9-12 Cleaning closets

I saw a few minutes of a TV show where they auction off the contents of storage units that are unclaimed. Some trash some treasure.


Found this article interesting but not surprising; apparently our American phenomenon is spreading. 
People are leaving their possessions in self-storage warehouses for longer than ever. But why are people paying to store stuff they rarely use?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14718478

What are we all saving and why?