“The happiness we really seek cannot be found by purchasing more space or more stuff. Those who do not recognize what is enough will never have enough.” -Jay Shafer, The Small House Book
Several years ago, I began to take my first steps down the path of minimalism. However, I did not just wake up one day and decide to become a minimalist, first I was led to the concept through a desire to become debt-free, and then the goal to go plastic-free and live a more sustainable lifestyle, as I wrote about in my article entitled How Dave Ramsey and Going Plastic-free led me to Minimalism. I discovered and reviewed The Minimalists’ first film, and that led me to read several of their books including Everything That Remains, which I reviewed as well. From there, it blended into the countercultural concoction of plastic-free, zero-waste, environmentally-friendly, sustainable, protecting-the-earth-and-animals-lifestyle I am striving toward. I now follow quite a few minimalists, have read Marie Kondo’s books, participate in Project 333, and I’m even considering living in a tiny house someday.
“Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul.” -Democritus
What is Minimalism?
There’s not one single definition for minimalism and it’s often misunderstood. It’s about living with less physical items to free up space in your home, mind, and heart for the more important things in life. Here are descriptions of the minimalistic lifestyle:
“It is a lifestyle where people intentionally seek to live with only the things they really need.” -Joshua Becker, becomingminimalist.com
“Minimalism is simply removing the things that remove you from your life.” Courtney Carver, bemorewithless.com and creator of Project 333
“Minimalism is not a numbers game…It’s about finding the perfect balance of enough. It’s learning to be content with what you have.” -Kathryn Kellogg, goingzerowaste.com
“It’s simply getting rid of things you do not use or need, leaving an uncluttered, simple environment and an uncluttered, simple life. It’s living without an obsession with material things or an obsession with doing everything and doing too much.” -Leo Babauta, author and minimalist
“What Minimalism is really all about is reassessment of your priorities so that you can strip away the excess stuff — the possessions and ideas and relationships and activities — that don’t bring value to your life.” -Colin Wright, minimalist and author
As all minimalists will point out, minimalism does not mean barren walls and living bored. It doesn’t mean not owning nice things, in fact, it often means owning fewer but higher quality items. It does not mean you can’t entertain, have children, or limit belongings that are essential to your life. Minimalism means living intentionally. It also aligns with environmentalism and sustainability.
“There is only one success – to be able to spend your own life in your own way.” -Christopher Morley
Photo by Marie Cullis.
Why minimalism?
“It’s a way to escape the excesses of the world around us — the excesses of consumerism, material possessions, clutter, having too much to do, too much debt, too many distractions, too much noise. But too little meaning.” -Leo Babauta, author and minimalist
All of the minimalists I’ve mentioned have websites, books, and podcasts dedicated to the why, and I encourage you to delve into those. Some of the reasons include having more time, eliminating debt, finding true purpose in life, living cleaner, and pursuing passions and hobbies. The Minimalists wrote, “Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.”1 That’s what we all want to find.
Minimalism can free us from debt and the time it takes to care of our excess belongings. Joshua Becker explained that “minimalism is freedom from the modern rush…We are too hurried, too frenzied, and too stressed. We work long, passionate hours to pay the bills, but fall deeper into debt. We rush from one activity to another – multitasking along the way – but never seem to get everything done.” We can try to live within our means and we might find ourselves much more content.
We can have less to do so that we can have the freedom to do the things we really want to do. Courtney Carver described in her book, Project 333, that after going minimalist and downsizing from a large house to a small apartment, she knew she “had made the right decision when my husband woke up one Saturday morning and said, ‘Guess what I’m not doing today? I’m not raking leaves, mowing the lawn, replacing the roof, or negotiating with neighbors to replace the fence.’ Instead, we went for a hike.” How lovely!
Photo by Arina Krasnikova from Pexels.
Consumer Culture
“We own too much stuff. And it is stealing our joy.” -Joshua Becker, becomingminimalist.com
Why do we have so much stuff?
A great deal of our desire for excess possession comes from our culture, which pushes and praises consumerism. In fact, we are told that we are good citizens if we consume and spend. We grow up to get a job so that we can buy property, cars, trendy clothes, and all the things we’ve been told will make us happy. Ownership has typically been viewed as a sign of success. We are exposed to an average of 5,000 advertisements daily and told that we need more, to be more. Joshua Becker wrote, “Minimalism is countercultural. It is contrary to every advertisement we have ever seen because we live in a society that prides itself on the accumulation of possessions.”2
“Living doesn’t cost much, but showing off does.” -Jeffrey D. Sachs, economist and author
This consumer culture leads us to compare our lives and our stuff to that of others, which causes consumer competition. This fills our homes with unnecessary belongings and creates discontent.
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” -Theodore Roosevelt
Photo by Marcel Walter on Unsplash.
“Living with less does not deprive your life; it improves it.” -Bea Johnson, Zero Waste Home3
Organizing
I used to believe organizing was the key to having a clean home and an easy lifestyle. I’ve spent hours of my life organizing and reorganizing my belongings, believing I was doing something good and healthy. I would spend hours online learning organizing methods and ideas. I loved organizing so much that at one point I even wanted to become a certified professional organizer so I could do it for a living. Now I see the errors of my ways. The best way to organize is not to have excess amounts of items. The Minimalists wrote an article entitled “Organizing is Well-Planned Hoarding,”4 and I completely agree.
“You don’t have an organization problem, you have a too-much-stuff problem…You don’t need to organize more, you need to own less.” -Erica Layne, author of The Minimalist Way
The excess stuff gets in our way and limits us as every possession must be cared for, cleaned, and maintained. “Each one will require time, energy, and effort once they enter your home,” Joshua Becker said. If you own less stuff, you don’t need to shop at stores like The Container Store (a former favorite of mine), and this saves time as well. I’ve gotten rid of so much that I was able to sell most of my storage containers at my last yard sale.
