08 March 2012

Simple Living Tip: Live in a Small House

This post on Treehugger was brought to my attention by Vanessa of A Simply Good Life the other day and I couldn't wait to share it with you. I have started developing a fascination with the small house movement. While I cannot imagine myself living in the minute home of the Lorence family, I know that right now I am living with way less than I thought I could 5 years ago. 

The examples of people who have turned away from luxurious visions of inexistent riches inspire me so much. Leading a fulfilled and mindful life can never be achieved by owning. It is all in our way of thinking and attitude to life and that is why, it comes as no surprise that living with less enriched the senses and the mind.

Building small when the world craves big
Johnny Sanphillippo is a university-graduate working as a housekeeper and painter, who earns less than $20,000 a year. And yet over time he has built himself a tiny home in Hawaii, for which he has paid only in cash in the process of building. While it took him 10 years to finish his project, he is a happy owner of a small house and a garden where he also grows his own food.

Indeed, our family of three lives a perfectly full-blooded life in much the same area as Johnny, the only difference being that our home has two floors and our backyard is the forest. Oh yes, and we live way more north. But, when you evaluate your needs you will be left with just a few basic things that can make you a happy and self-sufficient person. Everything beyond that is in your imagination.

 

Evolution, really?
I am in awe with the evolution of humanity, or lack of it, actually. After living modestly for centuries, humanity has reached the point of such extreme greed and over-consumption that nowadays, the people who have got out of the daze and are trying to get back to the basics are pronounced revolutionaries.

Just think of how many useless stuff you have in your home. Even if you are trying to de-clutter. Even if you already have de-cluttered. I bet that there are still objects that you feel emotionally connected to and don't want to let go even if you haven't used them in a year. 

All we need is love
According to psychologists, lack of love makes us crave and collect stuff. The more stuff we own, the bigger space we need. Notice that I am not even saying "living" space. Because it is not for living, it is for storing. Why not open up your house today and really, and honestly clean it? This will translate into opening your heart and mind for new opportunities and will make space for love.

And, after all, all we need is love, isn't it?

You might actually find out that you don't need so much storage space after de-cluttering and can even move to a smaller home which will also save you money. Or time for making the money. 

Work less.

Need less.

Consume less.

Less is more. It opens time and space for what really matters - intellectual growth.

Now tell me, would you like to be in Johnny's shoes?

16 comments:

  1. This is such a great concept. My husband and I always say that if we had it to do over - we would have purchased a super small house out in the country and lived super cheap. Unfortunately, we started out in our twenties as young americans so we bought a reasonably expensive house and have two cars. On the other hand, we don't have other debts (like credit cards). Maybe someday.

    Brandi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, maybe someday! But also, you may have found your thing, you never know, right?

      Delete
  2. Love this, my husband and I just began to draw up building plans for a tiny house and ways to build it with cash. I never stop being inspired by the tiny house movement!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, really? This sounds perfect! Good luck to both of you! And I hope you will share photos of the house when it's done!

      Delete
  3. http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/
    Hello dear Sonya! I thought you might enjoy the link above. I too am fascinated with the tiny house movement. Mostly I love the organization and creative storage concepts that go along with it as well as the belief that we truly don't need all the stuff we keep. But as the year go by, life has a way of throwing " STUFF " at us that we feel me must keep for emotional and financial reasons. It's good to sift through these beliefs and find one's place of contentment in all of it.Our summer cottage is only 423 square feet. We have all we need to be happy and comfortable during the spring summer and early fall months. Right now, it's only 3 season but we are finally at that place in our lives where we are beginning to plan for a modest and green makeover so we can enjoy ( possibly live ) it year round!
    Great post today! And, absolutely not could I imagine the world without flowers!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Deb, you are right, I enjoyed the Tumbleweed houses and in fact I am still going through the plans on the site. Thank you! One thing I love is to see people change their perspective along the course of their lives. So I wholeheartedly applaud your plans!

