Want to downsize but has anyone had second thoughts?

[Katewels]

Hi,

I'm looking for ways to simplify my life and came across this site. I think it would be fun to full-time and less stressful than owning a house. I own a house so I don't have payments to worry about, but it is way more space than I need.

I have a little teardrop that I love. I plan to take a 2-3 week trip with it next month to see if it is feasible for longer durations. I thought about a van but my knees bother me when climbing up and down steps whereas with the teardrop I just sit down and put my feet up like a bed.

My question is to those in smaller vehicles does it ever get you down living out of a car or teardrop? Even though I'd be doing it by choice I wonder if sometimes I would begin to think what has my life come to.

Right now my plan is to start getting rid of unnecessary stuff from my house and spend more time in my teardrop. Maybe even sleep in the backyard occasionally in it because it costs much less to cool that than my whole house. Then if my job goes away (which it might next year) I will be prepared. By then I should know better what I need to be comfortable.

I would appreciate any feedback you can give me. Thanks.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Hi,
I find myself in a similar situation. I own my own house and have no mortgage so it's not all that expensive living in it. But i've never liked and or needed big spaces and only use the 1st floor of my house anyways. Not even a big house by American standards, it's about 1150 sq ft and I use half of it at best. I've done tons of traveling in my van and like it a lot. Before becoming disabled I'd take 2-4 week trips several times a year. I often think of selling the house and giving the full timing a try. I know I like traveling, i know i like camping and every time i come home I can't wait to head back out again, so why not?
I think you've come up with a good game plan to test the waters out by taking some shorter trips and staying in it in the back yard to test it out. Do everything in the back yard that you'd be doing on the road to get a true sense of what it will feel like......cooking, bathing, etc etc.

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Kate! I think your plans are excellent. A trip of two or three weeks will give you a good idea of what it's like to live in a small space without all of the conveniences that you have in your house. Downsizing now will prepare you for whatever you decide to do in the future whether it's fulltime RV dwelling, moving to a smaller house or staying where you are and living simply. Don't be afraid to try things out and change if you find something is not right for you. It's hard to get everything right the first time.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[akrvbob]

 does it ever get you down living out of a car or teardrop?  It NEVER gets me down living in a van!! I love it and never plan to live any other way!


Even though I'd be doing it by choice I wonder if sometimes I would begin to think what has my life come to. I was forced into living in a van by a divorce, and I thought that constantly the first week or months of being in it. But then the answer to that question finally dawned on me, "I've come to heaven on EARTH!! I love living this way!!"

Bob

 

[MrNoodly]

I sold the house, sold, gave away or tossed everything else. Kept what would fin in the van. Three years later I'm still getting rid of things. Once or twice a year I have that oh-crap-I-live-in-a-van-down-by-the-river feeling, (usually during the winter) but I snap out of when I remember this is exactly the life I want to live. I put in my 45 years working for the system, now I give it all two big middle fingers.

 

[mockturtle]

I think you are wise to do it gradually but you will probably find that, the more you live small, the less you need.  It's certainly been true for me.

 

[Almost There]

Hi,

My question is to those in smaller vehicles does it ever get you down living out of a car or teardrop? Even though I'd be doing it by choice I wonder if sometimes I would begin to think what has my life come to.

I would appreciate any feedback you can give me. Thanks.

I downsized from a small apartment in to the van and I can't ever see myself going back. I designed the interior of my van for full time living and it's working great.

Some of my relatives have that 'is that what your life has come to' attitude but then they have to have a large house for 2 people, 2 car payments and think that taking a 2 week vacation once a year is heaven on earth....NOT!!

I feel sorry for those who think that having a lot of possessions will make them happier than if they didn't have them. Possessions do not make one happy - being free to do what you want, when you want to does do that for me! And if you've got a lot of possessions then you have to have the place to put them - which means having a place big enough to house your stuff!

I have just what I need, nothing more - enough food to feed myself well, enough clothes to suit all weather and occasions - you get the drift.

I'm also the envy of a lot of people when I pack up and spend my winter in someplace warm and sunny... I also just unplugged and went travelling for a couple of weeks because it's black fly season where I normally sit my butt during the six months I have to be in Canada! Talk about jealous friends....

