Face it, things are piling up. Your modest suburban chalet is being overrun with stuff. Clothes (mostly seasonal), collections (mostly irreplaceable), keepsakes (mostly sentimental), things the kids bring home (mostly because you can't say no). It's getting underfoot. Bin there, so use it
when stuff piles upOne solution is to build a bonfire with the excess stuff. Another is to store it away cozily in containers that are dry and reasonably airtight, can be easily moved and stacked atop each other.
There has been a boom lately in large storage bins. Check your local hardware or home-improvement store. We looked at several designs to give you a feel for what's available.
Cheapest, certainly per volume, is at Ace Hardware in Kaimuki: a Tucker Hingetop 35-gallon model for $11.99. This is a bare-bones bin with a very flexible lid that needs to be massaged into closing cleanly. Ace also carries the 28-gallon Rubbermaid Roughtote, which is similar, for $23.95.
City Mill has a very stout and large Rubbermaid Roughneck Tool Chest for $58. It has locks and removable trays. The Rubbermaid 35-gallon ActionPacker there is $69.99, but was designed mainly as a pick-up truck accessory. City Mill also has a 27-gallon ActionPacker Mobile with wheels, $44.99; 24-gallon ActionPacker, $32.99; 15.5 gallon ActionPacker, $22.99.
Eagle Hardware carries Contico storage bins -- a purple and green, 18-by-34-by-14-inch model for $19.88 (flexible); a smaller footlocker-like model with metal snaps for $19.86; Contico 50-gallon Tote for $29.88; Contico 31-gallon Ultimate Storage Locker for $21.88; Akro-Mil 17-gallon KeepBox for $19.99.
Sears has a wheeled Contico Jumbo Locker for $22.99.
The best value we saw this week was at Daiei, which is carrying the very stout (several of our larger staff members jumped up and down on it) 24-gallon Rubbermaid Actionpacker for $19.97. The 15.5-gallon version is $18.97; both use the same size medium-gray lid.