Tiny Living

[DennisL936723]

Tiny living simply means to downsize your lifestyle. Less is more, believe me. We relocated to a Tiny home in CA, which is a state that has great weather, yet expensive living costs. So you just have to be creative to make it work. This is a Cavco brand park model in an RV resort community. We chose one just outside of Palm Springs with lower park space rents. You can go into PS, although pay a bit more for the space. this all depends on your financial ability. This post is just to let you know it can be done. ours is 400 sq ft, the size of your 2 car garages approximately.  I will post more about downsizing and how easy it can be as well as an added income, plus you will not be putting the burden of liquidating your unnecessary items on your children. First I wanted to see what kind of replies and feedback I get from all of you and see who really is interested in downsizing. Plus downsizing you can still live in your own home if you want to and need all the space, just start to get rid of some of your "STUFF". I can post lots of options if you are interested. Living full time in an RV and still make an income, and aboard a boat are 2 of them. So please let me know if you wish me to continue with this topic. Thank you, and happy retirement.

Tiny Home CAVCO Park Model 400 sq ft

[pburdi56]

what is the health care like in your area for seniors?  i.e. medical facilities, doctors, etc....  Thanks

[cece757]

I live about an hour below Atlanta and the medical failities are ok. I preferred care in NC, but this area is ok.

[c699909j]

My husband and I have been living in a 647 sq. foot Park Model for 4 yrs. now. We love it and have only what we need. We used to have one in Florida for 6 yrs. too, but we both have ill parents and had to come back to help take care of them. We don't have time for lots of stuff and it makes it easier to get things done and go about our day. You are not taking anything with you when you leave here, so why worry about it while you are here. Get rid of it or give it away, it's only stuff and a burden to you. Life is short and enjoy it every minute you can with family and friends.

[jd68992927]

I am very interested in tiny living, however, there doesn't appear to be anything already established in my area.

Additionally, due to physical limitations, a one-story is a must.

[CarlaW694295]

Our last son is in his senior year at University and we decided to downsize from 4400 sq ft. to 1600 sq ft.  We love it but the boys hate it when they come to visit.  That's the point!  It's only our house now!

[azjudyann]

Since I have lived in a 650 sq. foot condo for years, I don't think downsizing a little more would be a culture shock, and some of the tiny homes are cute.  It would depend on the practicality of the layout.

[RandallM554149]

Not until I’m over 80 and then it will be a high rise condo. I’m 64, and like puttering around the house and working on my cars. I did downsize a bit. I sold a 3600 sq ft house and am buying a 3300 sq ft house with a boat slip sans boat. I’ll travel as much as a care to, but going out of the country, or town, every month for a week is exhausting. Rather take a couple long trips or cruises a year. Rest of time I’ll take camper for the weekend. 

[ErnieA801689]

Yes I’m interested in hearing more about tiny living

[d26480l]

Our long term plan had been to sell our 4-bedroom, 2-bath home of 39+ years to purchase a live-in RV and travel for as long as possible.  We would get to visit our children and grandchildren who live 1800 miles away more often!  It has now been 2 years since we have seen them. Three weeks before closing on the sale of our house, my now 96-year-old Dad asked us to move in and "help" him.  I am his only family and so we did.  It was probably a mistake.  Yes, we are saving tons of money.  BUT:  he is a hoarder, so we live in 2 rooms with kitchen privileges.  The limited space is fine - it is what we planned, but except for our rooms, the house is a garbage dump.  The children and grandchildren cannot visit for this reason.  We have to get permission to do anything or go anywhere (he thinks I am 12-years-old).  He fears that we are stealing his house when we try to make any improvements.

Please, people, give up the "stuff".  Respect your children that much.  As an example, my Dad still has his parents' cancelled checks in boxes that are crumbling and avalanching into what little walk space is left.  He falls over it daily, but its OK:  he cannot fall far.  The dust is destroying our bronchials.  Its what killed my Mom.  The stress is incredible, and worse for my long-suffering husband than for me.  I grew up with this.  My Dad litterally took 13 pairs of shoes on a weekend trip and I was packed into the car with a book last.

Rabbis have told us that "Honor thy Father & Mother" is the hardest of the Ten Commandments.  Please, please. please consider the difficulty that your preference of your stuff over your children may be causing.