“It is better to own less than to organize more.” -Joshua Becker, becomingminimalist.com
Photo by Jimmy Conover on Unsplash.
Teaching Our Kids
If we have children we must pass down the belief and understanding that relationships, love, giving, and contentment are far more important than any item they can ever buy. If we at least have what we need, the basic necessities, then everything else is a blessing.
“We must teach our kids how to handle envy and how to overcome it. It is important we help them learn how to focus on the positive, the shortsightedness of comparison, and the foolishness of jealousy. We should teach them to be generous and grateful, and to celebrate the success of others.” -Joshua Becker, becomingminimalist.com
Photo by Puneeth Shetty on Unsplash.
Less Is More…
Sometimes, as the saying goes, less is more. Owning only the things that add value and joy to your life. Participating only in those events that bring fulfillment. Spending time with those we love. Learning to be content with all that we do have.
“Modern society has bought into the lie that the good life is found in accumulating things – in possessing as much as possible…Minimalism brings freedom from the all-consuming passion to possess…It values relationships, experiences, and soul-care. And in doing so, it finds life.” -Joshua Becker, becomingminimalist.com
…Less Is Now!
Though I’m not yet fully living the minimalist lifestyle I seek, I’m continually inspired by minimalism. It is a process and I’m working that process.
So I was very excited to learn The Minimalists are coming out with a new Netflix documentary, coming out today! What a great way to start the new year! The trailer alone inspired me to write this post, and I thought I’d dedicate my first post of this year to minimalism. Because minimalism has something positive to offer all of us, on some level.
Happy New Year! Thanks for reading, and please subscribe!
Additional Resources:
Article, “What Is Minimalism?,” by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus.
Article, “What is Minimalism? Maybe it’s not what you think,” by Courtney Carver.
Book, 101 Ways To Go Zero Waste, by Kathryn Kellogg, 2019.
I recently read The Tiny House Movement: Challenging Our Consumer Culture by Tracey Harris, a sociology professor at Cape Breton University in Nova Scotia. Overall, the author argues that the tiny house movement is a countercultural social movement because it challenges many aspects of the American lifestyle and social norms. Some of these include owning a big house with furnishings and “nice” things; taking out loans and “financing” everything. Living in the right neighborhood with the right school, which often equates to a more expensive house. Staying very busy with work to make more money to pay for the house, the maintenance, repairs, and shopping to buy stuff for the house. “Keeping up with the Joneses” sounds stressful. Countercultural is starting to sound pretty good. This book was extremely well researched and well written, and I think all who are interested in tiny house living, minimalism, and sustainability should read it.
Image by Leslie Troisi from Pixabay
Tiny Houses
Generally, when I talk to people about my interest in tiny house living, many assume that I mean a 130 square foot tiny house on wheels (also known as a THOW). In fact, tiny houses can range in size from under 100 square feet up to 700 square feet, and small living is sometimes defined as up to 1000 square feet. Some are on wheels, some on concrete slabs or full foundations, and some are floating homes on water (also called houseboats). Tiny houses are versatile, customizable, and much more affordable than the average house. Some are off the grid but many are wired and plumbed for regular utilities. People are interested in tiny homes for a variety of reasons. Some want to work less in order to pursue their true interests; others seek to become and remain debt-free; some want to reduce their environmental impact; and most often, it is a combination of these.
“This transition relates not only to downsizing material goods but also requires a new understanding of what is meaningful and valuable in our lives. Leading lives based on experiences rather than acquisition is countercultural.” -Tracey Harris
“Two Story Tiny House,” Park City, UT. Photo by PunkToad on Flickr, Creative Commons license (CC BY 2.0)
Home Ownership in the United States
We now have the biggest houses in the entire world. The average size of a new house in the US has tripled since 1950 and is now above 2,500 square feet and the average price is about $286,000. An upscale tiny house can run over $100,000 but are often less than that. There are also many other differences in cost! It costs much less to heat and cool under 500 square feet than it does for 2,500 square feet. The costs of repairs are lower because there is physically less to repair – fewer windows; a roof that is the fraction of the size of the average home; less electrical to repair, and likely only one bathroom instead of 3! “Big houses require more energy and materials to construct. Big houses hold more furniture and stuff—they are integral parts of high-consumption lifestyles. Big houses contribute to lower population densities and, thus, more sprawl and driving.”5 Overall, larger homes are not good for the environment and are not sustainable.
“It is completely out of control right now, in terms of the size of our housing. We really need to settle down and not only because of affordability but because of sustainability. We cannot sustain the level of growth that we have right now.” -Andrew Morrison, tiny house advocate
Image by Alexander Stein from Pixabay
We have too much stuff
In the United States, we have too much stuff. Our consumer habits keep us in debt, pollute the environment, and create discontent. In addition to our large homes, we pay for additional storage – for stuff we probably don’t need! The self-storage industry grows annually; currently, 9.4% of households in the US, about 1 in 10, rent a storage facility. As a country, we spend $39.5 billion annually on self-storage. What else could we do with that money? There are a few situations in which self-storage is necessary, but self-storage should always be a short-term solution.
There are almost 60,000 self-storage facilities in the U.S., as of 2024.
Image by Maret Hosemann from Pixabay
Many people wonder how tiny house residents can fit all of their possessions in their homes. The transition to tiny house living does require significant downsizing in possessions. But as with minimalism, the focus would be on keeping the items that add value to your life and letting go of the belongings that do not. But this transition should enhance your life.