 

[DebC]

Hi,

I'm looking for ways to simplify my life and came across this site. I think it would be fun to full-time and less stressful than owning a house. I own a house so I don't have payments to worry about, but it is way more space than I need.

I have a little teardrop that I love. I plan to take a 2-3 week trip with it next month to see if it is feasible for longer durations. I thought about a van but my knees bother me when climbing up and down steps whereas with the teardrop I just sit down and put my feet up like a bed.

My question is to those in smaller vehicles does it ever get you down living out of a car or teardrop? Even though I'd be doing it by choice I wonder if sometimes I would begin to think what has my life come to.

Hi-
I have the same thoughts as well...and I haven't even purchased a van or RV yet. Right now I am working two jobs and saving money so that if I do this I will be debt free.  But there is a nagging part of me that wonders about not having a 'home base' to return to.  (I don't own a home and currently pay ALOT of money to rent an apartment in LA.) And also doing it solo has given me a little anxiety even though I know many people on this site do it just fine and are very happy.

I am attending the RTR in June and will be living out of my car and a tent.  All of this will be a 'first time' event for me and should be interesting!

I figure this little outing will either fan the flame, let me know I am an RVer and not a van dweller candidate or the lifestyle simply isn't for me.

I won't know unless I try.

 

[cherterr]

Hi TheKatewels!

Three years ago I hired a living estate sale lady, took what I wanted, rented my house, and moved to a lot near a lake to my 5th wheel. I have since gotten a better (TREED) lot on a pond (in same hood) and planning on either moving the 5th wheel there, or finishing out my 'granny cabin'.

I spent a couple of years attempting to get debt free - almost made it, then got the cabin.. grrr.

Now, I AM stationary in my RV, so I still have my dogs, and cats, and WAYYY too much crap. (amazing how quickly it happens.) HOWEVER, it's mostly stuff I require for here, and just chillin'.

I have recently gotten serious about, at least, prepping my minivan for camping/traveling. I, too, will try before I buy! Once I'm out there, I'm thinking I'll learn pretty quickly if I can deal with it full time or not. My present thinking is I WILL still have a homebase, and be GONE for 6 mos. of the year. (Texas heat..ugh).

I think you are taking the careful and thoughtful method. Sometimes I feel like I'm just poking around, putting off, and evevitably will just keep doing what I'm doing. There's always a chance that life will throw some lemons and get me OUT real fast. What's that saying about hesitation?
ANYWAY.. hope this helps.. not sure how.. but at least you know there are others out here like you!

Look forward to seeing you around on here. LOTS to read/learn!

 

[Katewels]

You guys are all very kind.

Every Road: EXACTLY! My house is all on the same level and I wish I could cut half of it off. I still have to sweep up the dog hair and sand daily(I have 2 dogs just under 50 lbs.each) in the entire house. As I'm sweeping I ask myself do I really want to devote my life to this floor? Everywhere I look I see work that needs to be done like painting, etc.

My original plan was to have a tiny house built (I know of a great tiny house builder here in Florida), rent my house out and live in an rv park since there is no land around here where tiny houses are legal. That was until I went around looking at the rv parks where I live. I decided it didn't make sense to rent my property and then pay someone else to live on what basically amounts to a parking lot. My backyard is a whole lot nicer than their parks.

I love my job, it is very fulfilling but I work for a nonprofit so it doesn't pay a lot. Ideally I would like to get to a place where I could do it part-time and try writing some children's books on the side. My 2 biggest expenses right now are food and electricity. By spending most of my time in the backyard I could really cut my electric bill down and if I'm working part-time I would maybe have the time to grow a garden and put in some fruit trees. I could always take off in my teardrop whenever I needed a change in scenery.

I have ordered a privacy screen for my fence.

This is a gray area of the law where it is only illegal to camp on your property if someone complains.

 

[SoulRaven]

My question is to those in smaller vehicles does it ever get you down living out of a car or teardrop? Even though I'd be doing it by choice I wonder if sometimes I would begin to think what has my life come to.

