Comments on: Our Downsizing Story

By: Bobbi

Bobbi — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 04:27:58 +0000

Hi!
I Love reading your experience. I am at that point in my life; I’ve decluttered, moved from a 3-bedroom to a 1 bedroom, and now that my daughter is on her own, I want to live in an even smaller space. Simple living is so attractive, no tv, no car, no material things to make me depressed. I found over the years I had “stuff” to make me feel better, however it has only made me more miserable! I have a canine and feline companion, and that’s basically all I need. My desk job’s contract is coming to a close at the end of March 2012, and I am now on a quest to find my true meaning in life, at 47!
Thanks again for making my life easier and simpler.
B

By: why women should take more risks | janna marlies maron

why women should take more risks | janna marlies maron — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:35:58 +0000

[...] do: go to college, get a job where I use my degree, buy a house. The problem is that those things don’t add up to a happily ever after. Sometimes you need the discomfort that leads to the permission you need to be comfortable with who [...]

By: Gail

Gail — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 02:28:09 +0000

My husband and I retired 3 years ago. Our first retirement “project’ was to sort through all of his parents’ possessions of 50 years. That process is what opened my eyes to the weight of “things”. After spending several months each year at their house (they are both deceased; my husband was their only child), going through every item they owned and making decisions as to whether to keep it for ourselves, donate it, or sell it, I would return to our own home and feel an overwhelming urge to purge my own stuff. It’s now been 3 years since we started that project, and we still have some of their things to get rid of (antiques, mostly). Most of their possessions were of a very different style than ours. I’d never been fond of Victorian antiques, but still, in the beginning it was tempting to keep some items that really weren’t “me”. I would tell myself that although I never would have bought this item, perhaps I should take it and find a way to use it since it’s free. That was a trap that I fell into for a while. Eventually, I realized that I have enough of my own crap without adding to it with things that don’t even appeal to me. Of course, we have kept some furniture and other items that have special meaning or usefulness to us. Now, though, we want to downsize our own possessions and move to another state in the mountains. I have begun a more earnest purge, and although difficult to do at times, I KNOW that my life will be better without so much stuff. I look back on my life and regret that I wasted money on decorating and often redecorating our home. I was always striving for the perfect “look”. What a waste! These past 3 years have been a huge learning process for me and I’m glad to have been on this grueling journey. I’ve learned that I might have to go through a room or a closet 2 or 3 times to successfully purge it. One “go-round” is not enough, but I seem to need time to emotionally process what I’ve let go of. Months later, I will have a 2nd go-round through the same territory and find more items that I am able to purge. Perhaps it is not as traumatic to do it in stages like that. Anyway, that has worked well for me. My words of wisdom to young people starting out is to be careful not to let yourself buy, buy, buy. Even if you are making good money and can afford it, “things” are not what’s really important in life and they can become a true burden later on. Things are much harder to get rid of than to acquire. Good luck to all you who are becoming minimalists or just downsizing a bit. Stick with it!

By: Tammy Strobel

Tammy Strobel — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:31:03 +0000

@Stephen – The little bullets are kind of like time capsules. They open up and you can put their address info inside.

By: Stephen Engel

Stephen Engel — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:18:14 +0000

Thanks for sharing your journey. While looking at your pictures, I noticed your little ones were wearing a small silver bullet on their collars. Is there a small GPS device inside by any chance? I’m been think about this idea for my cats.

By: little sentence, big impact | The Dao of Doing

little sentence, big impact | The Dao of Doing — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:13:37 +0000

[...] Downsizing Story over at Rowdy Kittens plus this page about their tiny [...]

By: Barbara Wampler

Barbara Wampler — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 18:32:31 +0000

I would love to have an update of your journey to simplicity. My journey has begun in earnest, in the midst of my life falling spectacularly to pieces. My husband has Stage IV cancer, we just lost our home and I am facing astronomical financial challenges. I am learning some very harsh and humbling lessons, but I think ~ no, I EXPECT to be living a much simpler life on the other side of this and while, orginally, I was overwhelmed with a sense of failuer, I am now assuaged with the knowledge this journey is key to my spiritual, emotional and, finally, financial health and welfare. I am a long way from the kind of progress you have made, but I thank you for the inspiration.

By: Tammy Strobel

Tammy Strobel — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:11:52 +0000

@Mary Lou – Thanks for the note. I haven’t used the stove yet. So I can’t give it a thumbs up or down. Once we get in the house and start using it, I’ll be sure to write an essay about it.

By: mary lou

mary lou — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:05:08 +0000

Hello our friends to the south, I am writing to you from small town Canada about 45 minutes east of Toronto.
First of all I love your logo, it is one of the best I’ve seen. I have been following jeff shafers website for over a year now and have recently started to investigate the real possibility of building a Fencl and giving up all my financial and phyisical burdens that come with owning a 1600 sq foot bungalow. I was so happy to see your house building pictures and even more so the built in range that you are installing. It is one that I came across when looking into biofuel alternative appliances and heating. I would really appreciate hearing from you your impression of this stove since I love to cook and bake. I have to be very sure about what I would be putting in since the difficultly in changing later would be almost insurmountable. I was also impressed with the alteration you did to the loft area I think it involved changing the pitch to give you actual walls. I think this really goes a long way to relieving some of the claustophobic feeling of roof to floor and makes all the floor space usable.
Anyway sorry for rambling on. I look forward to seeing pics of the finished little house and hope you can spare me a minute about the stove. Mary Lou Bowmanville Ontario Canada

By: 736hundred

736hundred — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:59:38 +0000

I am just staring this process, or should I say I have taken the first step, but still have massive amounts of
“stuff.” I am happy to have found you blog. So many thing that you have actually done are the things I talk about doing, think about doing, and dream about doing.
I am a creative person who struggles with focus, and that in of itself can be a huge problem. Ideas never stop coming to me, so I never finish anything. Anyway, that a little about me. I feel am serious about this change, so now I have to make it happen.

Thank you for sharing, and I hope to get closer to our goals sooner than later.

Peace.