This week's YouTube episode is all about why we LOVE tiny living - highlighting our top 5 favorite things about our new life in a 275 square foot home.
Curious to know what they are? Here's a hint: our reasons have a LOT to do with strengthening our relationship, and living a more mindful life!
Click here to watch now!
If you are more of a reader than a watcher, don't worry - we've got you covered!
One of our MOST asked questions about Tiny Living, is...
“Are you actually HAPPIER living in a Tiny House?”
And the answer is…
YES!
We can definitely say that our lives are so much better now that we’re living in the Tiny...but, the reasons we are happier go far beyond just where we live.
I think what’s really magical about going Tiny is that it affects so many OTHER areas of your life. For instance, downsizing and decreasing our rent by HALF allowed Daane the financial freedom to leave his corporate job and follow his dreams of becoming an eco-entrepreneur.
DAANE: "In my previous life, I was traveling SO much for work that I really wasn’t able to live my own life. It was all airports and office time. The biggest change for me has been the freedom and ability to say YES. To say yes to my friends and birthdays and camping trips, to say yes to sunsets on the beach or working from our local cafe, and most importantly, to say yes to my family and enjoy spending TIME with each other on a daily basis."
Just that change alone made us happier people... AND it strengthened our relationship.
So here we go: Top 5 Reasons we LOVE Living Tiny.
Reason #1: It Simplifies & Unburdens Your Life
When you have a very limited amount of space to work with, it forces you to only keep what you really need, and what you really love. For example - Instead of a walk-in closet full of clothes, half of which you never wear - you just keep the stuff you actually wear. Because you just don’t have the space for anything else.
It’s like the Konmari method on crack. If you aren’t familiar with Konmari - it is “The Life Changing Magic of tidying up” a New York Times Best Selling Book - and we’ll be doing a whole video about it in a few weeks, just in time for spring cleaning. But the basic principle is about LETTING GO of things that don’t spark joy, so you can MAKE ROOM for the STUFF THAT REALLY MATTERS.
So, Tiny Life - yeah, it pretty much forces you to get rid of everything that doesn’t matter. Which leaves you feeling, so much lighter!
At that brings us to Reason #2: Living Tiny Eliminates Mindless Consumption.
You know, like when you’re out and something catches your eye - it probably doesn’t have a specific use, it probably doesn’t replace something that’s broken - but you like it, so you buy it. And you bring it home, maybe use it once or twice, and it gets stuffed in a closet before you know it. I’ve always been a fan of versatile, multi use pieces - whether it’s clothes, household goods, tools, whatever - and tiny living really requires that type of mentality.
Another example is when you’re at an event and somebody offers you a free gift to take home - full of samples and trinkets, a bunch of stuff you really don’t need - but you take it because it’s free. Or - when you walk by a sale rack and buy something just because it’s “such a great deal” that you can’t pass it up. But in reality - you didn’t actually need it at all, and never would have bought it at full price. I’m totally guilty of that one!
So... yeah - these are all great examples of Mindless Consumption that simply cannot happen when you live in a Tiny House. Impulse Purchases are also limited - because you seriously CANNOT bring more stuff into the home without getting rid of something first. Unless you plan on sleeping with it or wearing it on your person - there’s literally no where to PUT it.
Living tiny encourages you to be a very Conscious Consumer. Which, at the end of the day - SAVES YOU MONEY! YAY!!!!
Now on to Reason # 3: Indoor/Outdoor living. Having such a small indoor space really encourages you to GET OUTSIDE more. Nature has always been my biggest source of inspiration, and my office is almost exclusively outdoors now. Not to mention that we have a trail into the state park 50 yards from our driveway, so if I ever need a little inspiration, or just get my heart rate up or more oxygen in my bloodstream, I just take a little walk into the trees.
That overall happiness leads us to Reason #4: The Tiny Life Reduces Comparison Mentality
We all know the struggle of “Keeping Up with the Joneses” - or I guess, these days - the Kardashians? (reaction… )... Anyway. We all know what’s it like to feel the pressure of having to keep up with our friends… someone’s always getting a better job, a bigger house, a nicer car… and a lot of times - if we’re being honest - that can leave you feeling a bit crappy about yourself. I know I’ve fallen victim to that mentality a lot in my life - and it’s a really unhealthy way to be. Because Comparison is the KILLER of Happiness. But now that we’ve taken this totally alternative route - and we’re living in this Tiny gingerbread house, nestled into the trees, dreaming up adventurous plans for ourselves… it’s like we’re living our own weird little life now and there’s nothing to compare it to. It’s just - our weird life. And we’re happy! So who cares what everyone else is doing.
And that brings us to the final reason we love living tiny… #5. It Cultivates Closeness. The thing about being married in a Tiny House is… you can’t fight for very long … because there’s no where to go. You can’t slam a door, or go to another room… ‘cause there is no other room. So.. you just gotta come to an understanding pretty quickly.
And beyond that, sharing such a small space with someone you love really encourages you to cultivate a rhythm with them. You become intimately aware of each other’s habits and preferences… and you learn to build a life together that’s harmonious.
And if you don’t - you’ll literally be crashing into each other, and clashing - all the time. I mean, I guess that’s also a potential danger in going tiny - if you don’t have a strong relationship, you’re gonna be in some trouble. But if you do have a strong foundation in your relationship, and you decide to go tiny - it will only make your relationship stronger.
And with that, we'll wrap up this week's post! Be sure to tune in next week, where we’ll be sharing some advice that seriously, changed our lives.
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