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Maybe good things really do come in small packages.
I first heard about the tiny house movement a couple of months ago on a national news program, and I was intrigued. Then I came across this article on The Atlantic’s website about a Portland couple who lives in a 128-square-foot tiny house (from what I’m seeing, these houses run from $20,000-$35,000). They got rid of most of their stuff, got out of debt, built the tiny house and now have what most of us crave – more free time and more freedom. According to The Tiny Life website, the average American home is 2,600-square-feet, so making the transition would certainly be an adjustment. But I love the question that the woman asks in the video above: “Do you really want to spend your time working at a job you hate, to buy crap that you can’t afford? Probably not, you know. And so in a lot of ways, I think tiny-housers have figured that out and so they’ve reprioritized their time to focus on relationships.” A recent poll shows that 59% of Americans believe the American Dream is dying. The problem is, the poll didn’t really define “American Dream.” Over the past 80+ years, Americans have believed that freedom allows everyone (“all men are created equal”) to work hard at the job of our choosing, which leads to the opportunity for prosperity and success. The math in this equation adds up, arguably. But does it really provide the answer that will satisfy your soul? I’m not convinced it does. And even if it did, it’s an Industrial Age mindset, born out a time period in which Americans worked hard in factories, lived on less than they made, saved money, bought homes, lived reasonably well and then retired on their savings. My grandparents did that and I was so impressed by what they were able to do with their earnings. But we’re in the Information Age now. We have more freedom with our careers than previous generations. So maybe it’s time to redefine the American Dream. If I’m reading tiny-housers correctly, their American Dream equation would be that freedom gives them the choice to live on very little, in very little houses which affords them the opportunity to do the work they love and to spend more time with loves ones. That sounds much more satisfying to me.
Bob
6/10/2014 11:02:57 am
I wonder if they have small house communities?
Ron Benson
6/10/2014 11:54:00 am
Bob - Here are a few examples of communities that exist. Zoning laws are a little tough to navigate, since this movement is fairly new. My son has built his own tiny house on a 10X20 trailer bed. Unfortunately, he is presently forced to park it against code in a friend's backyard. 6/11/2014 03:54:27 am
I had never even considered zoning restrictions. Wonder if this will increase the involvement in tiny house communities since they will presumably be applying for proper zoning?
Joe3
6/11/2014 04:58:16 am
Bob & Ron, abundanceecovillage isn't about tiny homes, fourlightshouses is under development by Jay Schafer, and boneyardstudios displays tiny homes no living allowed ..... Here is a better list from the Tiny House-Community: http://tinyhousecommunity.com/index.html 6/11/2014 07:57:39 am
Thanks for the clarification and the link, Joe. Do you own a tiny house?
Ron Benson
6/11/2014 10:31:49 am
Thanks, Joe. Good info.
Deborah K
6/14/2014 05:07:44 am
I've been fascinated by tiny homes since I discovered them 5 or 6 years ago. While I could eventually afford a larger home, the charm and smaller space of a tiny home seems to be exactly what I need. When I left the Navy life, I had two children and 11,000 pounds of stuff. Over the years, I've gradually downsized and "think" I'm at less than 5,000 pounds of stuff now. I'm tired of stuff and as my children have grown and are nearly out of the proverbial nest, I'm ready for a less complicated life with less. The purge continues and I believe a tiny home is in the future. 6/14/2014 08:48:12 am
Deborah, I love your intentionality. As someone who hangs on to way too much stuff, I'm having a hard time imagining myself parting with sentimental treasures, but the tiny house life is still quite appealing to me. Let stuff means less maintenance.
Deborah K
6/16/2014 12:27:58 am
After a while, it's just stuff. I move to Washington state last September expecting to be there 9 months to a year. I took nothing but what I could fit in my Kia Soul. I got rid of all my furniture except my bed and a custom made bookcase. The bed is in my kid's apartment. Bookcase and the stuff in boxes is in my storage unit (5x15). It's not full but I can't stand the boxes any more. I either need it or I don't, which means I need to give it up. Yes, there are a few sentimental boxes that will stay, stuff from when my kids were small, photographs which I have left after a few purges, and some newspapers with historical significance to me. Guess the song from Frozen says it best, "Let it go, let it go, can't hold me back any more!" Comments are closed.
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