Johnny-on-the-Spot … by John Foster …

I’ve had occasion to be inside a couple of storage units recently.

The song-and-dance troupe my wife performs with stores items in a couple of different locations.

I’ve always found these storage units to be cold and dank.

One even has signage advising you of “Poison” for rodents inside.

But now, there are “climate-controlled” storage units where your “stuff” can be kept safe and comfortable.

Storage units are big business in America.

We are the largest market in the world for storage units.

In 1984, there were about 6,600 storage units in America.

Today, there are more than 50,000 (900 per state) and the 23 million individual storage units have 2.3 billion square feet available.

That means EVERY American, all 340 million of us, could find a place to stand.

Guess what?

America’s storage units are running at about 90% capacity.

It’s a $38B industry that employs more than 170,000 of us .

America’s quest for “stuff” has lead to the TV show, “Storage Wars”.

I admit I will watch these special characters on occasion.

Abandoned storage units are auctioned off during the show.

Statistics reveal more than 150 thousand units are auctioned off every year when renters fail to stay current with their monthly payment.

Many are abandoned due to financial hardship, divorce, extended hospitalization, untimely death, imprisonment or just forgetfulness.

When my wife’s parents passed several years ago, she and her sister were forced to do something with all of their possessions.

Family got first picks and then we hired a company that came in, priced everything and sold it at “priced to move” levels.

It was quick and relatively easy on the family.

When my wife and I moved from Ohio 31 years ago, we were certain our new home would not have a basement.

We found our previous ones were largely storage areas that collected spider webs and dust.

Now, our attic holds our house down with all the “stuff” stored in it. I’ve joked we’ll never blow away because our attic keeps us firmly touching the ground.

Still, my wife and I are not adverse to “purging” on occasion and I’m frequently hauling items to the recycle center or the landfill.

I’m pretty chummy with the Goodwill folks, too.

That’s why we can park 2 vehicles in 3 of our garage areas.

The third has become our workshop.

It is interesting to note that while the average American family is smaller today our the living space is significantly larger in the homes we live in.

Just after WWII, the typical American home was just over 900 square feet of living space.

Today, it’s just under 2,500 square feet.

Americans also used to have a single car detached garage.

In 2000, the 3-car garage became the standard and now, more 4 car garages are common.

Despite that, you’ll find many vehicles parked outside.

Twenty-five percent of us don’t park inside the garage and one-third of two-car garage owners can only get one vehicle inside.

Why?

All of our “stuff”.

We have a relatively new housing development near us and it can be difficult to navigate in your vehicle with all the home home owner cars and trucks parked along the streets while their garage areas are parked full of everything except vehicles.

More than 10% of us rent storage space at an average of more than $90 per month.

If you can’t afford a storage unit, find a neighborhood like our daughter and son-in-law live in

Old furniture, appliances, “stuff” can be placed at the curb and within hours, it will be gone.

Don’t take a break, standing near the curb.

Someone might think you’re a mannequin and try to stuff you in their trailer or the back of their SUV.

Comedian George Carlin did a stand-up routine on “stuff”.

He said, “A house is just a place to keep your ‘stuff’ while you go out ad get more ‘stuff'”.

A yard sale or garage sale is a way to get ride of some of your :stuff”.

Any money you make can go towards one of the surest business investments in America.

Storage facilities in America have an annual growth rate of more than 7 percent.”

“Stuff” that in your pipe and smoke it.