People living in tiny homes “acknowledge that a small house provides the vehicle for them to live larger lives, in part because they are no longer tied to the physicality of a conventional house and all of the baggage that comes with those ties.” -Tracey Harris
Debt
Between housing costs and the costs to heat/cool/furnish the home, general overconsumption, cars, education, and self-storage, Americans are more than $13 trillion in debt! We deserve to live better. In fact, some communities are embracing the tiny house movement as a potential way to address housing insecurity and poverty. In Detroit, Michigan, for example, programs assist people with lower incomes to become homeowners over time, which provides them with stability that snowballs into opportunities that they previously did not have.6
“The tiny house movement can help us all gain a better understanding of how we can challenge societal inequalities and environmental degradation by advocating for more choice, not less, in the ways we are able to house ourselves.” -Tracey Harris
Even if you aren’t interested in living in a tiny house, I encourage you to think about the sustainability of your spending habits and how much of your income is going to housing and caring for items you don’t use. Because the less you own, the more money you’ll have for what really matters to you. The less debt you have, the more freedom you will have to spend on travel, experiences, and giving. The benefits of buying less, downsizing, living deliberately, being debt-free are easy to see.
Environmental benefits
Consumer culture is taking a huge toll on the environment. Consuming less not only reduces expenditure but buying less stuff and having a smaller home is also environmentally friendly. Smaller homes use less energy and need considerably fewer items because of limited physical space. Production, transport, and disposal of consumer items is not sustainable at the rate of our current consumption levels. The tiny house lifestyle works counter to this culture by reducing the focus on possessions and putting it back on living a full life.
“We are heading for the proverbial rocks. It’s not just us in peril; it is our very home, planet Earth, which is being threatened by our consumptive choices and overspending.” -Tracey Harris
Photo by Nachelle Nocom on Unsplash
Community and Sharing Economy
Rather than owning and storing every type of household item or tool, minimalists and tiny homeowners embrace the notion of sharing, borrowing, even renting items they need only once in a while. Some neighborhoods have tool libraries, and there are some public libraries that lend tools and equipment just like books. People can share chainsaws, weedeaters, nail guns, and other tools. There are even kitchen libraries popping up, where you can borrow or rent kitchen gadgets that you might not need but a couple of times per year. Tiny house communities, like condos or housing associations, share large amenities such as pools, fitness rooms, and tennis courts. In addition, many also offer clubhouses for large gatherings. Others share communal sports equipment such as kayaks and bicycles.
Live Your Best Life
Though that phrase may seem cliché, living your best life is important, whatever that means to you. If the idea of living with less to achieve your best life is countercultural, so be it. Let’s just embrace it for what it is. This is your life and not for others to judge. If you are living tiny or minimalist, I’d love to know how that’s going for you. Is it helping you get the most out of life? Leave me a comment below. As always, thanks for reading, and please subscribe!
In my last article, I told you about my family’s growing interest in tiny houses. I’ve been pursuing buying or building a tiny house in our area, but I’ve encountered many roadblocks. I want to provide a few clarifications: first, tiny can be defined as anything under 700 square feet. We want a house under 1000 square feet, which could also be classified as just a small house. Second, we are not looking to be mobile. Some tiny house owners want to tow and use their houses for traveling. We want to build it on a foundation. Third, we are not looking to be off the grid – we want electricity and plumbing. Last, we want to do this 100% legally, and that’s where the biggest roadblocks have been.
House at River Ridge Escapes, photo by Marie Cullis.
Where can you put a tiny house?
Though I’m in Tennessee, I want to share my experience because I suspect it is typical of many regions of the United States. It is confusing to figure out what and where you are allowed to build. If you watch popular tiny house TV shows, they make it seem like you can just park one anywhere. But I’m afraid that that’s just not true. There are many details, ordinances, and regulations. I didn’t know how to find the information at the beginning of the process. Even now I’m certainly no expert, but I wanted to share my experience in hopes that it helps others navigate the same process.
I’ve spoken to several tiny home builders and real estate agents about buying or building a tiny house. None were able to give me enough information or direction. Real estate agents especially did not seem very motivated to work with me. From a financial perspective, we were only looking to buy a small piece of land under $30,000, rather than a huge house in the hundreds of thousands, thus less of a commission for them. A couple of agents were somewhat helpful, but only to a point. One even told me I could “plop one down anywhere I wanted,” which is completely inaccurate and misleading.
Well, kind of. I can buy a tiny house and park it in my backyard tomorrow. But I cannot legally reside in it full-time.
Dining room of a tiny house, photo by Marie Cullis.
Zoning: County, or City?
Though I thought real estate agents would be most knowledgeable in zoning laws, they often referred me to the county and city zoning offices to find out for myself. I called both zoning offices multiple times over several months and left messages and I’ve never received a return call from either. I planned to take a day off from work to visit the offices in person, but I never even got that far.
Eventually, I figured out that zoning is different in the county versus the city; that sections of each have their own zoning regulations; and that individual subdivisions within the city and county often have their own restrictions. Each of these has requirements about minimum square footage, lot size, foundation type, home shape (to prevent mobile homes), etc. Many of these rules are created as safety regulations, but some were created simply to keep poor people out of certain neighborhoods.
We looked at many pieces of land in person and online. Some were in the city and some were in the county, but this isn’t always easy to determine. When I asked real estate agents directly, I often did not get a clear answer. Here are some of the small, quick tricks you can use to determine which zoning to even start with:
Look at the garbage cans – if those are city-issued, then it is city zoning.
