping us or hurting us.
There are several factors that contribute to our overbuying culture. Keep reading to see if any of these fit you.
It was such a great deal. We get sucked in because something is on sale. How can you pass up a great item like that at that low, low price? We should forgo the purchase if we don’t actually need the item. Buying things we don’t need will cost us in the long run. You have to space to store your possessions. If you replaced an item that was still usable you have now lost money on the original purchase as well. If you bought something that will necessitate other spending down the road - the shirt that you don’t have anything to match, the shoes that require special socks or inserts so that they fit correctly. That great deal can easily end up costing you money.
I thought I needed it. The more stuff we own, the harder it is to keep track of everything. Often we buy something because we think we need it, but then later discover that we already had something similar at home that we had simply forgotten about.
I lost the one that I had. If you lose your sunglasses in the ocean you will need to get a new pair. If you lose them in your house you should be able to locate them again. All too often our lack of organizational skills combined with our hectic schedules leads to items being misplaced. When we need them and don’t have to search it can seem easier to just buy a new one. This is a huge waste of both of time and money.
Planned obsolescence. Companies are in the business of convincing us that we need the latest and greatest model. They are constantly updating designs adding new options and features that we as consumers are sure make the new model superior to the one that we own. Replacing a broken or worn out item is one thing, buying a newer model when the old one still works is another matter entirely.
Own Your Stuff with Stockpile Simple Online Inventory Solution
The best way to assume ownership of your stuff is to know what you have and where you have it. Stockpile simple online inventory solution makes it easy to track your possessions. Simply add items into the system using areas and locations so that you’ll always know where things are stored. You can even add photos to records to eliminate any confusion down the road regarding the records and any ambiguous descriptions you may have entered. As you are entering items into Stockpile simple online inventory solution you may notice some duplicates and some items that you no longer want or need. Start a pile to donate and/or a pile of stuff to host a yard sale. Read our previous blogs for tips on hosting a successful a yard sale. As you reorganize you’ll start to get a feel for whether you own your stuff or if it owns you. Take control of your possessions today - get started now with Stockpile!
