About three years ago, my husband and I decided to build a home. Sounds simple enough right? After agonizing over colors, finishes, materials, and umpteen trips to the big box home improvement stores we ended up with a beautiful 3,500 square foot home that was falling apart.
Yep, you read that correctly. Our brand new home needed over $100,000 in repairs. Our general contractor had cut corners throughout the entire process of building the house and in doing so had left us with a home that looked beautiful, but wouldn’t stay that way for long.
We legally battled with our contractor for two years and ended up being forced to say goodbye to our lovely home and downsize into something smaller. We were blessed to find a place that was in our budget and that was actually owned by my parents. The only problem with the house was that it was about a fourth of the size of the home we had built and filled up with our stuff!
I began the task of packing to move and it was right around this time that I found out I was pregnant with our 3rd child. I was then faced with the reality that we would have a family of five in a two-bedroom, 850-square foot home.
How was I going to make this work? Where would we put all of our things?
Mission: Simplify
As I started going through everything we had accumulated over the five years my husband and I had been married, I was amazed to find that we had boxes in our basement that had never been unpacked, full of items that we thought we couldn’t live without. This to me seemed wasteful and it was then, after opening that third box that had been sitting untouched for almost two years, that I started a mission to simplify our lives.
This was my rule: If we hadn’t used something in a year, it was donated or sold. The only exceptions to this rule were pictures and a few mementos that held a special meaning to us, like the guitar played by my husband’s late grandfather.
Did I have to let some things go that I loved? Yes. Was it the end of the world? No. After all, they are just things. And while I did love those three sets of curtains, there were not that many windows in our new home so they were lovingly donated to our local Goodwill.
Our Lives Are Not Wrapped Up in the Things We Own
When moving day arrived, we were able to fit our once 3,500-square foot lives into 850-square feet — with room to spare for our upcoming addition to the family. Throughout this whole process, my husband I learned a valuable lesson: our lives are not wrapped up in the things that we own, but instead in the people that we surround ourselves with. Our family has grown and enjoyed the simple pleasure of being together in a home filled with love, not clutter.
Amanda is a 26-year-old, stay-at-home-mom to three little boys (ages 4, 2, and 4 months). She and her husband are high school sweethearts and have been married for six years. He is a public school teacher, just as she was before staying home with her children.
Anne says
As a kid & young adult I was always a hanger-onto-of-things, but when my parents’ home was in danger of being flooded and we had to box everything up in a matter of hours alot of stuff didn’t seem worth it! What I discovered from that was how FREEING it was to let go of those things! Since then, I’ve married and moved several times, which encourages getting rid of things. The things I store and don’t use seem to physically/mentally weigh me down. Getting STARTed with downsizing is the hardest thing, but once you do it feels sooo good & is kind of addicting 🙂
Aimee Wiley says
The more I read about simplifying, the more I realize how much space (and stuff!) we have. I’ve been toying with the idea of using only the upstairs living space of our modest ranch home (2 bed/1 bath, 7 people!) as an experiment in more minimalist living. I love your post; out of your need, you found a way to live with less joyfully. Very inspiring!
Mel says
I need to start following you! Do you have more on your story? Our family will likely be doing the same thing. We are a family if six but only five will be moving – our oldest is an adult and will be staying here. We have a big house but we rent and it’s old and has big issues. But thinking about going so much smaller is a little daunting. Thanks for sharing and encouraging.
cris says
Wow, this is a great post… we are short selling our home and moving in to a one bedroom home… we have three little kids but we want financial freedom, freedom from all the stuff and more time and money to enjoy our lives together… we currently live in a three bedroom home, not huge but comfortable and plenty or storage for our multitude of {stuff}. In order to afford to live here, since we are in s. california, we moved to the suburbs, great but it means over an hour commute for my hubby plus a huge gas and fastrack price tag just to commute…. We own a small cottage back in the city and had been contemplating the idea of moving in there, although most everyone we know things we are crazy. Just the thought of living mortage free for a while seems to make it not-so-crazy. I also think that this will help us learn to live without all the stuff we have accumulated during the 6 yrs. we have lived here. Im not going to lie and say this was an easy move, but it makes sense and we really would like to spend more time together and get our lives back on track. Our kids are still very young, so they don’t really mind moving into a tiny place. we are sacrificing some of our privacy since they will share the only bedroom and my hubby and I will be without, BUT its only temporary and I think it will bring us closer. This is the house we moved into when we were newlyweds 13 yrs. ago, it was a blessing then and I feel it will be a blessing once again. thanks for sharing all of your inspiring ideas, I hope mine helps someone else too. 🙂 Blessings! Cris
cris says
.. I meant.. Thanks for sharing all of your inspiring stories! (sorry its late now).