You can tell by school zone if schools are separated by city and county (where we live, it all falls under the county).
Check the public library system to find out if it serves the city or county.
Find out which utilities (water, gas, electric) service the county and city separately, you can determine the zone that way.
Tiny house at River Ridge Escape, photo by Marie Cullis.
Zoning Classifications
We found several pieces of land into which we made serious inquiries with real estate agents. Regarding one particular property, the agent responded via email:
“This particular property is zoned R1 so you could build on it but I’m not sure if there is a minimum size or not and also, since it’s in a subdivision, there are probably restrictions on what can be built…If there are no subdivision restrictions, you would probably have to get a special permit for a tiny home…It is my understanding that zone R5 is the only one not required to get a special permit. If I were you, I would make a trip to the zoning office and try to get them to break down the process for what you are wanting to do.”
That was a lot of information for me to understand in just one paragraph, especially since I am not versed in zoning laws.
Many areas do not have a separate classification for tiny homes. Zoning classifications are not standardized and can vary greatly. Even if a municipality follows the International Residential Code (IRC), there are usually amendments and exceptions. Generally, most indicate the type of use with a letter or combination of letters, for example, R for residential or C for commercial. There is usually a number to indicate the type of development. For example, in our area, R1 refers to lots for single-family dwellings.7
R1: Residential buildings
The definition of R1: “Single-family dwellings, excluding factory manufactured homes constructed as a single self-contained unit and mounted on a single chassis.” I have been unable to find the minimum square footage for new R-1 construction in our city and county, except that they follow the 2012 International Residential Code (IRC) standards with many amendments and exceptions. The 2012 IRC requires a minimum of 120 habitable square feet in at least one room. Other rooms must be at least 70 square feet with 7-foot ceilings. But in some county municipalities adjacent to Chattanooga, the minimum is 1400-1500 square feet for newly constructed residential buildings.
R5: Manufactured residential homes
R5 is intended for single-wide manufactured homes in specifically designated places. In other words, here R5 means trailer or mobile home park. In many places throughout the United States, tiny houses are relegated to mobile home communities. Tiny houses at 400 square feet or above are often classified as manufactured homes. Many of the tiny house models we liked were either right at 400 square feet or just over. In the city, a manufactured home is defined as a structure, transportable in one or more sections, which is at least 8 feet wide and 32 feet long (256 square feet) “and which is built on a permanent chassis, and designed to be used as a dwelling with or without permanent foundation, and connected to the required utilities, and includes plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical systems contained therein.”8
A1: Agriculture use
In our county, A1 zoning is “intended for agricultural uses and single-family dwellings at 2 units per acre maximum.” One real estate agent and one tiny house company informed me that I could “probably get away with a tiny house” on a lot with that zoning. But we don’t want to “get away with it” and hope we don’t get caught, experiencing consequences of hefty fines and a relocation later. We want to do this legally.
Travel trailer or camper
If a tiny house on wheels (THOW) is classified as a travel trailer, they are only allowed to be used for short-term occupancy or vacation rental for less than 30 days. So you can technically own one and park it wherever an RV is allowed, but you cannot reside in it full-time or permanently.
Kitchen of a tiny house at River Ridge Escape, photo by Marie Cullis.
Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions
On top of figuring out the county zoning for areas outside of the city, many subdivisions have ‘Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions’ (CC&Rs). These rules govern the use of lots in the subdivision or neighborhood and are usually enforced by a homeowners’ association. Again, many of these rules are created as safety regulations. However, some were enacted to prevent the poor from moving into those neighborhoods.
Unfortunately with every single lot we inquired about, we hit a roadblock, usually in the form of said CC&Rs. Some had a minimum square footage requirement of 1500 square feet, and two required a minimum of 2500 square feet! I honestly don’t know what I’d do with a house that size. Another real estate agent recommended a vacant double lot zoned as R2, on which we could’ve built a small duplex and rented out half. But it also had a steep grade and would have required a double foundation or a poured wall foundation. This combination seemed too much for us to take on financially and physically.
Elevation of a tiny house on the beach, image from architecturaldesigns.com.
Commit with no guarantee
If we decided to build a small house on a foundation and got past any relevant CC&Rs, then we could apply for a special permit through the applicable zoning office. But we would have to buy the land first, and then to apply for the permits we would have to bring the zoning office architectural or building plans. If this order is correct, we would have to purchase the land, then work with a general contract or architect and pay them to draw up the plans. So we’d have to commit financially to the land and the plans before we’d even know if we could build the small house we desire.
Retrofitting an Older House
There are some single-family homes in our area under 1000 square feet, but most of those are older homes. When you purchase an older home, as we did, you must be prepared for the problems of an old home. Homes built before the 1980s can have asbestos, as our house did, and asbestos remediation is expensive. Homes built before 1978 often have lead paint and contractors will not work on your house until it has been tested. Some argue that you can “get around” testing for things like asbestos and lead by doing the work yourself. But the risk is exposing yourself and your family to known highly carcinogenic toxic materials. Older homes sometimes have mold or mildew issues. Old construction materials may have been made or treated with dangerous chemicals, such as old insulation, lead pipes, and varnishes.
I’m not against owning an older home, but I wish I had known these things before buying one so I could have been prepared financially. We would like newer construction because of our experience. Many tiny houses tend to have new building materials or be newly constructed. Additionally, the cost is often higher to retrofit or “gut” an old house and rebuild the interior with updated plumbing, electrical, HVAC, etc. than it is to buy or build a new tiny or small house.
Photo by Andrea Davis on Unsplash.
