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It’s Okay To Experiment With Downsizing

May 9, 2012 By 27 Comments

a window in my kitchen for the first time in a few years

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I mentioned yesterday that we moved.

I would love to tell you it was to a micro-house. Six hundred square feet efficiently equipped for a family of three to work, live and play.

But it wasn’t. Not sure there is any such thing here on the Isle of Man.

What did we move into?

A renovated three bedroom flat in a very old building. I would guess it is somewhere between 1100 and 1200 sq ft. The building is 100+ years old. We’re on the top floor.

Why did we move?

We knew our first flat here wasn’t our forever Isle of Man home when we moved in. It was a case of choosing something fast out of limited stock. The plan was to move at the end of this summer but after keeping tabs on the rental market we knew it would challenging to find what we wanted for a specific date. This flat became available and we snapped it up.

Our last flat had some challenges for a family of three. The biggest was that the kitchen was enclosed and windowless. Not only was it a dreary place to cook but I was constantly battling safety issues. I either had to lock Henry out of the kitchen (only possible when husband was home) or let him in to play while I cooked. A small enclosed kitchen is not a safe place for a two year old to play.

Also, living without a freezer was no longer a fun challenge. Every other week we had at least one item of food waste (even with meal planning) that could have been avoided if we had a freezer.

The other challenge with our previous flat is that there wasn’t a desk, or space for a desk. My husband’s desktop computer took up half of our dining table. We considered buying him a small desk but there wasn’t an easy place to put one. The furniture in the small flat was house sized leaving very little floor space.

It’s okay to experiment with downsizing.

I don’t see this move to a bigger home as a failure of downsizing.

Rather, this was a chance to learn about what we’re comfortable living with and without.

We also know more about the housing and rental market after living here for almost a year. We know what area we want to live in and the types of housing available in that area. If there had been a suitable flat that was 800-900 sq ft we would have taken it but there wasn’t.

Our new home is a great fit for us: furnished, great location and those sea views that we love so much. We are also confident the owner won’t be selling the flat anytime soon. That was a constant threat in our last home.

Downsizing experiments = cash in hand.

Living in a small home for 11 months and negotiating a rent reduction saved us money. Our rent was below what we budgeted for and so were our utilities. We saved more money in the last year than we ever have before. A big part of that is being out of debt but another part of it was living smaller.

I think as a family we’re now open to the idea of radically downsizing for a short period of time to meet a goal. When we someday leave the Isle of Man I could see us living in something very small while we start new jobs or careers.

Has anyone tested the waters with downsizing only to turn back? The other things we have tried, and are still doing well with, are no car and no smart phones.

Filed Under: Getting Started, Kitchen, moving overseas, Storage

Your Clutter Coach

May 7, 2012 By 7 Comments

 

Sometimes you need more help than a book or a blog can give you.

Sometimes you need a friend to remind you to donate those bags of unworn clothing that are sitting in your basement.

Sometimes you need someone to make a plan for you, motivate you and keep you accountable.

Sometimes you need a Clutter Coach.

I get a lot of emails asking for help. I always respond (even it takes me a while) with advice, suggestion and encouragement.

And I always wonder, did they carve out a weekend to clean out that attic? Are they in the throes of home purging and feeling beaten by the process? Did they pull out some boxes from under their bed, lose a few hours looking through old junk, and then decide it was all too much work?

For some time I’ve wanted to help beyond the posts on this blog. Something very personal for paring down and living smaller.

A book wasn’t the answer. There are already some great books out there like Family-Sized Minimalism and Clutter Bootcamp for inspiration and how-to. A book can’t hold your hand, give you a kick in the butt or suggest another method for dealing with all that mail.

I want to do those things.

I want to see closets go from jam packed to roomy.

I want to help people get more sleep.

I want to find solutions for the mud room clutter that can be so hard to reign in.

So I’ve started something new.

Your Clutter Coach

This is for people that:

  • can’t make the time to declutter even after reading a lot of books and blogs on the subject
  • get sidetracked by old photos and trinkets every time they attempt to clean out the guest room
  • have pared down their stuff but it crept back quickly
  • need motivation and accountability to clear clutter for good

Your Clutter Coach is a personalized decluttering program. It’s tailored to your lifestyle, your needs and your schedule. It’s me kicking your butt and you kicking ass.

You can read more about the services here.

If you’re interested in the program I am currently giving away one free Four Week Clutter Coaching Program at Parenting with Crappy Pictures (if you haven’t visited this site before it is hilarious). The giveaway is open until Tuesday May 8th at 8pm PST. Head on over to read the details and enter.

PS. This will be the only time I mention Your Clutter Coach in a big post like this.

Filed Under: 2011 Challenge, Bathroom, books DVDs and media, car free, Clothing, DVDs, etc, Finances, Furniture, Getting Started, Gifts, giving, Guest Posts, Health, inspiration, Internet, Kids, Kitchen, Media: books, minimalist with kids, Minimize Yo Butt, moving overseas, Off Topic, One Simple Thing, paying it forward: wedding edition, Project 333, shopping mistakes, Storage, Technology, Travel, Uncategorized

Losing things that you’re emotionally attached to.

May 1, 2012 By 24 Comments

farewell blanket, farewell

Henry’s blanket was lost in March.