Erin Lambert www.lambert.mychampionpage.com says
As Dave Ramsey says, “If your broke friends are making fun of you, you’re on the right track.” Kudos to you!!
http://www.lambert.mychampionpage.com
Jen says
If you’re going to move into a tiny house with small children then I suggest an “exit” plan or your never going to have “private husband” time again. We live in a 600 sq foot cabin with out 16 year old. There are no walls. It’s a great place but there is no private time unless the kid is away or we are – and that’s not very often. Love the small space for many reasons but…
Kathryn says
I enjoyed reading this post and I am sorry you had to go thru’ that ordeal with your house contractor. Shame, shame on that contractor (and others like him). My family and I live in a modest house and are in the process of doing some remodeling just to “customize” it a bit. I love my property and location so we don’t consider moving. As for getting rid of “things”, I am with you completely. I have semi-joked with my family and friends that I do not want a bigger house since 1.) there will be more room to fill with “clutter”…and when I mean clutter, I refer to things that I just don’t need; and 2.) I do not want a bigger mortgage payment. As I get older, I am in the mode of getting rid of things – not throwing them away in the garbage but passing them on to others could put them to use. I teach Dave Ramsey’s FPU class and I always share with my students that people can get rid of at least 50% of what they have in their homes and still be quite alright. Plus, this would eliminate most of the debt that folks get themselves into. If you really think about it, how much stuff do you really use each day, each week, etc.? One usually uses the same things over and over. More folks in our society need to focus on those important things which life is really about. Smiles to you! 🙂
TeamBonk says
A wonderful post.
I sometimes feel our family of six is “cramped” in our 1385 square foot home. It is certainly the smallest home of all of our friends. Our four children are split 2/2 for bedrooms (soon to move to 3/1 this summer). They’re happy!
I would like to find a way to fit a table in the kitchen we can all eat around … honestly, that is the only thing I would change about our home (upon reflecting and reading these wonderful comments!)
Michelle
Busy Mom in AL says
Clutter’s Last Stand by Don Aslett is a hilarious read if you get the chance! You might can find it at the public library. He has a tip to take a picture of the things you can’t stand to part with! After moving with the military six times in ten years, my husband still jokes with me about all the high school trophies and 20-30 coffee cups that we took pictures of and then “released!” 🙂 Pictures take a lot less space than stuff!
Allison V. says
Amen.
amy@twobgardening says
Great story!!
I can’t agree more. “our lives are not wrapped up in things we own”
I have been wanting to down size my home for about a year now. I’m just tired of cleaning. More land- less house, then I could have a bigger garden, yeah 🙂 If all your money was gone tomorrow, what would you be worth? I try to live by that saying.
Emily says
We are preparing to downsize in 2 weeks with our next move. This move wasn’t by choice, though – the house we currently rent is being “given back to the bank” (a long story!), so we are being forced out. We can’t afford to buy, so we found a 2 BR/2BA (1500 sq. ft.) condo to rent.
Right now, we are renting a 4 BR/1 BA house. In reality, we don’t need all the space we have now. And what I’m most excited about is having 2 bathrooms and having the laundry right in the main hallway in our unit (instead of in the basement)!
We will no doubt have to get creative, especially as we won’t have any storage space. But I am looking forward to less space to clean – and I’m all about simplifying! 🙂
Melissa says
We are going through a similar experience right now. My husband was transferred and so we had to sell our home and move 1000 miles away. Because of the real estate market’s current condition, we decided to downsize and move into a 1-bedroom apartment. We ended up selling or donating a lot of our things. I was sad when I started the process, but it quickly turned into a source of energy. I feel so much more free now that I’m living with less stuff!
Julie says
Loved this post. It really put things in perspective. My hubby works in auto industry and the last few years have been hard. We have 3 girls (14 yrs, 9 yrs, and 15 months) and I have thought we need more space (about 1400 sq ft home). But over the last year, I have realized less is more. Thanks for reminding what really matters.
Janet says
When the recession started we were having great difficulties so we did the unthinkable . We moved into our 1 Bedroom 1 Bath tiny 450 sq foot condo that we bought as an investment/vacation home. We are still here almost two years later. I don’t have a washer and dryer I have a kitchen that is so small we call it the “Barbie” kitchen our master bedroom is so small you can barely walk around the queen sized bed *(Hubby is a big guy and really misses his King) (So do I there is no space to sleep!) But guess what we have a roof over our heads , food to eat and we even get out every week for a date day! We have become debt free and Hubby even managed to get a back operation paid in full that he had put off for over 10 years simply because the money was not there, When we moved in we still had one child who had to finish high school (that was cramped) But we all made do and survived. The kids have all had the chance to go to college with Mom and Dad’s help! We sold almost everything we own to get here but being debt free is an amazing place to be!
This year we are focused on saving up some cash to try to move out sell our little place and maybe get into 900 sq ft. Which sounds huge now!
Funny how things get in better perspective after you have had to do without.