Right now my plan is to start getting rid of unnecessary stuff from my house and spend more time in my teardrop. Maybe even sleep in the backyard occasionally in it because it costs much less to cool that than my whole house. Then if my job goes away (which it might next year) I will be prepared. By then I should know better what I need to be comfortable.

I would appreciate any feedback you can give me. Thanks.

I think your plan sounds solid. It's ideal to experiment to get an idea of what you're comfortable with prior to actually downsizing.

My answer to your question is...yes, for me personally it does get me down living in a minivan.

I have yet to regret any well thought out decision to downsize any particular thing. The problem I kept running in to is that when suddenly forced to downsize down to just "survival" level, a person ends up in a very different place than if they had whittled down things only as they felt confident they'd be happy without. I read about others being "comfortable" on what, for me, was barely survivable, and I thought "If they can do it, I can too!"

That was my mistake. Don't do that.

I'm impressed with what others can do, but I'm also learning to go: "Okay, that's awesome, and that wouldn't work for me because I have X and Y unique needs, and if I don't have the option for Z I start to lose it. But go them!!"

My advice would be lots of field experimentation and downsizing of "stuff" before downsizing the house. Getting rid of the right things in your life but keeping what's important to you personally is a learned skill, one that many folks in first world countries never bother obtaining. Getting familiar with needs, important wants, and how it feels when there's something you kinda want but your actual life would be better off without it--all these are lines that only you can draw. Thoughtful practice and experimentation generally leads to positive results.

Good luck!

 

[Katewels]

I meant to add something but I don't see a way to edit a post

If my job goes away completely then I would be ready to full-time. I would prefer to live smaller than to have to get a job I really don't like.

 

[cherterr]

Oh, man.. as Usual, I started blabbing and forgot the important part:

YES! I think all the time about how I would feel if I finally got down to just the minivan + minimal supplies. EeeeeK!
That's why I agree practice is good!
My appreciation to all those who came before me/us that HAD to do it, and not only survived, but THRIVED.
Thank you for all your inspiration.

EDITING: someone mentioned... it's only there for about 10 or 15 min. after you post.

 

[MrNoodly]

There are people who have pared their possessions down to only what fits in one carry-on bag. Here's one such person: http://markmanson.net/minimalism

If you want to practice vehicle-sized minimalism, put what you think you'll need in the vehicle and put everything else in storage. Then live that way for a week, several weeks. Then take anything from the vehicle you never used and put that in storage too. Repeat this process as often as necessary until you're pretty certain you're down to only what you need—and are still happy, not deprived. Then get rid of all that stuff in storage.

 

[rvpopeye]

Katewels
It is totally acceptable to make a second (or third, fourth) post if you miss the edit window !

It IS your thread post as often as you like..........

 

[GotSmart]

25 years ago, I had a 7 br victorian with a barn workshop.  5 people

4 years ago I had a 3 br with a 2 car garage.  5 people.

2 years ago I was on the road with my cat. 

Now we are in a 2 br townhome, with a storage unit.  4 people.

As soon as I can get the medical clearance, I will be on the road, with the storage unit empty.  

If you have doubts, by all means store things in a secure place.  Things sometimes don't work out.

 

[akrvbob]

... I read about others being "comfortable" on what, for me, was barely survivable, and I thought "If they can do it, I can too!"

That was my mistake. Don't do that.


My advice would be lots of field experimentation and downsizing of "stuff" before downsizing the house. Getting rid of the right things in your life but keeping what's important to you personally is a learned skill, one that many folks in first world countries never bother obtaining. Getting familiar with needs, important wants, and how it feels when there's something you kinda want but your actual life would be better off without it--all these are lines that only you can draw. Thoughtful practice and experimentation generally leads to positive results.

Good luck!

This is outstanding advice!
Bob

 

[flying kurbmaster]

plant your fruit trees on the side of your property that does not shade the rest once grown, not too close to the neighbours so your fruit falls on your property and easier to prune. As many trees as you can, as many varieties as possible, leave room for a large garden, plant them as soon as possible, they take a while to fruit, this weekend is good, you can rent your house and have an income, if you have a garage fill it with your stuff or a room in the basement that you can lock and rent the house, minus one or the other. There are a million ways to do it and which ever you choose or not choose, you will at some point doubt yourself and your sanity, that is a given. good luck, go crazy!! Welcome to the forum.

