My fascination (ok that’s an understatement) my OBSESSION, with living tiny started as a little girl. My dad built a simple playhouse in our backyard from plywood. It had one door, two windows, and was about 10 feet by 10 feet. I helped him paint it my color of choice: hot pink. I promptly determined to give the thang an address: 1234 Pink Stream Drive.
There was no stream, just pink! As a girl I’d camp out in my playhouse on long summer nights. My mind started wandering into the never-ever land of growing up.
Due to lack of screen time from growing up in the 90ies before cells phones existed, I’d daydream. I imagined as an adult one day, “Could I live in a space this small?”
Yes. I could do it! I’d think, “I could have a loft bed above what would be the living room. My kitchen would go along the back, and I’d add a bathroom.”
My nine-year-old-self would sketch out “floor plans.”
I wholeheartedly wanted to “grow up” one day and live in a small space. Flash forward a couple decades and living small is becoming an attractive lifestyle for the masses.
Still you may be thinking, “WTF, who’d really want to live in a TRAILER?!” Why live a downsized life? I can’t speak for others who’ve opted-out of “normal” living arrangements. Tons of people weigh the benefits of RV life. Here’s my reasons that living in a trailer is not only acceptable, but AWESOME!
How I Decided to Live in an RV Full-Time
1. Financial Security
Living small means financial security. I don’t want to live a life stressed about money, bills, and financial obligations. I don’t like bills. Therefore, I’ve always actively chosen to have as few bills as humanly possible.
Common sense tells you: the smaller your home, the smaller the bills. There are less rooms to furnish, heat or cool, and maintain.
I purchased my RV with cash, and it’s paid in full. YAY! The fee to park my RV is less than property taxes on a paid for home, and even less than dirt-cheap rent. It’s currently $350 a month! It’d be hard to find a one bedroom or studio apartment anywhere for $350 a month.
Related Posts:
- How to Stress Less about Money
- How I Eliminated Almost All My Monthly Bills
- Lessons Learned from Selling Everything I Own to Travel
- How I Haven’t Had a Car Payment in Years
2. Freedom from Clutter
Also, living small means you’re forced to relentlessly prioritize and choose what you want in your space. It’s decluttering your life to the max and living in a way that every single item has a purpose and a place. It isn’t about self-deprivation or suffering; it’s mindfully opting out of the rat race to have more, bigger, and better.
An added perk of living in a small space is that it’s much easier to keep clean! I love not having to vacuum room after room.
I knew it’d be a big adjustment living in a small space, so first I tested it out first for a couple of weekends. Here’s what it’s like living in a tiny house! Then I stayed in a tiny house for an entire month in Hawaii on a sabbatical. I loved it!
3. Adventure
Lastly, I’ve always had a strong desire to see the world and travel. I’ve traveled to over 20 countries, here’s how. My top trips were three weeks in Southeast Asia and an African safari. Now that my primary home is on wheels, I have complete location freedom. With an RV, you can travel as much as you want. There’s no commitment to one city or place. There are endless opportunities to hit the road and see destinations on your bucket list. A small space forces you to get outside to see and explore nature.
A side note, I initially wanted to have a tiny house versus an RV. The reason how I decided to get an RV instead was because they’re light weight and much easier to tow. It’s also harder to find locations to park a tiny house. Almost any major city has an RV park and is fair game to visit. Here’s part one and part two to my painstakingly slow journey to buying a car with cash to tow my RV.
In a nutshell, I decided to live in an RV full-time because it’s one big adventure that provides financial security and freedom from clutter.