I have to say we live very oddly right now in winter when I can’t get to the store the space under my bed becomes the pantry. The christmas tree I own is a very narrow tree that still almost does not fit in the house and it stated on it that it was a half tree for places in Manhattan. We have the items we need stuffed in every nook and cranny and it takes a lot to live here. We have everything we need and nothing that is not used .
Down size to tiny you will learn what is important in life!
elsa says
I know exactly how living in a tiny space feels like. My husband and I leased an apartment for 4 mos: 350 square foot studio apartment. We didn’t have any furniture, just bins for storage to put our stuff in. We even used the bins as tables so we can eat and place our laptops on. Eventually we were able to purchase a towhome of our own, 1000 square feet! Seems so huge now. I am just humbled by our experience and now know that no matter where I live I am so thankful to God that He always supplied our needs and has now blessed us tremendously.
Jenny says
Thank you so much for sharing this article! Although I don’t see us giving up our larger home anytime soon, it remind me to keep things simple! No, I don’t need that new sofa, No, I don’t need that next best vacuum cleaner, and No, I don’t need to fill every nook and cranny of my home for it to be beautiful or to function better! What a great reminder that it truely is the small things in life that matter the most! Thanks again, for an eye opening article!
Mandi Kang says
Let me tell you that nothing teaches you the value of simplicity better than having your house burned down. All that stuff — it’s just stuff! Me & my daughter are alive, and that’s all that matters. I now live in a 3 bedroom, 1300 sq ft home with a new husband, and a blended family of 5, and that space seems even smaller because the condo is built up (not out like a rancher). Our friends joke around about us saying they’ve never met anyone who was so eager to get rid of “stuff.”
Tabitha says
Loved the post!! Having sold real estate for 16 years it was always the larger homed families that seemed less connected. I never wanted a big house. Totally content with our 1080 sqft home in California.
We recenlty escaped/relocated from Calif to our retirement land in Oregon. on 2 acres we plopped down a 693 sgft prefab home. It’s been fun redoing and blogging about finding storage… But the best part is with the less taxes and bills it looks like I will be able to lessen my work hours and concentrate on finally being a wife. A true blessing!
Audrey says
Funny how God places things like this article in your life at just the right time. We are currently living in a 2 bedroom, one bath home of about 850 square feet with 3 kids (2 mos, 2 and 4). I have been feeling very down in the dumps about our living situation lately and have done a lot of comparing myself to others. Thanks for this article, it was just what I needed!
Rose says
We lived as a family of 5.. 3 boys ages 4, 9,11 in a 800 sq. ft home for 17 years total and then moved to a 1600 sq ft home….but we always talk about the screen porch in the smaller house and how much we miss that porch. It was almost the same size as the house…and we ate out there, the kids had their toys out there, our freezer was out there and my art table that I worked on…and it actually had more usable storage than the 1600 sq ft house we have now…and we are a family of 6 now and still tight. Would love just a little more room just due to the size of one of the bedrooms and the closets…always having a yardsale to get rid of the outgrown stuff and the accumulated stuff of the year…. move out and then move back in, and you will get rid of a lot!
Suzi says
I can totally relate to this post as well. We just moved from a 2500 sqft. home to a 1000 sqft 2bd/1ba soft wall loft in the city. We are a family of 5 with 3 little girls ages 4, 2 and 10 months. (And we have two 4-legged children as well).
Downsizing for our move was not as hard as I had imagined and to be honest, it was a relief to only keep things that we need and use regularly.
As mentioned by others, I am really enjoying the smaller space. It is so much less to clean and worry about, which leaves a lot more time with my children for fun activities & family time. It really puts things into perspective and allows us to enjoy one another so much more.
Now that we’ve experienced living in a smaller space , I can see this really setting the tone for how we look at future spaces for our family.
Thanks for such a great post and comments. It helps solidify that we aren’t crazy (like some people think when they hear our situation) and there are a lot of wonderful things to gain by downsizing.
Jen says
After my parents lost nearly everything in the Joplin tornado, we realize now more than ever that it’s mostly just stuff – especially after my dad barely made it out alive without a scratch! I’ve never felt such relief before!
Leighann says
My family of 5 (a 13 yr old and a 2 yr old sharing a room and a 2.5 month old sharing a room with us) live in the exact same situation – less than 900 sq ft (I think it’s like 875 or something) 2 bedroom 1 bathroom home. We’ve lived in this home for 9 years. We’ve never decorated it – things have just accumulated. We’ve got the wallpaper and carpeting the place came with. It’s falling apart – horrible shape, the walls have big holes all in them from various things, the sinks and tub all leak (despite work being done to them). However, we’re proof that you can fit five people into less than 900 sq ft. It’s cramped and crowded and we’d like to be able to have an actual bedroom suit instead of a bed and a dresser and a crib all crammed into one room, but we’ll get into a bigger place (and have to pay higher bills) one day. You can live without all that stuff – we do. It helps that the weather around here is pretty much the same all year long. It gets colder during the winter, but nothing that a jacket and hat won’t take care of; we don’t have to have a separate winter wardrobe. You’d be surprised what you can make do multiple tasks when you just don’t have room for anything!
