Photo Memories, Part 2: Storage Overwhelm

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You are nearly out of storage.

You will no longer be able to receive emails in 14 days. 

Anyone else frequently receive this message? Cue the panic. Do I scramble to delete pictures and videos I don’t really want to delete or do I bite the bullet and just pay for more storage … again? 

I find myself in this predicament every four to six weeks, and to be honest, I have not yet found the perfect solution. If you missed it, I talk about my philosophy about why we feel the need to capture SO MANY photos and videos of our everyday lives in Part 1 of this series for St. Louis Mom, which you can read here (insert part one link here)***. 

a close up of a mom's iPhone as she takes a picture of her sleeping kidsIn an effort to find a resolution to this recurrent problem, I started asking around to other Moms – how do you store all of this data?! I’m going to share with you the various ways to store pictures and videos I have found through my own research and through the input of other Moms. I have found that this constant responsibility to actively manage storage is stressful, and I hope some of these strategies can help alleviate that feeling if you are experiencing it, too. 

Storage services:

Shutterfly – unlimited photo storage capability with one purchase from the site every 18 months (no minimum amount). You can also store photos from Facebook and Instagram – I do not believe there is a video storage option. Additionally, I am unsure if Shutterfly will alter the quality of high-resolution images. 

Amazon Photos – Amazon Prime members get unlimited high-resolution photo storage and 5 GB of video storage. There are plans you can purchase for further video storage, if needed. 

Google – You can get up to 15 GB of storage for free. This service shares storage with Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos so it goes FAST. My current plan is 200 GB of storage and that costs $29.99/year. Other plans offer 2 TB of data for $99.99/year or 5 TB for $249.99/year. 

iCloud – Automatic 5 GB of free storage with ability to upgrade for a cost. 50 GB for $0.99/month, 200 GB for $2.99/month, 2 TB for $9.99/month, 6 TB for $29.99/month, or 12 TB for $59.99/month. This is not necessarily a storage service but a syncing service – or an extension of your phone storage. If you delete a picture from your phone, it also deletes from the cloud. 

Other cloud services: Dropbox, OneDrive

a 35 mm camera connected to a computer to upload photosOther options: 

Old fashioned internal phone storage – varies.

External hard drives or USB drives – size varies, can be damaged, can fail after so many years and will eventually require back up and replacement – will they become obsolete? 

There are private services that will help store/organize your data or transfer obsolete media to more updated media (VHS to CDs, etc). 

Tips and other strategies: 

  • Miss Freddy – A professional photo organizer who has been featured on several podcasts, she has a crash course for data storage or live consultation options, and her social media offers several tips as well as a great blog.
  • One tip I read was not to prioritize cleaning up old stuff. The first priority should be dedicating yourself to changing habits and cleaning up moving forward. Start today!
  • Schedule data backup at what ever interval you feel fit – back up to a drop box service and/or external hard drive (every few months?).
  • Delete screenshots.
  • Spend 2-5 minutes per day deleting unwanted photos from the day or day before.
  • Every day, go back to this day 1, 2, 3 years ago and delete duplicates or photos/videos you don’t need.
  • Print photos or photo books.
  • Print a family yearbook.
  • I found that using Google Photos as my primary backup was a huge mistake because I need that storage for my email. Because my photos used up all my available data, my email is constantly at risk of being inactivated. It is also really difficult to get the pictures from Google Photos to a different device or storage capacity once they are there. You have to download them to your computer which takes a really long time, and my computer doesn’t have enough storage to transfer them. 
  • It is important to utilize a backup for wherever you choose to store (if you use a drop box then also have them saved to a hard drive). 

My biggest goals right now are 1.changing my habits moving forward and 2. getting my photos off of Google Photos and onto an external hard drive. Honestly, using Google photo is my biggest regret. They automatically backed up which at the time I thought was helpful, now it just feels like all of my photos are stuck and I’m backed into a corner to buy more storage.

What other tips do you have?

 

(The above listed information is valid as of 12/31/2024 and applicable to the US, prices vary for other countries)

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Mandi Tuhro
Mandi is originally from a small town and moved to Saint Louis in 2015 for a new job and new love. She has lived in a few areas of Saint Louis including the Central West End/De Baliviere and Lindenwood Park areas but has found a place to call home in Webster Groves. She has been married to her husband Seth since 2017 and they had their first son, Walter in March 2020. She is being inducted into the “two under two” club in January 2022! Mandi works full time as a Nurse Practitioner. When she is not working, you can find her park hopping and trying to wrangle her son, brainstorming freezer meal ideas, mourning the loss of “The Office” from Netflix, or at Katie’s Pizza and Pasta in Rock Hill. Mandi is passionate about making Motherhood feel less lonely and encouraging community through vulnerability.

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