Tiny House zoning issues
Tiny houses are not allowed in many places, most often due to the property tax structure. Property taxes are a major income source for local governments. They pay for a variety of services including schools, fire and police, infrastructure, libraries, garbage and recycling, etc. Property taxes are usually based on the value of your land and home. The more square footage of the home, the higher the taxes, and the more income the municipality takes in. So there is little motivation there to allow tiny or even small houses. The system discourages small and sustainable living.
Movement on the rise
Cities in Florida, Oregon, California, Arizona, and several other states have laws that allow full-time residency in small or tiny houses. Tiny house communities are popping up in different areas, like the ones I mentioned at River Ridge Escape in Georgia. Some argue that the tiny house movement is a trend and will be short-lived. Others claim that the movement is here to stay. The number of people seeking smaller mortgages, no mortgages, a lower carbon footprint, an easier lifestyle, or simply affordable housing, is growing.
Thank you for reading, I hope this information is helpful. I am not trying to discourage anyone from trying to go tiny. As for my family, we have tabled our effort to build in our area. But it is not off the table! If there are any errors or misinterpretations in this article, it is because my understanding of building codes and ordinances is rudimentary. I’ve largely had to figure this out on my own. If you have updated information or your own experience to share, leave me a comment! Thanks for reading, please share and subscribe!
Image by Kool Cats Photography on Flickr, Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC 2.0).
Additional Resources:
Page, “Are Tiny Houses Illegal in Your State?” by Maria Fredgaard.
Article, “Tiny-house owners are facing evictions or living under the radar because their homes are considered illegal in most parts of the US,” Insider.com, December 14, 2020.
Page, “Where Can I Build a Tiny House?” by Maria Fredgaard.
Article, “A woman who parked her tiny house on her parents’ property in New Hampshire was forced to move out after the local government said it was illegal,” Insider.com, December 30, 2020.
“Our life is frittered away by detail… simplify, simplify.” -Henry David Thoreau
For several years now, I’ve been on a quest to figure out if tiny house living is a viable option for my family. After being introduced to the concept through popular reality television shows about tiny houses, I wondered why anyone would want to live in such a small space.
Through a series of circumstances, finances, and soul searching, my interest in tiny living developed gradually and organically. Let’s start at the beginning.
My Experience with Homeownership
I’ve become somewhat disenchanted with homeownership, at least in our current situation. When we bought our house 5 years ago, we had so many ideas about updates that we wanted to do, like new windows, kitchen countertops, and ventilation installed in the bathroom. Maybe a pretty backsplash in the kitchen?
We bought a 1940s house that was not always well maintained and I believe we did not have a good inspection when we purchased it. We knew it would need some updates but didn’t know how much of a fixer-upper it would be. During the last five years, we’ve had multiple significant repairs. I don’t mean a few hundred or a few thousand dollars. I’m talking about several repairs between $5,000 and $10,000 each. On top of that, old houses have older, unsafe building materials such as lead and asbestos that require remediation. It often feels like we are working only to repair the house, and we struggle to keep up. We will have to make many additional repairs in the next few years.
Needless to say, none of those desired repairs or cosmetic updates have happened and are not even on the horizon.
The Pro’s
There are things we love about the house. My son has a big room and he loves the layout. It’s the house he’s grown up in. We have a large covered patio/carport and a big yard to play and garden. The mortgage is affordable, and we’ve never struggled to make our payments regardless of job loss. But most of these qualities also align with tiny house living.
My son playing in the yard of our new home several years ago. Photo by Marie Cullis.
Evolving Philosophies
Home repair expenses combined with our evolving life philosophies have led us to a place where we want to do things differently. First, we now live an environmentally conscious lifestyle and shape our behaviors around living sustainably. Second, we are inspired by minimalism, and several years ago we started downsizing and paring down our belongings. Somewhere in the middle of this, we started watching Tiny House Hunters and Tiny House Nation out of curiosity and for fun. I think we thought we could never live that way. Eventually, my interest was peaked and I wondered: could we do this?
We want to spend less time cleaning and taking care of our possessions. We want to spend less money repairing and maintaining our house. Smaller houses take less time to clean and maintain. They have less plumbing, electrical, roofing, and other physical materials and hence cost less to repair in most cases. A smaller home requires less electricity for heating and cooling, which results in a lower electric bill and is more environmentally friendly.
It would be great to spend more time pursuing interests, relaxing, and experiencing life and less time taking care of the house we live in. We would most like to focus on raising our little boy and spending time with him!
“Our homes are not containers for stuff but rather a place for love and connection. By removing clutter from our homes, we make more physical space and create less distraction, allowing us to really live the way we want to live.” -Courtney Carver, Project 333
Visit to a Tiny House Community
Finally, I felt it was time to tour tiny houses, see what they’re really like, and get a feel for their size. Last year, we toured a tiny house community called River Ridge Escape in Menlo, Georgia. We thought we’d find the sizes shockingly small like the people on the tv shows. But we didn’t, they were about what we expected. Even the smallest one at the time, around 170 square feet, did not shock us. Tiny homes are often designed with efficient use of space, so most offer everything people need. The 400-square-foot homes were lovely and featured porches, upscale finishes, full kitchens, washer/dryer, and storage. Some even have bathtubs. The largest on their site was 700 square feet which seemed almost too large!
We toured several tiny homes. This one, called the Sea Breeze, was one of my favorites. Photo by Marie Cullis.
Sea Breeze interior showing the living area, full kitchen, and stairs to the loft. Photo by River Ridge Escape.
My son in the loft of the Sea Breeze. Photo by Marie Cullis.