Cris says
I have friends that right now are looking for a new home because they feel that their 3-bedroom home (huge backyard) is getting to small for them and their 1 child’s toys. Amazing how people can be so different! I am from another country and lived on much less space than what I do now growing up and we were also middle class there. And our condo was considered a good size, here it would be nothing!
Amanda says
I appreciate this post. As we too are waiting for our foreclosure to finally go through I am paring down our belongings and getting ready to have a garage sale. We have never really been big on buying lots of stuff but with three kids and two adults in this three bedroom house only 2 of which are being used I know we can do with 1) Less house and 2) Less stuff. I also want to only move stuff that we actually use so I am trying to keep the clutter at bay by doing this.
Guest says
What a lovely post! Our first house was around 900 sq ft and our second house (which we owned with two kiddos) was around 1300 sq ft. We moved to a significantly less expensive state/area and now have a 2,500 sq ft house. My husband loves it but I find all the space very overwhelming. The house feels kind of lonely if you don’t have furniture to “fill” it but I don’t want that much stuff. Really looking forward to when our kids are older and we can downsize!
Nicola says
Everybody loves having material possessions, if we didn’t then the act of choosing Family over material possessions would mean absolutely nothing.
This was one of my favourite reads in a long time, the economy is bad so downsizing is what people are being forced into, We were in a medium sized house, huge yard just me & my husband we were renting to buy from his aunt until she told us she wanted to sell the house and kicked us out, it was Winter and I was 6 months pregnant, I am a GC holder from Scotland in the USA, I have only my husbands family here it gave me alot of stress & worry, I felt like I was a terrible mother and my daughter wasn’t here yet, how could I be bringing another life into this world when our house was never secure. We live in a 3 bedroom 2 bath house that we own, we bought it 2 years ago and are a family of 3 now, it’s perfect for us, it fits me, my husband, our 10 month old daughter, 3 cats & German shepherd perfectly. Nothing fancy, just a nice house in a nice neighbourhood, what more could one ask for?
I hope everyone on this thread going threw foreclosures and downsizing find a home that they will love, keep your spirits up it will all work out!
Jen60647 says
One of the unexpected benefits of living small is the savings! In a smaller home, not only do you spend less on “stuff”, you also spend less on maintaining your home – heating it, cooling it, keeping it clean, etc.
Susan says
What a wonderful post. Amanda, you are blessed and wise at 26 years young to have embraced a life of simplicity. So many young people who are at your stage in life are all about owning more and more. I certainly was at your age. I’m old enough to be your mother, and it’s only been in the past decade or so that I’ve been scaling back instead of piling up.
The benefits of lightening your load — be it reducing clutter in your home, losing weight, getting out of debt, whatever it is that is dragging you down — are immeasurable.
Camille says
We did the opposite few years ago. We moved from a 900 sq ft apartment housing 2 adults and 3 kids to a 1600 sq ft town home (we were very blessed to have been able to take advantage of the falling real estate market). We were very careful when we bought our town home not to buy “too much” house. This town home will fit us well straight to retirement. I’m still annoyed most days over the increased cleaning I have to do, though! LOL
Bonnie says
Thank you for sharing this, Amanda!
Louise says
The very first house we bought was a 3 bedroom, 1 bath, with about 950 sq ft, a carport, and a tiny storage room. The children came pretty close together & soon there were 5 of us in there. The girls shared 1 bedroom, gave up their “playroom” for their baby brother, but all was well. I had the tiniest kitchen which was the only thing I really did not like about the house. Our house payments were under $100.
We had a home built & moved to one that was 1920 sq ft. We immediately felt the strain of the larger house payments, utility bills, etc.
Over the years I realized that even this house was smaller than most homes built in America. Now that only my son lives w/me, it is more than enough for us. When the girls come w/their families, we’re still okay, even w/seven additional people, and sometimes, a few more if the grandchildren have friends over.
I’m happy that folks are returning to smaller homes, much more reasonable in price, utilities, & maintenance. Think the “American Dream” got too big & too pricey. We needed to get back to basics, and the economy forced that on us. Too bad we did not realize this on our own much sooner.
Abageal says
It was really good reading this post and being able to see others in the same boat! Due to circumstances I had moved ten times in four years. We are a family of four in a 700 sqf house who will be moving next week to a new state and a 1200 sqf house. Despite moving so much it amazes me that with every move I still have stuff to donate and throw away. Reading this post makes me hope and pray that as we move to a larger place I can still hold onto that “smaller home feel” and fill the home with the laughs and the love of my family and not stuff. Thanks for the post!
