Doesn’t the word “downsizing” often have a negative connotation? As if downsizing is a bad thing. I think many people see that as sacrifice and see it in a bad light. To me, downsizing is what we all should be thinking about. Downsizing is just living with less, which I am all for.
Less worries, less stress, less stuff, less headaches, less money and less clutter. Hallelujah! That all sounds great to me.
My husband and I are in the process of downsizing and I am excited about where we are going. It makes me happy to think that we will have less stuff to get in the way of living life. Less to worry about and take care of and more time to focus on what really matters. When we have less stuff to get in the way, we have more time to spend with our family, playing with our kids and getting involved in our community. If we have to spend Saturdays taking care of all of our stuff, then we are missing out.
I love this recent post from Becoming Minimalist titled ” 12 Reasons Why You’ll Be Happier in a Smaller House“. Joshua brings up some great points. He also points out why so many people think they need bigger and bigger houses, but that brings more and more pressure and stress.
Here are a few reasons why I love the thought of Downsizing:
1. Less surface area to clean.
2. Less bills to pay on stuff we don’t need.
3. Living closer together and enjoying my family more.
4. Less time each day taking care of a house and a big yard.
5. More time to get outside and get more involved in our community.
6. Less stress and worry.
7. More time for what really matters.
8. No more feeling weighted down by stuff.
9. Much more peace in my life.
10. Setting a good example for our kids.
What do you think of downsizing?
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4 Responses to Downsizing
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My husband and are in the process of downsizing. We currently live in 812 square feet that we share with a cat, a dog and two teenagers (on weekends).
We recently went through our books and are keeping 1/3 and selling the rest on Amazon (two sold already). We are puttin all extra available money on our credit cards to get them paid off – for good!
Eventually we will move from our condo and would like a small house on a lake. The swuare footage can be the same but we want a more open floor plan for the main living areas.
To borrow a term – it’s progress not perfection.
Karen – Thanks so much for the comment. It’s amazing how simply we can live isn’t it? So many people think they need more space, but I think they probably just need less stuff. Good for you and keep up the good work!
We recently moved states for my husband to take the job of his dream. Since the new area has nearly double the housing costs, we sold a 2100 sf house to move into a 1100 sf house with 2 kids and 2 pets. While I love my house (not yet sold, unfortunately), I loved it best near the end of our time there, when we had gotten rid of all the excess that wouldn’t fit in the new place.
Our kids didn’t even notice when 3/4 of their toys disappeared into boxes for the last 2 months, so we never unpacked most of them after we moved. There is certainly less space to clean, and if we could get a babysitter for long enough to get things organized, I think I could really enjoy the downsizing. As it is, I still have too much to go through to make the place feel tidy.
Wendy – Thank you for the comment! You are so right about kids not noticing what is gone. I have found that to be so true at our house. I do let my kids decide what goes and what stays, but I really encourage them to get rid of more and more and they never regret it or miss anything. Just keep up the good work. It takes time to go through stuff and get rid of the excess, but as you know it’s such a great feeling!