Trying one out
The tiny house community rents a few of the homes on Airbnb, so we decided to go back one weekend to try one out! We rented out a 500-square-foot model called the Hawthorn, a house with 2 bedrooms plus a loft, which my son quickly claimed as his room!
Exterior of the Hawthorn.
The kitchen. Photo by Marie Cullis.
The living area. Photo by Marie Cullis.
The loft. Photo by Marie Cullis.
I love the homes River Ridge Escape offers and we enjoyed our stay there. Each house has utilities, water, septic, and garbage pick-up. The community has a pool, pool house, a small fitness building, a dog park, walking trails, water access for canoeing and kayaking, a community fire pit, and many other amenities. I love the idea of these communities.
Next Steps
As much as we love the communities of River Ridge Escape, relocating there is not an option for my family. So what about putting a tiny house on a piece of land where we live now? I’ve pursued this for about a year and discovered it is extremely complicated. I’ll tell you all about it in my next article. Thank you for reading, and please subscribe!
Additional Resource:
Article, “I spent 3 days living in a 350-square-foot house in a community of tiny homes — see what it was like,” by Frank Olito, Insider.com, October 1, 2019.
Project 333 is a minimalist fashion challenge that frees the mind from overwhelming choices and clutter. I have been participating in Courtney Carver’s Project 333 for almost 2 years, and this year she released a book about the project, which I highly recommend reading!
Today, I’ll tell you about Project 333’s role as a model for minimalism and about my journey with the wardrobe challenge.
“You can remove a significant amount of stress from your life simply by reducing the number of items in your closet.” -Courtney Carver
Image by Ylanite Koppens from Pixabay.
“We wear 20 percent of our clothing 80 percent of the time, yet 100 percent of our wardrobe gets 100 percent of our attention, emotion, space, and time. That’s exhausting.” -Courtney Carver
The Project
Project 333 is a minimalist fashion challenge where you dress with only 33 items – including clothing, accessories, jewelry, and shoes – for 3 months. A few exceptions include undergarments and workout clothes, but check out the website (link below) and the book for the full guidelines.
“Remember that what you are wearing is probably the least interesting thing about you.” -Courtney Carver
The experiment began when Carver tried wearing the same 33 pieces interchangeably for 3 months to see if anyone noticed. But no one did. “People care more about what they wear than what I wear,” she writes on her website. We can simplify our lives and free up mental and physical space for things that matter more than clothing.
“There are so many things I’d rather think and talk about than what’s on sale, or where you got that dress/purse/shirt.” -Courtney Carver
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay.
Too Many Choices
Courtney Carver says decision fatigue can be eliminated by reducing the amount of small daily decisions. If you think about all the decisions we must make every single day, it is no surprise that we are all overwhelmed, stressed, tired, and worn out. What or where to eat multiple times per day, what to cook, what to wear based on what we are doing that day, what to say in conversation, write in an email, what chores we need to complete, errands we need to run, exercise, what to watch out of thousands of choices, what to read, what to listen to (audiobook, podcast, or music?), when to take the car in to get the brakes checked.
If we have children, we have an additional set of decisions: school, homework, meals, clothes, hygiene, permission slips, lessons or sports, money, when to fit in quality time, and when to teach them about any number of topics. Add in any shopping, which is nothing but decisions at every angle and overwhelms all senses. On top of that, we have social media, a monster of comparison and decisions based on what other people post. If you take the time to think about all of the micro-decisions we make daily, it’s mindblowing. All of this eventually takes a heavy toll on our minds, health, and lives.
What to do about Decision Fatigue
We have far too many daily choices to make, far more than humans have ever had to make in history, and it overwhelms our brains and taxes our ability to make good decisions. It makes us mentally and physically tired.
What can we do about it? We can eliminate some of those daily choices by meal planning in advance, checking email less, and reducing the number of clothes in our closets. Less decision-making equals less stress and more time for the decisions that matter to us. This was the driving force for Courtney Carver’s creation of Project 333.
“Fewer decisions about what to wear allow more clarity for more important choices.” -Courtney Carver
Additional Benefits of a Small Wardrobe
Improved Self-Esteem
If you only own clothes you feel and look good wearing, you will feel more confident. “It’s utter madness what we do to ourselves while simply getting dressed,” Carver wrote about the negative self-talk and guilty thoughts we have from owning clothes we spent too much on but don’t wear or clothes that don’t fit our bodies correctly.
“Limiting your clothing items to 33 items for 3 months forces art. Limiting your wardrobe does not rob you of personal style – it causes you to find it.” -Joshua Becker, Clutterfree With Kids
Saving Money
You will spend less if you buy less clothing overall. “Investing in one $100 dress that actually fits you saves more time and money than spending on five $25 dresses throughout the year,” Carver explains.
“The average woman owns $550 in clothing that has never been worn.” -Courtney Carver
You will save even more money by eliminating impulse buys from shopping to fulfill boredom. Carver has talked about how she used to fulfill a deeper need by shopping, thinking she was bored with her clothing, but that the issues were much more complex and had nothing to do with her wardrobe.
Saving the Environment
A minimalist wardrobe not only helps you live a better life, but it helps the environment too. Here are a few fashion facts from Carver’s book:
The world now consumes about 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year.
95% of discarded clothing can be recycled or upcycled.
The amount of water for annual clothing production could fill 32 million Olympic-sized swimming pools, while over 1 billion people globally lack access to safe drinking water.
Polyester (which is plastic) clothing can take up to two hundred years to decompose.
Carver says when building a new, more eco-friendly wardrobe, don’t try to replace your entire wardrobe all at once. “The most eco-friendly thing you can do is to consume less by using what you have,” she writes. Stay away from trends and look for clothes that have a more classic appearance, and your clothes won’t feel out of style.