I came home from my first away weekend and while the boys had a great time together, there was a casualty. A baby blanket my good friend gave me was lost somewhere between our home and the ferry terminal. It’s been our stroller/play/travel blanket since Henry turned one.

For a few weeks I held out hope that it would be found. I went into shops along the route and asked if anyone had brought it in with no luck. I thought there was a good chance someone had found it and would contact us. Our last name is on the blanket and it’s not a common one.

But it’s gone. For good.

I was initially quite sad about losing the blanket. It’s been such a mainstay of our travels and Henry’s toddlerhood. I love that it was handmade, I love that it is from a friend and that it reminds me of her.

Yes, this aspiring minimalist feels some attachment to a thing.

Then I realized that one of the reasons I was sad is that my son is growing up. Losing the blanket was compounded with the realization that we are using the stroller less and less. No booster seat at the table. We’re even using our one and only bib less frequently.

When I thought about getting a replacement blanket I knew we probably didn’t need one. The weather is getting milder and by next fall Henry will be out of the stroller for good.

My son’s toddlerhood is slipping away. He’s growing up.

The blanket was a symbol of certain age of his life and I attach a lot of good memories to it.

So, I’m trying to relive a few of those memories lately. Looking through older photos, reminisceing with my husband and savouring the memories of Henry’s babyhood.

I still have a pang about losing the blanket but I’ve realized it’s not all about the blanket – it’s about what the blanket represented to me.

Have you lost anything that represented a certain time or right of passage in your life? How did you deal with losing it?

Filed Under: Getting Started, Kids

The George Costanza Opposite Rule

April 14, 2012 By 30 Comments

There is a Seinfeld episode where the perennial loser character George Costanza thinks that every choice he has made in his life is wrong.

Jerry tells him he should start making choices against his instincts and George decides he will start doing the opposite of what he thinks he should do. You can watch the video above for the first result from the George Costanza rule.

Of course by the end of the episode he is back to his old ways but I really think he was onto something.

Sometimes I feel like I’m going backwards or seeking out the opposite to what most of my peers are embracing. Sometimes I feel like I’m living the George Costanza Opposite Rule.

No car, deleting my Facebook account, living smaller when living bigger and better is supposed to be the dream. My recent digital sabbatical also showed me that I am attempting to turn my back on some of the supposed perks of life in 2012.

Living the opposite, or implementing the George Costanza Opposite Rule, can actually be a path to better living. Less mess, less stuff, less cleaning, less debt, less stress and more of what you want in your life: health, friendship, time and sleep.

I’m reminded of my mother’s retort when I would say that one of my friend’s had/did something I wanted to do/have. Just because everyone else is jumping off a bridge doesn’t mean you have to too.

Anyone else feel like they’re moving in a different direction than their peers or social circles?

Filed Under: Getting Started, inspiration

Why Is The Good Life So Hard?

March 1, 2012 By 29 Comments

 The good life sure takes work.

Decluttering is work.

Buying less is work.

Not watching television can be work.

Eating well, exercising, staying calm when your two year old dumps his scrambled eggs on the carpet, it’s all work.

If the good life is so good, why is it so hard to fit all the pieces together? Why are so many of us overweight, in debt and avoiding all the stuff that’s in the garage?

This has been on my mind a lot lately as I pursue my 2012 word: wellness.

I’ve been eating Paleo for about 70% of my meals since September. When I am off grains, gluten, dairy and anything processed I sleep better, I have more patience with my son and I’m on an even keel emotionally. Hiccups in the day (or night) don’t phase me. I can laugh at the scrambled eggs on the floor instead of doing a “gahhhh!” and adding it to a list of things that went wrong that day. I feel really good when I eat that way.

So why am I not sticking to it all the time?

It’s a big question. And it’s not an easy answer.

When I consider other areas of my life that are going well, particularly ones that I have made big changes in, I can see that it wasn’t one thing that lead to a big change. It was small choice over days, weeks and even years. Many of these choices flew in the face of what is conventionally seen as the good life: car ownership, a bigger home and more stuff.

The modern world has a different idea of what the good life is.

Consumption and convenience are in.

If you’ve decided you want less stuff you’re going to have to fight for it. You’ll be faced with temptation daily. Well meaning friends will innocently invite you on shopping trips. If you’re go-to on a bad day is to walk through Home Sense and see what’s on sale, you’re going to have to find a new stress reliever.

When I’m eating the foods I want to be eating, less than 5% of what’s in most supermarkets is available to me. There’s almost nothing at a convenience store for me to nibble on in a pinch. It’s not convenient to have an unconventional diet. I’m hoping that much like decluttering and getting out of debt, continually making small changes and new habits will help me eventually make the big change. And that…

Living the good life does gets easier.

Making new habits and changing your consumption patterns takes work. It’s not easy in the beginning. I’m reminding myself of that when I falter on my nutrition plans, when I have afternoon tea at Rushen Abbey (if you’re ever here go visit – lovely) and when I wonder if it will ever get easier.

We’re in a nice spot with our stuff and lifestyle, almost on automatic now, and all the work has been worth it. Hoping I get to the same place with my nutrition.

Anyone have tips for making big changes and making them stick? Or comments on the good life being hard.

Below are some good reads on the hurdles, and rewards, of less stuff.

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