We are one adult and two children living in an 1100 square foot home. It's not big by today's standards but it's not tiny either. Because I got to make some changes to the layout of our home when we rebuilt after the fire, our home is now perfect for us. The space is much more user-friendly than before and there is really no wasted space in our home. We could get by with less space quite easily but it doesn't make financial sense for us to sell this house and find a smaller one. It also doesn't make emotional sense for the girls, who have already been through so much and need stability right now.
We currently don't need to do a lot of downsizing in stuff either. One thing with a fire like ours is that you lose everything. We saved a few very special outfits for each girl, outfits bought in other countries with special people. Outfits that can't be replaced here. The little girl has one stuffed animal and one blanket from before the fire. The big girl has a wax hand made the weekend before the fire. I saved a desk my grandfather built when my mother was little and my childhood teddy bear.
As we replaced stuff, I tried to be very conscious about what we were getting. I got kitchen stuff that we'll actually use. I've bought some clothes for me but the only clothes I've bought for the girls are school uniforms and a couple of fun things. We have the necessary furniture, although I haven't looked for real dining chairs yet and we're still using my parents' folding chairs.
The biggest issue with stuff is the little girl. She attaches tremendous value to every. single. object! She rarely agrees to throw anything away because it's all too special. While I haven't bought her many toys, she's been given several stuffed animals. She saves school papers and kids' menus and everything else. It is a constant battle to keep her stuff under control.
The big girl has seen the light as far as having enough but not too much. She struggles to keep organized and realizes how important not having unnecessary items are in her quest to keep a neat room.
I don't want to buy stuff for me unless I have to. I'd rather not spend the money or have to figure out what to do with that item.
So, ultimately, for our family, I don't see minimalism as moving into a tiny house or scaling down possessions to fit in the back of my car. For us, it means having only what we need...no more and no less. Now if we can just get the little girl to see how much less she could live with.
We currently don't need to do a lot of downsizing in stuff either. One thing with a fire like ours is that you lose everything. We saved a few very special outfits for each girl, outfits bought in other countries with special people. Outfits that can't be replaced here. The little girl has one stuffed animal and one blanket from before the fire. The big girl has a wax hand made the weekend before the fire. I saved a desk my grandfather built when my mother was little and my childhood teddy bear.
As we replaced stuff, I tried to be very conscious about what we were getting. I got kitchen stuff that we'll actually use. I've bought some clothes for me but the only clothes I've bought for the girls are school uniforms and a couple of fun things. We have the necessary furniture, although I haven't looked for real dining chairs yet and we're still using my parents' folding chairs.
The biggest issue with stuff is the little girl. She attaches tremendous value to every. single. object! She rarely agrees to throw anything away because it's all too special. While I haven't bought her many toys, she's been given several stuffed animals. She saves school papers and kids' menus and everything else. It is a constant battle to keep her stuff under control.
The big girl has seen the light as far as having enough but not too much. She struggles to keep organized and realizes how important not having unnecessary items are in her quest to keep a neat room.
I don't want to buy stuff for me unless I have to. I'd rather not spend the money or have to figure out what to do with that item.
So, ultimately, for our family, I don't see minimalism as moving into a tiny house or scaling down possessions to fit in the back of my car. For us, it means having only what we need...no more and no less. Now if we can just get the little girl to see how much less she could live with.
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