Livin’ Veg

Live In A Tiny House January 19, 2010

I like things. I’m a thrift store addict. I love clothes, jewelry, furniture etc. I try to counter these resource wasting urges by buying used items but I recognize that it’s not the most eco friendly thing in the world to have so much stuff. The more stuff you have, the bigger the home you need to put it all in. My husband and I live in a 1000 square foot 2 bedroom apartment. We have an eat in kitchen and a large bedroom/living room. Sure our bathroom is the size of a walnut but we get by. However, we talk about wanting a house. We’re sick of stepping on carpet when we leave our home. We miss grass. We miss privacy. But apartment living is usually more eco friendly. The homes tend to be smaller and you’re sharing resources with others.

A possible solution? A tiny house! I just came across this article that shows the tiniest homes you’ve ever seen. Homes less than 100 square feet with living spaces and lofts upstairs for sleeping. A tiny studio apartment built into a house. Where would I put all my stuff? Well, that’s the beauty. I’d have to clean up my life and donate pretty much everything I own. In return, I wouldn’t have a mortgage. A tiny house is pretty dang cheap! You can build it yourself. And homes smaller than a certain size make it so you don’t have to pay taxes.

I don’t think I’ll be moving into a tiny house anytime soon, but downsizing my life is something I think about. What do I actually need? How big a space to live in is necessary? If I had ten million dollars, I still wouldn’t live in a big house. It’s a waste of resources. But I can do better and when my husband and I do buy a house, smaller just might be the way to go.