Looking at my utility bills from when i was in a regular sized house, and comparing them to this last summer and winter in my tiny, but well insulated, house i am amazed at the difference! I have actually saved thousands of dollars in electricity alone for heating and cooling.

I'm so ready to downsize. We have our motor home, but also live in a 1700 square foot house that we would like to sell. It's too much space, and costs too much and we just don't need it. The only issue is, the money we would lose selling it in this market.

Dear Jilly,

Never wrote to you before.I am a Buddhist,living right now in an 3 1/2 apts, that I find too big and unnecessary.I lived in a plywood shack for 22 years.In winter weather goes down to -35-40
Water froze 7 winters out of the 22 years I was there.
A few months ago I received a letter from our Hydro co,saying that I had cut my bills by 36 %.

A house is the space you live in .not the walls around oneself.
Bravo for Volontary simplicity.

With respect
_/\_
a simple buddhist named
loong

Erin, true, this isn't time to sell. And it's hard to know if the economy will ever improve. A lot of folks are selling their homes for loss. Are your long term plans to keep the home and wait out the economy?

Do you feel like you could be happy living in your RV?

Loong, i would love to hear your plywood shack stories. Did you build that yourself? WHo was living in it with you? Was this a peaceful place to be?

My neighbor's house went for sale at incredible foreclosure prices and i was tempted to see if i could figure out a way to get it.

Then I thought about how wonderfully inexpensive my place is to run, compared to everyone i know, and thought the better of it. I love my little home!

To Jill,

Great moments in that shack it was not even plywood but aspenite.
It was about 20X20.No foundations ,standing on concrete blocks
a small wooden box had been built for the water pump but not isolated enough,thus the 7 times the water froze.

I had just lost my big job,my house so I found this shack for sale,phoned up the owner from the city they used to use this shack when they came for hunting partridges and wild rabbits.

I had known about that abandonned shack.Went there opened a window,there was electricity ,a small shower.All I needed to live.It was 300 feet from the road in the bush.
Made him a stupid offer for the house and instead he said .no i'll rent it to you for $150. a month. After 22 years my rent was just $ 250, he did not want to increase it more,because he said ,it would change his bracket income.Where I live there is alot of snow,so I would shovel the 300 foot driveway on my way back from work.

That period helped me rebuild from substance abuse.I love frugal living.After 22 years I had started a furniture design and building business,so took part of the 2nd floor shop and built myself a nice little appartment,kind again with plywood floors. For shower I had to cross the whole shop .built myself a meditation room and at the time ,I lived with a woman ,and built her her little room also.
So that's the whole story.I am living now in a 3 1/2 apt,that I find too big .Might be novind in a loft ,right in the center of the village fully insulated for noise,fridge and stove furnished plus in the basement washer dryers. I could live with just my bicycle.I wish that happens.

With friendship
loong

I would definitely live in a tiny home. If I could be comfortable enough with utilities and modern conveniences, yet not have a huge financial burden, then I'd be happy. I already live in a small in-law apartment so a tiny house would be great.

From what my US friends and acquaintances say I think most people in he UK live in a "Tiny Home"!

Ian, that is probably true. I find myself looking to how people in Europe and Asia live for managing my tiny home, rather than what my compatriots do in their overbig homes.

When I was little i dreamed of a big house. As an adult i now see the big house as a burden. An albatross.

Have a small house and a big garden instead!