Kristine says
I can relate to this post so much. We’ve never owned a home, but we had to downsize three years ago (because of a job change and a move) from a huge four-bedroom, three-bathroom house with a dining room and a family room to a three-bedroom, one-bathroom townhome. Our table is squished into our tiny living room, and our three kids have very little space to play indoors. Our rent now is considerably more expensive than it was for the bigger house.
Sometimes I resent having so little space, but it’s been a good lesson in being happy despite our circumstances. We had a lot of our stuff in a storage unit right after we moved because we were living with my in-laws temporarily until my husband found a new job, and then we had to minimize our possessions a lot to fit into this townhome and stop paying for storage. It wasn’t all bad although it was a lot harder for me than for my husband to get rid of stuff; I found it especially hard to sort out my books, but we just didn’t have room for all of them. I still have a lot of stuff that I need to weed out. It’s so hard to keep such a small space decluttered, especially with the kids home all the time during the summer.
I have to admit that sometimes I feel discouraged and envy friends who own homes and have room to invite people over. The past few years have been very difficult for us financially, and it’s not likely that we will be able to own a home anytime soon or move to a bigger place, but on the bright side, I guess we can be thankful that if something needs to be repaired, we can just call the maintenance people and not have to pay for it ourselves. And we don’t have to do yard work.
Karen says
Great post. I really think simplifing is the way to go, it can be liberating from what I understand from others. Simplifing can be very hard at times, but sure is something that I need to do. Thanks for the encouragement.
Ashlee says
I’m reading this literally as I take a break from converting our office filled with junk to a nursery. There is something so liberating by taking boxes full of stuff to goodwill. It teaches you what is really important in life, like a new baby!
Melanie says
We have 6 kids. Each one shares a room with another. Our food storage is divided under everybody’s bunk bed. I iron clothes in the frontroom. The kids do their homework on the kitchen table where I am making dinner. I feel that there are so many benefits to actually “living” together. Not only do we all have to learn to get along, but the kids learn how to cook, sew, iron,etc. because they’re right in the same room that I’m doing all of those things. It definitely puts your priorities closer to where they should be. I admire your sense and the way you are raising your little “gentlemen.”
Kadee says
Six years (and 2 kids ago) we moved from a 865 sq ft house to a 1300 sq ft house. We felt like we moved to a mansion with all the room and closets we gained (even though many people consider it tiny). While I wish the floor plan was a little different, I really don’t want anything bigger. I don’t know how we’d fit our family of 5 into the old house, but I do miss it sometimes, especially on cleaning days!
Heart and Haven says
I love this post and can also relate! We lived in a 2400 sq ft (which we sold in 2008) and downsized back to our 1300 sq ft house that my husband owned when we were first married. So funny how our perceptions can change reality! When I once thought the 1300 sq ft house was “too small”, I now think is “just right” for our family of 5.
Moving back here, I was very specific about what items got brought into the house to not clutter the space. Now we are in the process of organizing/decluttering the garage!
katie W, says
We are a family of 4 , plus our pointer, living in a 650 square ft. home and loving it! We always say wouldn’t it be so nice to live in a bigger house and then we think do we really need it. No. thank you for writing this article! Great read!
[email protected] says
Great article! Our family of six (kids ages 16, 14, 12 and 10) downsized from a six bedroom, 3.5 bath house with three floors and a HUGE finished basement.
We now live in a 3 bedroom condo that’s about 1200 square feet. After selling 90% of our stuff I can honestly say that I don’t miss it at all.
We went “antiquing” this week and I couldn’t buy a thing because I just don’t want to be tied down by stuff ever again.
Danielle says
Great post! We are a family of five living in a two bedroom, one bath townhome with a little less then 950 sq ft. We will hopefully be moving in April next year, but that really just depends on what the economy does and what type of home we could find to rent. More important to us now is saving money and rebuilding our finances, not how much stuff we have.
Plain Graces says
I was just thinking about this last night. We have one bathroom and I wonder what it would be like to use it without knocks and kids bursting in. I keep telling myself, “My great grandparents raised 13 kids in a house this size- I can do it too!”
Thanks for the post. I love her blog name and it’s good to know I am not alone.
Plain Graces says
I forgot to add that my friend just upgraded to a house with 4 bathrooms. She had to hire someone to help her clean- she didn’t realize it would so much more work!
Susan says
I have two bathrooms and the kids, with dog in two, still burst in to whichever one I’m using. Is it asking too much to potty in peace, I ask?
🙂
Susan says
oop, meant “dog in tow” Only one dog in our family, but he has to be wherever we are.
Julie says
I now have three bathrooms, and they are alot to clean!! We moved from a one bathroom house to a 3 bathroom house and it didn’t make a difference. Almost EVERY time I go to the bathroom, there is someone yelling through the door, knocking at the door or bursting through. Almost without fail. Save your money and don’t move, another bathroom won’t change anything. I have however, designated one bathroom as just MINE. Just so I don’t have to check the potty for drips on the seat every time I have to go. No one is allowed to use mine so I know its safe to go without checking or turning the lights on at night. I know it is selfish, but I deserve a bit of pampering too!
