Tiny Home Living
Whether it’s on a reality show or friends talking about their dream to join this trend, moving into a tiny home is a dream that can be a reality. Operation Tiny Home writes about the logic behind the movement across America. A tiny home may be built on wheels or set on a foundation and are typically 400 square feet or less, and can be as big as 750 square feet or as small as 80 square feet. While some may argue that a tiny house must be within specific square footage, a more meaningful and inclusive discussion asks us to consider not the physical size of the home, but rather what do we actually need to be happy and whether the house has little wasted space.
At a time when substantial personal debt and low consumer savings are the norms, living in a smaller footprint can offer the possibility of a transformational lifestyle through living more intentionally, especially for those dealing with the immense pressures of housing insecurity and at risk of homelessness. This unique conscious-living lifestyle provides many lasting benefits, both individually and for the greater community. Tiny homes are less expensive to build and maintain, provide mobility when built on a trailer, and yield a reduced environmental impact.
At an individual level, to live ‘tiny’ necessitates taking a closer inventory of our wants and needs. Having a smaller footprint to reside in means that every square foot, every purchase, every desire, has to be carefully examined. Choosing simplicity concerning housing offers more time and energy to focus on what matters – relationships, creative pursuits, travel, time in nature, or whatever is important to the individual. The smaller housing footprint offers the means to be able to live the kind of life one desires, rather than in the rat-race that modern consumer culture tells us is necessary. What is powerful about this is that the tiny house movement offers us a choice.
While we might not all decide to go small, many are re-evaluating their wants and needs and living more purposefully. This more deliberate living offers the possibility of financial freedom and facilitates overall well-being. Rather than losing something important in living a simpler lifestyle, people gain time, energy, and a total sense of freedom. The potential impact of individuals embracing the ‘tiny house’ movement provides a gateway to a more viable economic, socially conscious, and environmentally sustainable future at the level of community, region, country, and globally.
Choosing Where You Live to be Healthy and Happy
Your vacant land—what can you do with it?
