So in the fall I wrote a slightly off colour piece Do You Store Your Tires, where I bragged about my wife’s rack (the tire storage rack that I include in this post, because I am very proud of it), but after retrieving my tires from my mechanic I learned something more interesting about the ever growing business of “storing our stuff” (to quote the Late George Carlin from Brain Droppings).
Someone at my mechanic’s shop pointed out that they stored over 1600 sets of tires this past winter, and I thought, “WOW! That is a lot of stuff!”.
That is more than 6400 tires stored somewhere (actually it was being stored in a set of storage containers (a big (but not huge) place to keep your stuff) beside his property. I guess if you have the space, storing your customers tires is a service that is in high demand, but I was just floored by how many tires that was.
Will I be storing my tires next winter? I am hoping I don’t because I plan on putting a shed on my property where I can store that kind of stuff (tires, lawnmower, snow blower, bikes, etc.,), because I have a lot of stuff . Is it cheaper for me to store my own stuff, or to pay someone to keep my stuff somewhere else (where I might have to call to go look at my stuff)? I don’t know, but I don’t feel safe leaving my stuff somewhere else, I like having my stuff close by, to make sure no one is fooling with my stuff.
Every time I turn around when I am driving in a rural area there is yet another “store your crap here” business popping up, so storing your stuff must be a growing business. Where I live in Ottawa storage is a booming business where folks store their stuff, their RV’s (which are places with wheels to store stuff, which then need to be stored when you aren’t using them), and other stuff.
At the end of it all, Mr. Carlin had it right when he said,
“A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff.”,
George Carlin
Do you store your stuff, or do you not have enough stuff to worry about it?
Some crazy folks get rid of their stuff, but what if they needed it later? I like my stuff, but I am not sure I like paying to store it, maybe I just need a bigger house to put my stuff in?
One rule we were glad we made when helping clear out relatives’ homes after they had died was that we wouldn’t put anything in a storage locker unless we knew where it was going and when. E.g. we did store some furniture until spring so a northern relative could rent a truck and drive it up when it was safer than in the dead of winter. Otherwise, you can end up storing stuff forever at what SEEMS like a low rate per month, until it becomes years.
Be careful storing tires: extreme heat/cold can damage them. Maybe keep them where they are when you move the other stuff to the shed.
People are emotionally attached to stuff and their self-worth is directly related to how much stuff they have. There are many storage facilities around my town and some have waiting lists. One of the largest storage facilities is very close to the town dump. Save yourself a lot of money and drive the extra few kilometres to the dump.
I understand tire storage and anything that encourages Canadians to use snow tires is ok with me. If I lived in an apartment or was a little older or drove a tiny car I would consider it.
Touche! Town dump, classic! (It’s true where I live too)