Heather says
Love this post! I have taken this to go even further – if it isn’t used in six months (unless it is a seasonal use only item) it gets donated, given away or sold on Craigs List. 🙂 It’s a big joke with my husband’s family and my family as how if anything sits for too long – poof – it’s gone. They tease people telling them not to sit on our sofas too long or we will be donating them.
Great job and thanks for the post!
Heather says
Yeah, often when my husband can’t find something, he accuses me of having thrown it out!
Heather says
Great post. The author was lucky to have children all of the same gender, as that makes a 2 bedroom easier!
We’re in a 1800 sq. ft. with 4 kids, and it’s interesting how many of our acquaintances live in larger homes with less children. We used to get a lot of questions about when we would upgrade. And I do long for a house with better closets or a basement. But then I also know people in much smaller homes, and it helps me keep it all in perspective. Also, I used to live in Europe, and wow! Talk about smaller living spaces . . . .
Organization and cleanliness is important, as well as having a decor (if you have one!) without many knickknacks, etc. A cluttered room appears smaller. Also, I prefer having smaller bedrooms and more living space to the reverse.
chelsea says
Totally agree on the European living spaces. My SIL thought we had a mansion in our 1650 sq ft home with three kids. I also prefer having smaller bedrooms- less furniture, less reason to stay locked away! I like that my kids share a room- no room for entitlement 🙂
Milk Donor Mama says
I love this. I have finally convinced my DH that when we move, we will choose a smaller home. He chose our first home (which we are still in) because of its size. It was the largest home we visited, at 2050 sq ft. We have one room we never use and way too much junk. He has stuff in the basement and garage he has not looked at since the day the box was set there when we moved in.
C says
So how do you get others to get on board? I am so ready to simplify our life and get rid of unused stuff. But my husband wants to keep things “just in case” I feel like I’m drowning in clutter!
D says
I agree!! and also wonder how to convince hubby to downsize or simplify? Just getting rid of credit cards was like pulling teeth with him… I’m a little jealous of you gals with husbands that are on the same page.. wah
Heather says
I’ve heard that watching a few episodes of Hoarder can help! It’s available for free online. I showed my kids part of an episode, and it helped them see why we need to pick up toys, etc.
Wendy says
hahaha….
I totally agree with you Heather, it actually inspires me when my kitchen is a complete chaos and the house is up side down. I think I’m traumatized by that show, or I should say…it’s a positive trauma?
Katie says
What works for me is asking my husband if he’ll pull out five of some type of item for me to give to Goodwill. Like when we put away our winter wear a few weeks ago, I said, “I need five of your ugliest, most used-up looking long-sleeve shirts!” He gets a toe into it, and then he always does more than the five – he ended up pulling out a garbage bag’s worth of clothes (not just long-sleeve shirts) to donate, and the whole thing took him maybe ten minutes, tops. Guys tend to do well with short instructions and specific tasks, especially when it doesn’t sound like something’s going to be time-consuming.
Shawn'l says
thank you for your comments. I was lamenting my husbands lack of “help” like the ladies above. I what you suggest something that would really work with my husband as well as my kids.
Shawn'l says
oops…3rd sentence should read “What you suggest is…”
Vicki says
The bad economy has forced many people to simplify. Thanks for pointing out the upside to downsizing.
When my last child graduated from high school we sold our 4500 sq ft. home along with most of our possession, bought an RV and hit the road. I thought I “needed” all that stuff but it was just weighing me down. We are perfectly happy in our 225 sq ft space. While I may someday settle down and live in a regular house I never again want to ‘live large’. This has been the most liberating experience of my life.
Diane says
What an inspiring post! I raised 3 children, to adulthood, in a 950 sq.ft house and do not regret a moment of it. I believe it is much easier to parent in a small house where you can see and hear everything and are able to nip trouble in the bud. There is a closeness that develops just by default.
Emily Kay says
Amen, Diane! The kids definitely can’t hide their squabbles in a tiny home! 🙂
Nicki S. says
Loved the post! Hubbs and I share an 820 square foot apartment-style condo with three cats and it’s a good way to keep my accumulation of “things” in check. Granted, we can borrow garage space from my parents for holiday decorations, but I’d hate to have a bigger space to clean. (hey, I’m lazy.)
When we are lucky enough to get an additional family member, we’ll have to review all our things and do a big downsizing with the spare room to make space for a crib. But I’m okay with that.
