Living small to live big

Top Six Reasons to live and travel in a small space. Less Maintenance, better health, flexibility, less debt, more time, life simplification.

Choosing to live small has many benefits. The positives are obvious: less overhead, less clutter, fewer financial commitments, less stress and more time.

That's one of the first statements of the book Living the Airstream Life. The author goes on to the consequences of these benefits.

... learning more about yourself through having the perspective to consider the bigger picture rather than having to focus on the chores of daily living ... those who live this lifestyle for a long period of time find other ways to make positive contributions, figuring out what their true skills are and how to use them to be a productive member of society rather than having to focus on paying a massive mortgage and credit payments or keeping up with all the chores of modern day living.

That bit resonated with me. I recently left a job to now figure out what my next 'positive contribution' might be. A number of people told me how lucky I was. How they'd like to do that, but can't because mortgage repayments etc dictate their work.

Another consequence

The author says that "making positive contributions to the world can begin by being a conscious consumer. Since you'll need to make the most of your space you will need to choose wisely what to put in it."

Some might miss the unbridled purchasing of whatever we desire (or are told we desire) and the endless accumulation of stuff. For others, it can be freeing to let go - and can actually mean finding more value in fewer things.

Dan and Marlene live fulltime in an Airstream with their three kids. With each family member having only a small dedicated space for personal belongings, selection is key. Dan says "It's not like we can just head to a store and buy more stuff. If they really want something they really have to think about how essential it is and what they are going to have to swap out in its place. It makes them really think about and appreciate what things they do have and be more conscious about taking care of them."

Less is More

Taking a family on the road might not be for all of us, but the philosophy can be the same. Our large and numerous possessions might be what's actually holding us back from discovering ourselves and discovering a better life.

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