This will be a more-quickly-written-than-usual post. I’m immersed in personal finance spreadsheets and graphs which are serving as a wake-up call to my simpler living plan. After I wrote the $language post a couple weeks ago, I asked myself if I really believed I would be financially ready for the move to semi-retirement at the end of next year. More on all that soon and any necessary adjustments to the timeline. Oh, and I sold my second vehicle today—simplifying, reducing monthly expenses, and producing income.
In my simpler living semi-retirement, I want to live in a tiny house. An uncluttered, warm, “just right,” custom-built tiny house. All of 200 square feet.
I currently live in a 1300 square foot condo and primarily use, other than the kitchen and bathroom, just the living room and one bedroom. Three rooms are seldom used except for the litter box, the occasional visitor, storage, and the TV (in order of priority). With work and making time for What Is Important, I find it difficult to keep up with cleaning. Moving from 1300 to 200 is an extreme leap, but when I think of having all my belongings and a meditation cushion in a small space surrounded by a field, forest, and ocean … well, that sounds like utopia to me. Nature will provide additional living space.
Tiny houses are trendy right now, and for good reason economically, but they’re nothing new. Perhaps our previous generation relatives who were living in smaller homes (some might have been referred to as shacks) were doing it just as intentionally then as now.
I’ve been talking with a builder of tiny houses, but need to clarify some things for myself before I’m ready to move forward. There is an existing house on the property that I co-own—so I’m mulling over options of how that and the tiny house relate. The financial planning exercises I’m doing now may also impact what I’m willing to pay for the tiny house.
- Is the tiny house a fully functional house or more of a “retreat” extension of the big house?
- If a fully functional tiny house, do I still plan to use the shower in the big house and just have a toilet in the tiny house?
- How do the zoning laws impact the above?
- What repairs does the big house need, can we do it ourselves, and how much will it cost me?
- Even though it is more house than I want to manage on a daily basis, does it make more sense financially to fix up and live in the big house? Or rent it?
- Etc. Etc. Etc.
Right now I’m at a point where I just seem to have a lot of questions that impact the simpler living plan. Once I finish the exercises and have a clearer picture of where I stand financially for semi-retirement (and how much $ I’ll have to earn through part-time work), I’ll be in the position to answer. What’s certain: spending like a drunken sailor on leave has come to an end. To make simpler living in a tiny house a reality soon, it’s time to sober up.
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Neil says
You certainly do a lot of thinking. Glad I’m past that stage. Well, not completely, and there will be decisions that have to be made re the house in Truro this summer. You do think things through and that’s good.
I’ve been sort of drifting along. Enjoy your posts. Don’t think too small. Love, Dad.
back is the new forward says
I’m thinking not too big, not too small, but “just right.” 🙂
David says
A small house in Seattle where it is easy to spend a lot of time outside all times of the year may be very different than a place where one is inside a lot of the time. Might be better to start in the bigger house and adapt to the new environment, and then think about how much space is really desired.
back is the new forward says
Thanks, David, good advice. I know I definitely don’t want to spend a winter there in a tiny house (I would be too isolated and cabin-feverish) … well, actually, I don’t even want to spend a winter there in a bigger house! There’s still 4-5 feet of snow there now in late March!