Erin@Out on a Limb... says
I truly applaud and understand you all. I live in a roughly 1500 square foot home in suburbia which is far bigger than our first apartment or the home I grew up in. I feel like I have plenty of room to live and breathe in this space. Purging every season helps tremendously. While moving our bedroom downstairs just before our second child was born, we too went through the boxes and boxes of engagement and wedding gifts, etc. that had been stored, for eight years, and donated bags and bags. Now, two children and three years later, I feel crowded by too much “stuff” if it finds its way into our home. Best of luck to all of you. Thanks for sharing such a thoughtful and relative post.
Erin @ Gourmet Frugality says
This post also hit home with me. I am very good about keeping out the stuff for my husband and myself but we have WAY too many toys for my 2-year-old and they are taking over the house. I need to go through everything we have and purge what we don’t need. I can’t keep up with it all with 2 kids!
Angie Gallegos says
I needed this today. We are a family of 6 (as of 5/29/11!) in a 1100 sq ft townhome, with 2 bedrooms and 1.5 baths. I thought it was cramped with 5 people, but now I know “cramped” – having a newborn in the house again. 🙂 I find myself complaining – in my head mostly, but out loud sometimes too – about how small this house is. Unfortunately, with all the foreclosures in the neighborhood, we aren’t able to sell at this time. We have simplified our stuff and are comfortable for now. I am learning that things don’t make us happy – having each other does. 🙂 And we know God will provide us with what we need, so if being cramped means we can afford the home and can pay all our bills – I’ll take it!
Wendy says
Sweet! Could not say it better. How wonderful is to have peace and know that we are truly happy for what God has blessed us. Keep up that sweet spirit of yours.
Brandy says
This came at the PERFECT time. I’m taking a break from packing myself. My husband and our 5 kids are moving 1100 miles from WA to CA. We are leaving a 2300 sqft home that we have been in for 4 years. This is the home we combined households in and became a family in. We have boxes that are still in the garage unpacked from we went from his/hers to ours. Now we are transferring for his job and moving into a 1500 sqft house my aunt owns. It’s going to be a tight squeeze but I am already trying to see how this will be better for all of us! Thanks for the encouragement!!
Challice says
Our family lived in a 1200 sq ft home all our life and there was 9 kids in our home + whatever dogs we had at the time 😉 It really boils down too, if we didnt have the room for it, we didnt get it.
Abbie says
Ahhh this was so timely. 🙂 We are in a 2 bedroom with 2 boys and one on the way as well! I am thankful for the blessing of lacking funds for a larger space. If we had the funds we would not have the chance to rely on God to meet our needs as much as we do now. I love where we’re at! Lyrics to an old song that helps me when I’m not feeling super content: “Love grows best in little houses, with few walls to separate. You eat and sleep so close together, you can’t help but communicate!” Makes me happy. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
katie W, says
AMEN!! We feel the same way!
Emily Kay says
Amen! We have three littles and are living in a 980 sq ft 2 bed/1 bath home. It’s insane most days but BOY is it easier to keep a small house clean! 🙂
Wendy says
Thank you! Your comment is very inspiring 🙂
Sarah says
married for *six years?
A N says
I caught that too – though it gave me a laugh 🙂 Sometimes it can feel like “sick” years. Though not usually!
BethB says
What an inspirational article! We have a 1200 square foot home and I work very hard to make sure it doesn’t become so cluttered it seems like a small house, if you know what I mean. For a long time I wanted a larger house and mourned the loss of that goal when we realized we were financially better off staying where we are. Every time I was in a larger, more modern house it was hard not to look around and think about how nice all that space would be. But over time I’ve found that with a more conscious approach to what we bring into and keep in our house this amount of space is *plenty*. And I have less house to clean!
Erin says
BethB – I totally relate to your comments! We live in a 2/2 condo and *thought* we would only be there for 2 years max, but the housing market had other plans. At first I felt resentful, mourned the fact that I couldn’t have a huge home, but now I feel much more contented and grateful that we can afford where we live, I don’t have as much to clean, and I don’t have to feel bad about any of the decisions we have made financially. I know lots of people who say “oh, just short sell! it’s easy!” but to me, I consider our mortgage obligation something that is also a moral obligation to keep our word and pay what we borrowed.
LucyT says
i grew up in a fairly big home 5,000 sq ft and always wanted a big home after we bought a big home i quickly relized how much work they are to keep up lucky for us we hadn’t sold are smaller home and moved back in it however it took us about 5 years to sell the bigger one which we had to rent out until it sold.we live in a 1800sq ft home now with 5 children sometimes one of my older children wish out loud we would have kept the bigger home but i am so glad we didn’t.most days !
Katie says
I love when you post articles/stories like this! What an inspiration!
Toni says
LOVE this article, Amanda. We currently live in a 3,000 sqft home in suburbia. Prior, we lived in an 1800 sqft home on 3½ acres. One quality I truly love about myself is that I am NOT a materialistic person. “Stuff” means very little to me. We are considering a move to TX in the future. If we make that move, we intend to downsize significantly to compensate for increased property taxes, the future (when our kids move out), and to get a better built home. I anticipate we will be back in an 1800 sqft home (maybe less) and I am truly okay with that. Be blessed abundently in your space. After all, anything that truly matters is right there with you.
