Google account keeps saying storage is full despite many attempts to clear space

My google account filled up so it gave me the threatening “your email will stop working” unless I clear up space or buy more storage. I have enough pics and videos that I don’t care about so I cleared out about 10 gbs of space. The next day I log back on and it’s like that never happened, my storage is full again. I rinse and repeat. Down another 10gbs. Log on the next morning and it’s the same issue (but the “your email will stop sending or receiving” has been pushed back a couple days now). This has been going on for a couple weeks now. I guess cool to delete all this stuff I didn’t need, but what’s going on? Do they really want me to buy that extra storage that bad? To answer the immediate responses-yes I’ve emptied the trash and yes enough time has elapsed that the account should be recognizing the cleared space.