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How To Save A Few Hundred Dollars Each Month...

By
Real Estate Sales Representative with RE/MAX West Realty Inc., Brokerage

Wanted to share some information with you that could help the debt load of some of your clients.  We were invited to meeting of our peers in our RE/MAX club level.  About 300 were in attendance.  It's always a place of ideas from the best of the best.

Walter J. Schneider co-owner of RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada Inc. was the keynote speaker and brought up a very interesting fact with regards to storage units.

He said that there are in access of 60,000 storage centres in North America.  That's centres not units.  He has a friend that owns about 15,000 units.  Theses units are usually paid on a monthly basis and the norm is that 150-200 units fall in arrears for non-payment each month.  The usual notices are sent and eventually the contents of the units are seized to be sold to recover the arrears.

So here is what we are getting at.  In almost every instance, 75-80% of the contents is just thrown into the garbage and most of the rest is given to places like the Salvation Army.

Here's the point, these units are costing 100's of dollars each month.  In times when every dollar counts, why are people paying to store junk.  We are sure they can use the money for many other necessary things.

The challenge to you is to get the message out to your clients.  Maybe they are paying on a automatic payment system and have forgotten their stored junk.  So why not put a little article in your next newsletter or blog to remind them. 

They say "one man's junk is another man's riches", maybe it's time to pass the junk on and spend the money you save on something useful.

Al and Peggy Cunningham
http://www.TheHousePeople.com

Comments (12)

Mike Saunders
Retired - Athens, GA

Al & Peggy - but that's where I tell clients to put their "excess" after declutterring! But yes, that is one way to save money. Take a close look at all the automatic monthly payments going out and dump what you don't need.

Jun 14, 2009 01:25 AM
Diego A. Perez
Connecticut Lawn Painting - Wilton, CT

Your absolutely right, so many people spend good money storing junk. and those storage units are not cheap.

Jun 14, 2009 01:28 AM
Al & Peggy Cunningham, Brokers
RE/MAX West Realty Inc., Brokerage - Brampton, ON
Our Family Wants To Help Your Family!

Hey Mike!  So have we been recommending them! And you are absolutely right, check those automatic monthly payments .....$25.00 per month x 10 and oops, where did your money go.  Funny how you forget they are being withdrawn right?

Jun 14, 2009 01:32 AM
Yvette Gardner
Keller Williams Realty, Spartanburg, SC - Spartanburg, SC

Al & Peggy,  Great idea.  Not only can they save money on the storage, a lot of people are selling stuff on Graigslist and producing some income from their junk!  Thanks for sharing!

Jun 14, 2009 01:36 AM
Michael Setunsky
Woodbridge, VA
Your Commercial Real Estate Link to Northern VA

Al and Peggy, it goes to show you. If they store all this stuff and forget about it, they don't really need it. They should have given it to the Salvation Army to start with.

Jun 14, 2009 01:45 AM
Harry F. D'Elia III
WEDO Real Estate and Beyond, LLC - Phoenix, AZ
Investor , Mentor, GRI, Radio, CIPS, REOs, ABR

Thanks for the challenge. I just shredded my files from five years ago stated by real estate law to keep files. So, I am in line to shred the next bunch. Great post

Jun 14, 2009 02:29 AM
Ralph Gorgoglione
Metro Life Homes - Palm Springs, CA
California and Hawaii Real Estate (310) 497-9407

Great idea for part of a newsletter!

I'll definitely use it.

It's perfect to remind people of taking a more minimalist approach in our current economy.

Jun 14, 2009 02:50 AM
DALIA KIBBY
One Sothebys International Realty - Cooper City, FL
Selling Florida Homes with Passion!

Great reminder.  It's amazing what junk people hold on to.  Perhaps it's o.k. to keep if there's no cost to keeping it, but to pay to keep junk--no way!

Jun 14, 2009 02:58 AM
Cheryl Powell - The Powell Team
Southern Homes of The Carolinas - The Powell Team - Harrisburg, NC
Concord,Harrisburg & Charlotte NC Area Real Estate

This is so true. It's kind of like bank accounts that have become inactive and forgotten. These things will get a lot more attention as the economy worsens.

Jun 14, 2009 07:46 AM
Al & Peggy Cunningham, Brokers
RE/MAX West Realty Inc., Brokerage - Brampton, ON
Our Family Wants To Help Your Family!

Yvette & Dennis, yes! Another income producing idea - sell "your stuff" on Craigslist! Thanks :)

Michael, some of the stuff we and other people collect! Never sure why! Thanks for stopping in

Oh Harry, Ugh! Thanks for the reminder....we must shred files as well. Thanks for visiting

Yes Ralph, with this economy a minimalist approach is best.  Maybe its the silver lining.  Thanks for dropping in

Agree Dalia, never understood that philosophy of storing junk. Enjoy your Sunday.

Jun 14, 2009 01:27 PM
Al & Peggy Cunningham, Brokers
RE/MAX West Realty Inc., Brokerage - Brampton, ON
Our Family Wants To Help Your Family!

Oh my goodness Cheryl, people forgetting bank accounts.  Now that is a problem. Thanks for passing through

Jun 14, 2009 01:31 PM
Jim Frimmer
HomeSmart Realty West - San Diego, CA
Realtor & CDPE, Mission Valley specialist

We have a storage unit that costs us $139 a month, but we live in Southern California where I think everyone has a storage unit once they run out of garage space.

Not my garage!

Jun 19, 2009 10:24 AM