“Trendy looks good today; timeless looks great everyday.” -Joshua Fields Millburn
My clothing journey
Like many people, I used to have too many clothes. I had two dressers and a full closet. Years ago, I reduced my clothes by a third because I wanted to move one of my dressers into my son’s room instead of buying additional furniture. Later, I read Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and cleaned out my clothes even more.
I piled my clothes on the bed. This photo was taken after the first cut. Photo by Marie Cullis.
My pile of clothes to donate. Photo by Marie Cullis.
Dresser drawer using Marie Kondo’s folding method. Photo by Marie Cullis.
My Project 333
When I discovered Project 333 almost 2 years ago, I was surprised and excited about this new challenge because I felt like I’d already let go of so much. By then I’d become inspired by minimalism and began living with a more minimalist mindset. But I still owned far more than 33 items of clothing.
Using the Project 333 website to clear out clothing again, I began building my capsule wardrobe. I put everything on the bed again. I made three piles: favorites, maybe keep, and donate. My favorites went back into my closet and dresser. Per Project 333 guidelines, a large amount of maybe’s and out-of-season items went into a storage container. The donate pile got boxed up for the local thrift store.
Bin of clothing to reassess next season. Photo by Marie Cullis.
My closet after doing Project 333 almost 2 years ago. Photo by Marie Cullis.
I ended up with a few more than 33 items, but as Courtney Carver always says, the purpose is not about the exact number as the intentionality. I think I had around 45 items including shoes and accessories (but not jewelry). But I was left with about thirty empty hangers which I donated. I also had an entire empty dresser drawer which became my bedsheet storage, instead of the bathroom closet.
Today
My Project 333 has evolved, as it does for everyone. I got rid of many items in the storage bin because I forgot about most of them within the first 3 months. I also do not rotate my clothes seasonally anymore because of where I work and live, both of which have changing climates! I keep all my clothes in the closet and dresser and have no clothes in storage. So I do own more than 33 items but for year-round wear.
Image of my current closet. Photo by Marie Cullis.
I continue to follow Project 333 rules, such as:
My workout clothes do workout
I don’t go shopping unless I actually need an article of clothing
I only own shoes that do not hurt my feet
I let go of items I hadn’t worn in the past year, with a few exceptions: one vintage dress that belonged to my mother, a Halloween costume, and my wedding dress.
My size fluctuates sometimes so I keep a few items that are too small and too big.
As I replace articles of clothing, I’d like to buy more sustainable clothing. I’d also like to own more muted tones so that it will be easier to mix and match.
Minimalist Fashion Might Be the Answer
Overall, this minimalist fashion mindset is about what’s important for our sanity and the environment. Consuming less is the key. If you want to make your clothes last longer, you can line-dry clothes or use wool dryer balls. Read my article on Laundry Habits. Furthermore, common laundry detergents and fabric softeners are full of toxic chemicals and are harmful to human health. You can read my article on replacing fabric softeners and dryer sheets to learn more.
Thank you for reading, and please share and subscribe. Let me know in the comments below if you are participating in Project 333!
Check out these great links related to Project 333:
All kitten images in this article are from the Kitten Academy.9
In mid-March, I wrote an article about the craziness that was coming down surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. At the time, everything was starting to close down in the United States, but I was still going to work until right after I published that article, and I went grocery shopping the day before. Many things had announced closure for 2 weeks.
But this pandemic continually changes things, sometimes on a weekly if not daily basis. The day after that post I began working from home. I haven’t returned to the work and cannot go because it is closed. Officially, that has been extended into summer. I’m truly grateful to be employed and have a job allowing me to work from home. The latest number of unemployment claims in the United States is 36 million, the highest since the Great Depression!
Public schools were closed for 2 weeks, then 4, and now children are finishing the school year at home. High school seniors will not have the usual end-of-year experiences. My son will not be in his first-grade teacher’s classroom again. We were instructed to do guided homeschooling, which has been challenging.
The stay-at-home orders remain in effect in some places and not others. In Tennessee, for example, they’ve been lifted and we are wondering if we will now see a spike in illnesses. In the United States, they are discovering between 20,000 and 30,000 new cases of COVID-19 per day and the death rate is sure to go up. How long will this go on?
We don’t know.
Uncertainty
On top of that, the Southeast experienced tornados on Easter Sunday. An EF3 hit Chattanooga and dozens lost their homes and some lost their lives. Thousands went without power for a week or more and lost some of the contents of their refrigerators and freezers. This is concerning during a time of partial food shortages, especially in the meat industry.
Now there are wildfires in Florida, forcing people to evacuate their homes. Hurricane season begins in just a couple weeks and they are predicting stronger storms this year. Natural disasters add to the stress people are experiencing.
Everything seems uncertain and distressing.
But positivity abounds
The Kitten Academy, featured in Part 1, celebrated a new litter of kittens. I’ve featured photos of their kittens again because it’s something cute, positive, and happy.
Our local school district provided Chromebook computers to students who needed them. Several internet companies provide internet for free to low-income families. The school district has even been providing meals for students who need them. People who received their stimulus checks in the last month are donating portions (or all) to those who need it more. People have set up funds to help the tornado victims in several states.
A chance to slow down
We’ve been allowed to slow down. There’s no daily rat race to get from one place to another. No lessons to rush to, no errands to run, no places to be. If we are healthy and safe, we are blessed. We have this rare opportunity to reassess our values and behaviors to decide what really matters to us.
