Why the U.S. is in love with storage space

Quick question: Do you keep any of your things in a storage unit?

More Americans are using rented storage spaces than ever, as Fred Bernstein recently reported for the Wall Street Journal, and the industry is in the midst of developing even more space. “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal spoke with Bernstein about the world of storage space.

“People buy more things than they need, and they’re emotionally attached to them,” Bernstein said. “Their business really depends on people bringing stuff in and never taking it out.”

Bernstein has personal experience with the subject. He wrote another piece about emptying out a storage space he rented for 30 years and spent around $100,000 on.

“My husband insisted we not take a vacation until we got rid of the stuff, because it was costing a lot of money,” Bernstein said. “It was very eye-opening to be reminded of chapters from my earlier life that I had forgotten about completely.”

Click the audio player above to hear the conversation.