Did you know that there are more than 35,000 self-storage facilities in this country? Americans have so much stuff that our houses and garages are overflowing to the point that we have to rent extra space. I know someone who rented space in a self-storage facility because she ran out of closets to hang her clothes.

I want you to think about all the stuff you have because ultimately, I want you to determine whether too much of your income is being devoted to servicing debt to pay for personal property that depreciates every year you own it.

You see, there are four types of assets that make up your net worth. Three don't require you to rent self-storage space and are more likely to put you on the path to financial security. They are:

Liquid Assets -- Cash or other financial assets that can easily and quickly be converted into cash with little or no loss in value. Liquid assets include money in a checking or savings account, money market accounts or certificates of deposit.

Investment Assets -- These assets have the potential to appreciate (increase) in value. They include stocks, bonds or money in mutual fund accounts.

Real Property -- Land and things attached to it (house, garage). This is by far the greatest source of wealth for American families.

The last asset category is personal property. This includes your automobiles, furniture, clothing and electronic equipment.

Technically, personal property is counted on the asset side of your personal balance sheet. However, these assets generally depreciate (decrease) in value. Once you walk out of the store or drive off the car lot with these assets, they immediately lose a great deal of their value.

Want to see how much of your income is spent to acquire assets that aren't likely to make you wealthy? It's not a perfect formula, but figuring out your debt-to-income ratio will give you some idea of where your money is going. This is a number, expressed as a percentage, that compares the amount of your debt (excluding mortgage or rent payment) to your monthly gross income.

Mortgage lenders look at the debt-to-income ratio all the time. When you apply for a mortgage, a lender also will determine the percentage of your gross monthly income that goes toward housing expenses. Typically, your monthly housing expense should not be greater than 28 percent of your gross monthly income (income before taxes and other deductions).

Mortgage lenders also look at your total debt-to-income ratio (all your debt obligations including your mortgage payment) to determine whether you are able to handle a home loan. The maximum ratio they typically like to see is 36 percent, although increasingly lenders have allowed borrowers to have a total debt-to-income ratio as high as 50 percent.

Still, your basic debt-to-income ratio compares your debt load to your income. The lower the ratio, the better off you are financially.

"Maintaining a good debt-to-income ratio will keep vital financial doors open," said Rudy Cavazos, director of corporate and media relations for Money Management International, one of the nation's largest nonprofit credit-counseling agencies. "Owning a home and a car is just the beginning. A home requires improvements, and cars must be replaced."

To calculate your debt-to-income ratio, use your gross monthly income. Include any bonuses, tips, commissions, alimony, child support, dividends, interest earnings and government benefits.

Next, figure out your monthly debt obligations (excluding mortgage or rent payments). Include payments for your car, installment loans on furniture and appliances, bank/credit union loans, student loans, and credit cards (use the minimum amount due).

Now divide your monthly minimum debt payments by your monthly gross income. For example, if you have a gross monthly income of $2,000 and minimum payments of $400 on a car loan and your credit cards, you have a debt-to-income ratio of 20 percent ($400 divided by $2,000 equals .20).

According to debt-counseling experts, if your debt-to-income ratio (excluding mortgage and rent) is:

15 percent or less: You are doing a great job keeping your debt load low.

15 percent to 20 percent: You're still an excellent candidate for credit by most lenders.

21 percent to 39 percent: "This range definitely raises a red flag," said Cavazos. At this level, start looking at your spending habits and eliminate credit card balances that carry high interest rates.

40 percent to 50 percent and above: "This is a serious situation," Cavazos said. The average client seen by Money Management has outstanding debt (not including mortgage and rent) of $19,000 and annual income of $27,100. If your debt-to-income ratio is this high, Cavazos said, you probably should seek credit counseling. To find a consumer credit-counseling agency near you, contact the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at 800-388-2227 or go to www.debtadvice.org.

Now that you know where you stand financially, think about all the stuff you're accumulating. Is it appreciating, or does it have the potential to increase in value. Or is it crammed in your house or a self-storage facility, costing you money?