Gwen says
Increased property taxes? Have you been to Texas? In graduate school I had a house on an acre of land in the city–1500 ft2. One of the best school districts in the state. Taxes were $650 a year.
Toni says
Yes, Gwen. My dh works for American Airlines and we were there in April to check housing. Not sure where you live, but in Flower Mound, just outside of Dallas, the property taxes are very high compared with greater Indy. Not high based on actual percentage (just a few tenths higher) but VERY high due to the wonderful homestead and mortgage tax exemptions. The homestead exemption is much smaller in FlowerMound and the surrounding towns there. Our taxes will about double. 🙁 I wish we could touch $650/year.
Toni says
“very high due to the wonderful exemptions”….meaning, here in Indy.
Alex says
Hi Gwen,
I am afraid Toni is right about high property taxes in TX(at least in the Dallas suburb where I live in Frisco)as my property tax is about 10 times what you used to pay(our house is about 3,800sqft).
Rae says
Depends on where you are. I live south of Dallas (1800 sq ft house, about 1/5 of an acre, appraised at $125,000) and our taxes were like $2600/$2700 or something like that. Another high school was just approved so that amount will go up by a few hundred per year starting this upcoming year.
Not complaining though because having no state income tax more than makes up for it especially when you are a military family that will be living in another state (I never did get my refund from NJ the last year that I was a resident with them because my husband and I got sick of jumping through all the hoops that they were trying to make us do to get our money back)
Jennifer says
At least you won’t have state income taxes anymore….
Toni says
So true, Jennifer. We were pretty excited about that.
Ann@StringerMama says
Oh my goodness this brings back memories! We had to do the exact same thing when my husband went to seminary – we had to downsize from a four bedroom huge home to a 2 bedroom apartment. We sold everything from our sectional couch to our extra tv and dvd player! But when my hubbie graduated I kept up the simplified lifestyle and I love it! The more you have, the more responsibility you have to care for it!
Erin says
So true. Stuff becomes so overwhelming! It’s temping at first to own it, and soon after you wish someone would just take it off your hands!
melissa says
Ah, yes…the maintenance of all the trimmings and trappings of wealth is energy-draining to be sure. We too have downsized tremendously, and it feels really good to go out to our storage closet and not see box upon box of junk we had carried around needlessly for years. I always think of that book by Leo Lionni, “The Biggest House in the World”. It’s about a little snail who thinks having the biggest, fanciest shell is great. Until, of course, he’s so big that he can’t go where he wants to go or do what he wants to do. Keep your shells small, y’all!
Wendy says
Thanks Melissa. I really liked your comment.
Krysten says
This is such a timely post for me! I’m sitting in my garage trying to sell things that we’ve accumulated over the last 4 years. We’re getting rid of several wedding presents that we never use. One is from a favorite aunt and uncle, one is from my college piano teacher – you get the point – they’re special because of the giver.
However, my husband’s teenage brother will be moving in with us in about a month and we’ve made the decision that investing in his life is more important than keeping a bunch of things that we never use. So, we’re cleaning out the back bedroom so he has a place to stay.
I think that once you get your priorities in line, it’s much easier to part with THINGS. Things are temporary; people are eternal.
Liz says
This article really hit home. We are in the process of packing up our home to move. We don’t know where yet but we are being foreclosed on. I have been packing up room by room and seeing all the things that we have accumulated the past 5 years here, I realized it was way too much. things that have been sitting collecting dust and such. A garage full of stuff that just sits. While packing I came to the same revelation. And have been giving more to Goodwill then packed for storage. It feels a little liberating and a little sad at the same time.
Honey says
Liz-we’re in the same boat. We’ve been in this home 5 years and now are starting over. And we don’t know where we’re going, either. We have 5 children. I feel like I don’t have too much stuff, but it’s getting ready to be even less. Whenever I have gotten rid of things, I have never missed them later!
Janet says
We moved just over 2 years ago and have not ended up missing anything. Although it does feel sad to give it all away. I ended up putting tons in storage which were nice things then last Christmas when times were tough for so many I started listing them as free on craigslist to give for folks to be able to give as gifts. This was heart warming as I just don’t like to just give a ton of things to Good will (*I personally have a philosophy about Good will ) (I watched while they gave so much to men who abused woman and then they gave and gave and then the men would be back and forth to the program)
I rather give to homeless shelters for the woman of abuse as there are so many woman and children in the world who have lived with nothing since birth but men who abuse.
Anyway the point was the stuff that I put in storage got so costly it felt better to give to those who are hurting who could use it now. We may never get back into a regular size home. 450 sq ft. is not much but it does keep you off the streets and out of the rain!
Which I also did for almost two years. So believe me I am glad to have 450sq ft.