Tiny House Trailer Life
Downsizing: Tiny Home Life
By Ashleigh Moss
September 30th 2024
When my husband and I decided to move into a trailer to travel full-time our goal was not to “go tiny.” We were excited to travel. Downsizing was a byproduct of moving into a trailer. We never spent time considering what life would look like in 240 square feet, instead we focused on the possibilities in front of us.
We had lived in the Pacific Northwest our entire lives and yet seen so little of it. Time seemed to speed up as our two girls were growing and my career was occupying my time. To add more pressure, the cost of living on an island in the PNW was becoming unsustainable.
If that wasn’t enough, our local school district was in shambles. Parents were pulling kids out to homeschool at an alarming rate and the district was fighting to stay relevant.
Something had to change. We had to change. As a former teacher I wanted to homeschool my children. As a nature lover I needed to spend more time outside exploring. Traveling full-time was a no brainer. But going tiny? That was a blessing in disguise.
We threw cash in the garbage
While making the transition out of our 1,000 square foot home (already small by America’s standards) we had so much crap! First, I sold what I could, which wasn’t much. We maybe earned a couple thousand back. Any item in decent condition was donated, but a lot of things were simple garbage.
I watched as thousand of dollars (thousands of hours of hard work) was tossed away and given away. It wasn’t worth my time. If I could do it all again, I would have bought less.
We spent so many Saturdays picking this stuff up off the floor, organizing it, maintaining it, it just wasn’t worth sacrificing my time in this short life anymore.
Google’s Productivity Expert
At one point in my life I wanted all of that stuff I purchased. But now, that stuff had become a burden that I was trying to manage. I didn’t have time to clean a 1,000 square foot house while pursing a career and raising kids. I didn’t have time to manage all of the art projects, closests of endless clothes, furniture, toys, a library of books, the list goes on and on.
Time was passing by fast and I wasn’t managing it well. I spent more time cleaning, organizing, and planning than doing.
This move, this downsizing event, was about to reset my priorities. But what now?
I have so much time to read now. One of the first books I picked up was “Uptime” by Laura Mae Martin. Laura is an expert at managing time and fitting everything necessary into her schedule with ease. Everyone, according to Laura, has priorities, whether you’re aware or not. What you do with your time points directly to your priorities. Getting your top three goals straight helps you manage your time. Everything you do should revolve around your priorities, or your wasting time.
So I got my priorities straight. I wanted to:
1. Enjoy time with my family; deepen our bond
2. Produce a passive income that aligns with my purpose
3. Pursue my passion of nature, writing, photography
All of the stuff we had at our house didn’t align with my goals. It was a distraction to my stressful life of balancing too many things.
240 square feet
I come from a family of over indulgence. Most family members have 2,000+ square foot houses. Some even 3,000 with no kids. Let’s just say, they were not encouraging when I announced going tiny.
So many people tried to convince us we would be miserable and regret it.
Nothing can be further from the truth. I have never felt so free, so in control, and so excited to wake up. I feel more in control of my time, and the outcome of my efforts.
I don’t waste endless dollars on material things that don’t matter. We go outside, we make friends, we play, we explore. Life is incredible.
We have enough room for what we need. Clothes, food, a few books, a few toys, and our beds.
Do it
If you’re considering going tiny, do it! Don’t overthink it. Your life will take on a new perspective. You won’t feel controlled by the hustle of our culture, and you will spend time on the things that really matter.
Before & After
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