"Room to breathe"  What IS that?

[c544246h]

You’re not honoring your father by living in such conditions and letting him treat you like abused children. I encourage you to consult a therapist so you can sort through these issues and stop enabling your father’s destructive, unloving behavior.

[VSun2]

Sounds like your parents grew up during the WW + Great Depression years. My parents did too. They seemed to have a fear of scarcity or fear of lack... that motivated a need to save everything. My mother saved plastic grocery bags - tons of them, neatly folded and stored. My father had very wide interests - so, he had lots and lots of stuff - in order to do his thing.

In contrast, their boomer kids were surrounded by too much stuff - a result of an every booming economy. We enjoyed the prosperity that followed on the backs of thier hard work and sacrifices and laws that the ensured a protected financial and medical future the aged. I'm a boomer too.

A lot of Millenials and younger generations seem to follow "minimalist lifestyle." They seem to be the "less is more" generation who see how big box economies encourage more and more stuff in households, while they also struggle to survive on minimal finances with discount aps on their cell phones instead of the cut-out paper coupons that I still use!

My father passed 30 years ago. His youngest son, moved home to live with our mother. It took him months to rid the place of all the excess. Afterward, he had a cleaner, simpler space to live in and easier to maintain. 

But, it seems that there is no easier way to deal with your dilemma than what you're already doing. A good KONMARI won't do here. Maybe living in an RV [if that's your preference] parked in his drive-way [or beside it?] might get you out of his chaotic space more often - with options to take periodic trips away for the sake of your health and safety? Perhaps others will chime in and give better solutions? Good luck to you.

[mcconnellsus]

What you are saying is so true.  When my father and sister died, my mother just closed the closet doors.  14 years later when she died, I was left going through a home full of all 3 of their things.  My dad's clothes were still in the closet.  It was so much work.  So many things bought on QVC for presents that were never given, lost in the piles of "treasure".  Now what to do with them.  The kids are grown and don't want it now.  Most went to charity.  I don't want to leave my kids with that burden.

[gwenie39]

I am actually fed up with our 1/4 acre we cannot maintain well enough.  I would down size but no matter what there must be space for our hundreds of books, our computers and  file cabinets and a room for me to paint large canvases, carve or weave large pieces.  The house must be warm enough without being too dry,  The bed room must accomodate a king sized bed and be large enough for me to lurch around in.  Not too many stairs since I have PMS and RA.  Sounds like a lot and, to boot, I would really like to move out of this state.  I am  almost 80 years old and not too tolerant of this weather. I think after reading what I wrote there may be no small homes like this in a place I would love. 

[cece757]

Where do you want to move to? Research medical care for seniors first, then cost of living. How are you going to move all of your stuff??

[cece757]

U need to re-read the messages people are posting. At 80 years of age, of course, you might live as long as my mom and her cousin and her aunt who passed at 106, and in good health, but you might not.  Who have you designated to clean out your STUFF when you move on down the road? YOur kids are not going to love your treasures, It will be a burden for them to clean out. 

Make it easy on yourself and clear out the things you have and plan for less . Enjoy your life but you must ORGANIZE even if you never did before.

[DennisL936723]

Would you be able to have a tiny home placed on your current property? If so rent out your home for income and reside in a tiny home large enough to contain your lifestyle.

[DennisL936723]

What state are you in?  What state do you wish to relocate to?

[VSun2]

I do understand that living "tiny" is a good option for people who don't need a lot of breathing room and like being in closed-quarters. Having less keeps things simple, too.

Almost 19 years ago, we were very fortunate to "downsized" financially.  Our former house was 25 years old [at time of sale, yr. 2000] required lots of structural repairs and it had a higher mortgage pymt, association fees, property taxes and the commute to work was longer, and the land was leasehold with option to purchase.

Our current house has a smaller footprint as it is 2-story rather than 1 story... even though it is larger [by 200 sq. ft] and the lot is larger by 2000 sf. than the former house + lot.  It was "new" when we bought it in 2000. It is also on leasehold land, but the cost is minimal compared to the former home. Our neighborhood is much better too, more friendlier and closer to work even though it is in a rural area.