“This is a rare chance to take stock. Through all of the anxiety, we still have the option to start practicing those values we usually ignore and, with all of the closures and cancellations, we have been given the blankest slate we can ever expect to receive.” -Seth Riley10
Many people are trying to use this time to do new things or be creative, but it’s ok if you aren’t. Stay calm. It is a good time to think and reevaluate your life, however. Joshua Becker wrote an article about things you can do with your family during this time (linked below). These include activities such as going outside, teaching your children a new game, or simply reading.
“May the silver lining of today’s crisis be that we get the opportunity to think about how we really want to live, serve, connect, create and BE in our new normal.” -Courtney Carver
We have had more time to spend outdoors. We have more time together. We planted a garden. We ate dinner on the patio. We have time for evening walks. We literally flew a kite!
My son flying a kite in the backyard. Photo by Marie Cullis.
Maybe it’s a good time to let go
Some are using this time to declutter or even go minimalist and let go of mental and physical clutter. At the very least, maybe it is a good time to reassess and simplify your life. I’ve included some articles on minimalism below under Additional Resources.
“It’s a good exercise in reminding us that we just don’t need a lot of the stuff that we have. When times are bad, having each other, having your health (is most important). We can do with a lot less and I think that’s an important lesson I want my kids to understand… Be grateful for what you have and be ready to share it when the time comes.” -Michelle Obama11
What about remaining eco-friendly?
If you’re trying to remain eco-friendly during this quarantine and struggling, know that you are not alone. It’s harder to maintain an eco-friendly or zero-waste lifestyle right now. I’ve struggled with unwanted plastics in my grocery deliveries and curbside pickups. Bulk bins foods are no longer available and it’s harder to get my usual products in glass. As one of my favorite zero wasters, Kathryn Kellogg wrote in her book (101 Ways To Go Zero Waste), regarding having plastic water bottles in her emergency kit: it’s ok if every part of your life is not zero waste. “Putting your health and safety in jeopardy in the name of wanting to reduce trash is silly.” This is especially true right now.
Be gentle to yourself, and allow yourself time to evaluate, meditate, and reassess everything. Decide what is most important to you. Let this time of fear and stress also be a time of mental clarity. Love those close to you and call the people you can’t see right now.
Thanks for reading, and stay safe.
Additional Resources:
Article, “25 Things to Do with Your Family While Stuck at Home,” by Joshua Becker, becomingminimalist.com, accessed May 16, 2020.
The Minimalists released a good article on reevaluating our belongings.
An article from Courtney Carver about how to start during the quarantine.
Here’s a video with advice from minimalist Joshua Becker.
Many of us get caught up in setting New Year’s resolutions that come from good intentions but get lost in the mix of daily life. We get back to work, get the kids back in school, and the extracurricular activities pick back up. For many people, the credit card bills roll in as well, like a hangover from Christmas. Then maybe working additional hours to pay those bills adds to the inability to work toward those resolutions.
I gave up New Year’s resolutions a few years ago. I heard someone say they didn’t set New Year’s resolutions because they didn’t need a certain date to set goals, and I loved the idea so much that I immediately adopted it! If I decide I want or need to do something, I need to do it right away. I don’t want to wait for someday anymore.
“Someday is not a day of the week.” —Joshua Fields Millburn
You don’t need a new year to have a clean slate. Permit yourself to start over now. Allow yourself to start working toward your goals now. Don’t wait until next week, next month, or next year. Let your heart guide you, and live your best life now.
Photo by Bea Sz. on Unsplash.
But how do you start?
Your goals should come from your heart.
What do you really want? I’m not asking what you should be doing, because we all know what we “should” be doing, right? Focus less on the things you think you should change and more on the things you love and desire for your life. What can you remove from your life that isn’t adding value?
“Don’t tie your success to the results. When you are hyper-focused on the end of the goal…you discount everything that unfolds along the way. There is great opportunity for growth and joy long before you reach the end. What’s more successful than that?” -Courtney Carver, Be More With Less
Photo by Tono Graphy on Unsplash.
Start small.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says that we need to start with small behaviors and habits to achieve bigger goals. New behaviors create a lifestyle change, and our outcomes come from that – not the goals themselves. Start small! He wrote, “New goals don’t deliver new results. New lifestyles do. And a lifestyle is not an outcome, it is a process. For this reason, all of your energy should go into building better rituals, not chasing better results.”12
“Make it so easy you can’t say no.” -Leo Babauta13
Let Go of Guilt.
I’ve written this in other articles: let go of guilt. Feeling bad that you didn’t accomplish something or haven’t been putting in enough effort toward a goal won’t motivate you. It just keeps you down.
“You’re not gonna feel like doing what you have to do all the time. That’s the truth and it makes you human. Don’t beat yourself up for leaning into the lazy space now and then. Just don’t claim that space as your new identity. You have places to go and goals to crush.” -Mel Robbins14
Photo by Dave on Unsplash.
My non-New Year’s Resolutions
I want to continue to spend as much time with my little boy as I can. He makes me laugh and feel joy and I want to maximize this.
I plan to continue working on my health by creating individual small habits (per James Clear) centered around diet, fitness, and mindfulness.
I want to spend more time writing and I will continue my quest to find alternatives to using disposable items, plastic items, striving for zero waste, and living minimally.
I am continuing to work on building my self-confidence and I’m still learning how to say no. I’ve just downloaded Sarah Knight’s newest publication on audiobook, F*ck No!: How to Stop Saying Yes When You Can’t, You Shouldn’t, or You Just Don’t Want To. I also follow Mel Robbins on social media.
That is by no means an exhaustive list. They’re just the ones that spilled out of my heart without me thinking too hard about it. Listen to your inner voice for those – that’s where the good stuff is.
