Minimalist Living in The Tiniest Space

This is a wonderful example of someone making do with what little space she's got... and then turning around to toss out everything not useful, living in minimalist style.

It's amazing to watch this and then look around at all my STUFF - stuff I don't need or use - and try to figure out how (other than using some of it for my container gardening) I'm going to get myself down to just basics - no more clutter. If I can get down to only owning those items that I need and that are useful and in use, then I will have a lot more time for LIVING! For gardening and learning survival skills, doing research, studying and also - for friends and family (those who haven't run away from me yet, screaming - because of the lifestyle choices I am making these days).

Have a look:



I was actually looking at "Tiny Houses" and learning about the Tiny House Movement (because I believe it can benefit the environment as well as society) and ended up also viewing the above video. In the next video, the idea of the Tiny House Movement is shown.

This is interesting stuff! I think social constructions and social conditioning has taught us to seek out bigger and bigger homes and spaces but, as explained in the video, these bigger places are killing us in the pocketbooks while failing to offer us "more" security or happiness. In North America there are numerous large homes with the loftiest of mortgage and rental payments - but people aren't often having increased quality of life experiences for all the space they're paying for. Only in the largest of cities could we say that population versus space is a problem in American and Canadian urban areas. In fact, just the opposite of overpopulation and lack of space is a problem in many areas - "urban sprawl" causes a number of social problems, transportation/work commute issues, even pollution and environmental problems.

Still, it seems - the bulk of the population is frantically trying to work toward bigger, more spacious (often Suburban - into the sprawling areas) living situations, knowing FULL WELL that job markets are changing all the time, cost of living and inflation is going up, wages aren't following suit. Eventually when many of us get into roomier dwellings, then what? We generally fill up more space with more stuff... things we store and aren't using.

With the homeless counts also showing disturbing, rising trends in many regions, we then have some people in huge spaces with stuff filling their spaces while not being utilized - while other people are in great need of material resources (clothing, books, housewares, the stuff that is being stored in big houses and spaces). None of this makes a lot of sense, does it? Social constructions... we've constructed societies and sub-cultures in society, complete with intact belief systems that keep moving toward more space, higher cost, storing and hoarding items... while so many in our midst are without the bare essentials.

Seriously - I don't think anything in our economy, any band-aid or even workable, long term economic recovery strategies could do as much as for us to just CHANGE OUR WAY OF THINKING about things... changing to something LOGICAL that makes SENSE! It makes more sense for people to live and use what they've got, stop collecting things they don't need - share what they don't need with people who require those spare items. It makes sense for people to use space wisely, clear out the clutter so they have more time for friends, family, and leisure - rather than putting in more hours in the workplace so they can own LARGER homes.

Of course, TINY HOUSES aren't for everyone - but huge mansions shouldn't be held as the best goals to strive for, in my opinion. How can some people possibly enjoy all the space, the stuff, etc., when they're paying such a high monetary cost these days for housing?

Here's something I do all the time (maybe you do this too) if I don't plan carefully when I am going to stay overnight somewhere else: I pack a huge duffel bag full of things I might need... then I end up needing about 5 of 30 items inside the duffel bag when I'm actually away from home. I've been looking at the survival and minimalist living videos, the tiny container gardens and tiny houses for about a year or so. Something is sinking in because I can't look around my place anymore - or go out overnight then return to my home - without exclaiming, "I don't NEED all this STUFF!"

I am finding this Tiny House movement as fascinating (and necessary) as the survivalist movement and I come to both concepts to learn how to live better. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow or in the near future but I think that if we don't plan better for next week - if we don't use space better and think critically more often about our lifestyles - then when the SHTF we could all be in a panic, unable to know which material items are really useful to us when we need to survive and make living better.

Here... check out this Tiny House!



How much space do you think you really need? I mean - how minimalist could you go?

moi~