 

[KayakGirl]

Hi Kate! I am kind of in a similar situation. I own my home, and have been in the process of downsizing for well over a year now. It's a huge undertaking and very stressful physically and emotionally. I keep going back and forth with "should I sell? Should I rent it? Should I just travel from a home base? My intentions were/are to sell and live in my van, traveling the country. This is so appealing to me, but doubts creep in. Reality is, the older I get the harder it is to do upkeep on my small home and property and the thought of letting it all fall down around my head just makes me sad. Then there are repairs. I have just completed a roof repair on my sun room and currently working on the inside because there was damage there, too. It's a very long story, but I am doing this myself because of astronomical costs for hiring someone to do the repairs. I stop and think ---- what happens when the whole house needs roofing. The sun room was easy as the roof is flat. Not so the rest of the house. What happens if a tree blows down and smashes my garage. I had to let my insurance go so there is no help there. Reality is, I won't be able to afford a major repair. Bottom line with all of this rambling is I go back and forth with my thoughts on going full-time or staying put and doing temporary excursions. I think it's normal and good that one has a few doubts because then you aren't making some rash decision and live to regret it. The downsizing continues, and will continue as time allows, regardless. You may decide to go for it, but still have doubts down the road a bit. But I say go for it. Think it through as best you can and base your decision on what will ultimately be the best for you personally. Just don't hold back because of fear or doubts that may not even be there. Don't live a life of regret.

 

[Katewels]

Hi Kate!  I am kind of in a similar situation. I own my home, and have been in the process of downsizing for well over a year now. It's a huge undertaking and very stressful physically and emotionally. I keep going back and forth with "should I sell? Should I rent it? Should I just travel from a home base? My intentions were/are to sell and live in my van, traveling the country.  This is so appealing to me, but doubts creep in.  Reality is, the older I get the harder it is to do upkeep on my small home and property and the thought of letting it all fall down around my head just makes me sad. Then there are repairs. I have just completed a roof repair on my sun room and currently working on the inside because there was damage there, too. It's a very long story, but I am doing this myself because of astronomical costs for hiring someone to do the repairs. I stop and think ---- what happens when the whole house needs roofing. The sun room was easy as the roof is flat. Not so the rest of the house. What happens if a tree blows down and smashes my garage. I had to let my insurance go so there is no help there. Reality is, I won't be able to afford a major repair.  Bottom line with all of this rambling is I go back and forth with my thoughts on going full-time or staying put and doing temporary excursions. I think it's normal and good that one has a few doubts because then you aren't making some rash decision and live to regret it.  The downsizing continues, and will continue as time allows, regardless.  You may decide to go for it, but still have doubts down the road a bit. But I say go for it. Think it through as best you can and base your decision on what will ultimately be the best for you personally.  Just don't hold back because of fear or doubts that may not even be there.  Don't live a life of regret.

Thanks KayakGirl. Good to know I'm not the only one. I don't have insurance either because my house has been labeled a "sinkhole home" and I can't get insurance (long story, it's a Florida thing). I don't worry about it getting blown away in a hurricane because then I would just begin my nomad life, but I suppose if a tree damages just part of it then it would be a bit of a problem. My roof probably only has a couple years left in it.

My issue is that I am still working in a job I find rewarding and there is no BLM land here (don't think the stealth life would be for me). The other issue is that it is so time consuming to downsize short of just throwing everything away and I don't have a lot of free time with working full-time.

I'm hoping to leave on Wednesday for my trip if my medical test goes well on Monday. That should help to clarify for me whether I should try to live small where I am, go for a piece of land and tiny house, or work towards a life traveling with my teardrop. I think all three have advantages I just have to sort out what would be best for me.

Like you, my mind keeps going in circles. Are you retired? I'm about 9 years away so I would still need an income. I wonder too if 20-30 years from now I will need a home base which leads me back to the tiny house thing as a home base. Okay, I'm going in circles again. Hope I don't have a case of "analysis paralysis ". Lol