      Delete
  4. Sonya, this is such a fantastic post! I loved the video! It is so hard to separate success from stuff in our society and once we are caught in the current, it is so hard to get out! This man's success is truly inspirational. We, as a family, are working on "downsizing" and it is liberating!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Laurie! You are right but I would add that it is hard to separate stuff from anything - be it success or emotions. I have begun to notice that with time I tend to get mellower in the sense that not only do I need less in any aspect but smaller things in life are enough, so I know what you mean! If we only knew the things we know today when we were 20, right?

      Delete
    2. Oh boy, I would have made so many different decisions!

      Delete
  5. This is an absolutely timely and fantastic post. It's nice to know others are feeling the same way. My daughter and I have been talking and struggling with these ideas for years now. I do think that being broke in today's economy has actually helped our "awakening" if you may. We were on the way before, but struggling to make ends meet has really made us think ... which I don't think most people do ... they just are living on automatic and not thinking ... I know, I was there. Anyway, I could go on and on. Thank you ever so much for this post. You've made my day.

    Happiness and Abundance and LOVE to all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, it is ironic that being broke can help us open our eyes to the simpler happiness in life but is also so good to be able to keep your positive attitude as you obviously have! Thinking has become a luxury nowadays and I am thankful to meet people like you, who are on the other side!

      Love and abundance to you too!

      Delete
  6. Thank you for this video, Sonya! I'm no stranger to living in tiny places. But I really appreciate this video right now because my boyfriend and I have begun to tentatively look at buying a house. The DC area is much like San Francisco in that nothing is really affordable, even tiny houses. It's a challenging and frustrating process. I would be happy at this time in my life to move away from the city to a small town where housing is cheaper, but that's not possible right now because my boyfriend's job is in DC. And we also don't want to have to drive very far each day to work. As you know, we don't even have a car! We're still figuring out where and how we want to live. Hopefully, with a little luck and planning, we'll find something.

    ReplyDelete
  7. My husband and I are building a 600 square foot home in SE Alaska. We have a small loan for the property, but we are building all out of pocket. The footprint is 20X20 and it has a 20X10 loft. We have been trading friends and family for jobs like sheet-rocking and packing lumber. Next week we will be painting the interior. Basically, for the cost of a normal monthly loan payment for an average house in our area we can pay rent, pay our house loan and buy materials for the next step on the house. We bought the property last March and we expect to move in by May of this year. It will be a few years before every detail is finished but within five years we will have our loan payed off and our home and an art studio completed and payed for.

    We have gone down the 'American Dream' path and for us that meant disaster. We are so lucky to have another chance and the ability and support to do it our way.

    It is nice to see so many people embracing the tiny house idea. I have spent most of my life living on boats so I am more than comfortable with a small space. We plan on have at least two outbuildings. Including an art studio and a 'man cave.' My son is seven now and the loft is his room. I'm guessing that he will eventually build his own little cabin somewhere on the property for the teenage years (like my husband did growing up). We will just hope that he is a little more ummm... responsible, with his cabin. That is another benefit to such a small footprint- it leaves lots of area on the property for a garden and for 'additions.'

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brooke, thank you so much for this comment! First, let me start by saying that I have no idea what it is to live on a boat but it looks like this is a good preparation for embracing the tiny house idea.

      What you share about your experience is impressive. I am curious as to the price of a lot in Alaska, Here, in Norway, they are disgracefully expensive and ne needs a serious mortgage for just the lot!

      Your plans for your son remind me this video I saw recently http://youtu.be/HXDu2U-CmkI of a 16-year-old boy who is building his own tiny house with his own money!

      Delete
  8. Thanks for sharing this Sonya.
    I have really enjoyed your blog and it's simple living posts.
    This one is great.
    I think the more people who take the time to consider what having a small house might mean find it quite simply makes sense. For the world, for themselves, for their budget (for their time spent cleaning!)
    And I think it's interesting idea about needing space and 'stuff' to fill a void.

    ta
    Bec

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Bec! I appreciate your visit and your opinion!

      Delete