As a result, we saved $$ regularly from having a lower cost-of-living and paid-off the mortgage [last year] while also contributing to our retirment savings. Even during the 2008 recession, when my spouse lost his job, we were able to continue living in our home. He got a full-time job in 2012, after 18 months of being unemployed. He is retiring in 2 months @ age 70. So, both of us will be officially retired.

It's possible to live in a "regular" size, 3 bedroom home and keep it uncluttered.  We regularly donate what can be re-used and only purchase what we really need. But, we're not people with a lot of stuff either. A tiny home, I think, would cramp our style.  We like to have room enough to breathe with indoor and outdoor living spaces. Fortunately, we can have both space and an affordable lifestyle in our retirement years. My parents also "stayed" in their "ranch" style home until they passed on.

But, times are changing. People are becoming more highly mobile. Neighborhoods with long-term residents seem to become more rare too. If it's a possibility, I think there's something to be said for being able to live in-one place.

[DennisL936723]

Thank you. It sounds as though you have found your personal formula and it is working quite well for you.

[mcconnellsus]

WeI have our large 5 bedroom 2 story home with large yard and pool as well as a small 2 bedroom townhouse for weekend get-away.  Our kids are grown and one of them asked if he and his friends could rent the big house and we would live in the smaller one.   It was a win-win since they got to live in a nicer home/neighborhood than they would be able to otherwise and we get rent to help get ready for retirement.  However, we had 23 years of STUFF that we had never gone through because we had enough space for everything.  It has been 6 months of almost daily trips to Goodwill, full garbage cans, charity pickups and large garbage collection from the city.  We are not done yet, but I think it is a good exercise.  I say that the house is losing weight.  It is hard, but feels good.

[OliviaH15394]

Excellent and inspiring article. I need to downsize as well. Thanks.

[jr44845266]

Will enjoy the read

[SJPT]

Perfect timing with this article! 🙂 Since our Son was an infant, we have rented HOUSES because of the school district we're in. Problem with that is the Landlords were 'off-site' and the utility bills were astronomical.  This last September we moved to a complex that covers Heat & Hot Water. 

       It's not a Tiny house but, shoeboxes are roomier...still, we cleaned out old books, toys, hardware, and stuff that had laid dormant for 10 years. In order to help decide what to keep, I came up with a  'Archive or Donate' sorting method.

    We still have a storage bin (shopped around for the cheapest/most feasible one) and we deducted $12,000 (all 'Thrift shop value' determined).

As time marches on, that which is archived will be auctioned off (washer & dryer are only3 years old...) and we won't need as large a storage bin either...

[cece757]

Nobody saves when putting years of STUFF into storage ! U are prolonging the inevitable. The 2018 tax code greatly limits your tax deductions. U cannot claim $12k unless you are a corporation. 

Have fun donating to charities near you or host a giveaway. 

Look at "Storage Wars" on tv to get an idea of what can happen to your storage bin. Kudos!!

[cece757]

U are not saving money putting anything into storage and then planning to donate or auction ofc later. 

[DennisL936723]

This sounds great. Glad you are enjoying doing it as well. Please comment from time to time on other ways you have found for downsizing. Although an investment, another way to have less is to have multi-purpose tools around the house so you do not need as big of a toolbox or bag to be kept there.

[DennisL936723]

 Thanks for everyone's KUDOS and hope those others who read this took some useful information away. I plan to create a BLOG website about this because of all the great feedback I have received about it on my Facebook page. Anyone wishing more detailed information with links please comment here. Thank you all for your kind words and support. BTW a MINIMALISM, Tiny Living Lifestyle does not require you to relocate into a tiny. You can begin by downsizing what you own. Take one room at a time, start in a closet or for many of you that have them, your garage, your attic, and/or your cellar. Have fun and remember when you give something away someone else who needs it will greatly appreciate your kindness and generosity. It can make a big difference in their life. So never be afraid to discard something. 

[2Papa]

I’d love living in such close quarters.................for about an hour or so!  

[salgal100]

We live in a small Class motorhome in the winter in AZ.  Back home in the Midwest we have a large home full of "stuff."

I need to learn to apply my limited winter items and wardrobe to my seasons in the large home.  I do NOT need all those things.   My kids do not want any family heirlooms or collectibles.  Hard to give them away when I have so much sentiment attached to them .

Help please.