photo by Savannah Grandfather
Guest Post by Amy from The Finer Things in Life
After living and working in a suburb for seven years, my
husband and I felt led to move to a small town to raise our family (we’ve dubbed our new town, Tiny Town, since that’s what it is). This decision was a leap of faith for us, as
his salary would be cut drastically and we both knew that I needed to be home
to raise our children.
Although far removed from bargain shopping and mainstream
entertainment conveniences (we live 15 miles from the nearest grocery store and
55 miles from any real shopping), we
have found that Tiny Town living lends itself nicely to our frugal lifestyle. In fact, even with the salary cut we were
able to save and invest nearly 15% of his income last year!
I wanted to share a few of the ways this major move to a tiny town has been a big blessing in our lives:
Our Home
::We sold our 1,200 sq. ft. home with no basement and purchased for just over half of our selling price a 1,400 square home with a basement in Tiny Town. More space. Less money.
::We now have a big yard–three city lots big, to be exact. That makes for some nice garden space, which has given us lots of practically free food. My black thumb has turned a lovely shade of green!
Our Vehicles
::My husband’s vehicle now sits in the garage much of the time, as he simply walks one block to work. The gas and maintenance savings have been incredible, and we are able to save that extra money for the rainy day when a new vehicle will be needed in order to avoid car loans.
My van sits a lot, too. All of the daily errand-type things that need done are within four blocks of my home. We walk to the post office, bank and library if we need something.
Shopping
::Living in Tiny Town has honed my organizational skills and my creativity. I refuse to drive to the nearest store every time I’m out of an ingredient for supper. I keep a detailed list of things we need, check the store ad before we go, and scour the aisles (coupons in hand) to stock up on special deals while we’re there.
::I keep a bargain bin of small gifts in the basement for unexpected party invitations.
::We have wonderful family and neighbors who help each other out. They’ll pick up something at the store for me if I’m not headed that way.
::It’s harder to develop a case of the "wantsies" when you’re far removed from all the latest and greatest things in the store windows.
::Oh, and sales tax here? 5.3% Not too shabby!
Entertainment
::Our awesome library carries a nice selection of dvds for checkout. Free.
::We have a lovely park and walking path and quiet streets for bike riding. Again, free.
::Eighty dollars buys us a full family summer pass at the city swimming pool.
::We stay very busy with church and school activities. Supporting the kids in our community is fun and free for us. It’s also the best way to stay involved because in Tiny Town, pretty much everything revolves around school activities.
Tiny Town living has been great for our young family, in
more than just frugal ways. If you’ve
ever considered leaving the city behind, take that leap of faith. Your family is sure to benefit!
A stay-at-home
mom, Amy gave up an eight year teaching career at one of the largest schools in
her state to move with her husband of nearly 10 years and their three children,
ages 5, 3, and 1 to Tiny Town two years ago. Amy takes joy in caring for her family, finding a good deal, volunteering
at her local library, and blogging at The Finer Things in Life.