Rhonda Hetzel is well-known in Australia. Her books about living simply have struck a chord with many people. Her blog is a wonderful source of information and inspiration.
I want to share this recent post of hers as it’s a great example of Rhonda’s common sense. Enjoy!
I have a dear friend who lives in a very large house with her husband. They have four bedrooms, three baths, a living room and a family room, a kitchen, eating area and dining room, a basement…..and a screened gazebo in the backyard for outdoor living. It’s a lovely place, and it’s filled with all sorts of unique and interesting items, some from their extensive international travels.
Over the past year, they both suffered serious health problems. Fortunately they’re recovering. But they decided against any international vacations this year, and instead just spent a week in a lake cottage in the next state.
I can’t get over how much they loved that one-bedroom cottage. They raved about its great room, its screened porch and its proximity to the beach. They loved the outdoor shower that let them rinse off the sand after a day in the waves. My friend says they ate simple meals each day for breakfast and lunch, went out to dinner each evening, and went for a few scenic drives. Otherwise, they just relaxed.
Now they’re back home. I haven’t talked to my friend since the day after their return, but I just have this feeling that a week of the simple life made their large and very full house seem a bit overwhelming to them when they got back.
The fact is that you can live in a place for years without realizing that it’s far more house than you need. At least not until you get a taste of the simple life, and then you may find that a simpler life is usually a better one.
I’ll be interested to see if my friend brings this up sometime soon.
Starting off your retirement by buying an RV and traveling the country is an old concept; I think that’s where I first began seeing those “We’re Spending Our Kids’ Inheritance” bumper stickers, many years ago. But today, more people (and not just retired people) are actually living in RVs.
While some are forced to do so because of financial problems, an increasing number of people are choosing to live in RVs in order to escape the rat race, the cubicle farm lifestyle, the burden of working to pay for a huge mortgage and/or property tax payment, or for some other reason related to freedom. This article explains this current trend.
Of course, all the principles involved in downsizing to a smaller home apply even more so to moving into an RV. With minimal storage and living space, you’ll have to whittle down your possessions to the bare minimum.
I love living in a small house, though at some point down the road, I might be ready for a small condo. But I don’t think I could live in an RV full-time. There are too many things I like to do that require some space in my house, and I also love having a garden to work in.
But for many people, this is the alternative to spending years of your life commuting to a job you hate in order to pay for housing, clothes, furniture and cars to impress your family and friends, some of whom you may not even like. In fact, while it may be an overreaction to a lifestyle they’re rejecting, it could prove to be the smartest decision they ever made.
In either case, they’re going to learn to pare down their belongings, and that’s a very good skill to have. Not everyone is willing to do it, but it is worth the effort, whether you’re moving to an RV, or just finding a way to make your home feel much bigger.
This woman, who is a millionaire, says she can fit all her possessions in one box. She doesn’t even own a house or car. I guess I’m having a little trouble believing her because those kinds of large-ticket items can often be welcome tax deductions for those who make a lot of money.
But if she’s telling the truth, I have to admit I admire her. I have far fewer possessions than I had ten years ago, before we downsized our lives. But I still have more than enough and have to be very good about weeding things out from time to time. I can see where she might enjoy not having to do that. The decision-making is tiring, for sure.