Why we live small

There are several reasons we decided to live the small life. This lifestyle is a choice. In todays day and age, most new homes are large,  2,000+ square feet and not much outdoor space. The focus on newer homes being built is the bigger the better. We found ourselves, like most, filling it with unnecessary things, stuff, crap we just didn't need. Most of the house wasen't used and we all tended to gather in the same small space. The decision to go small for us was easy.

First, we found that by downsizing, we were free of so much clutter, closets full of items we never touched and things we just didn't need. By living small, we are mindful of the things we have in our home. Mindful of our purchases and need to make sure that each item we bring in has a spot to go. If it doesn't, we get rid of something we haven't used in a while.  It's simple and so freeing. 

Second, we don't need a large space to live in to all be comfortable. I'll be honest, moving from 1,400 sq. ft to 300 sq. ft was an adjustment to say the least. When you've lived your entire life with enough space to have to actually look for the people you live with, its strange to nearly have eye contact with them each time you turn around. For a mom with 4 boys, they are never far from our sight, unless they're outside. Does each person have their own private space? In our tiny home, yes. Each of us has a bed space we can escape to when needed. Do we find ourselves there often? No. 

Third, we live small because in the end, we live far under our means, which means our finances can be directed into the most important places. Right now, that is the growth of our business. Living in Southern California, attempting to grow a business from the ground up without the help of outside finances can be near impossible. Having the ability to live small, love it and live below our means puts us on track to achieve the goals we have set out to accomplish. 

When we slowed down the travel life to have our 4th son, we rented a house that was about 2,600 sq. ft. We used maybe 60% of the space and still didn't need it all. We joked that the master bedroom was larger than the RV we just moved out of. It was daunting and we couldn't wait to get out of it. Lesson learned. Living small has its pros and cons, its ups and down and its trials and tribulations. Yet, at this time in our lives, it really does work best for us. Will we always live small? Maybe not THIS small, but I cannot imagine living in a 2,000+ sq. ft house ever again. 

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