Extreme Downsizing

Interesting until I got to the end. The article makes it sound like they made some big transition but they are buying a 3000 sq for home, still huge!

They seem like nice people, but I'm having a hard time identifying with their dilemma. For me house lust had always been a matter of, can I even afford to own a home at all in a tolerable area? By tolerable, I mean, decent neighbors, not crime-ridden, and close enough to shopping, schools and my job that I don't have to squander my life idling in traffic. Even with two middle-class incomes, it has always been a struggle just to own and maintain a home at all (and no, we don't rack up $1000's in debt buying gewgaws). Now, for job-related reasons, we have moved to a part of the country where any house we could afford would be somewhere with scary, scary crime (as in, major gang activity) and rotting schools. In order to send our young teenager to a good school, we are fitting into a two bedroom apartment and grateful to have that. There are several families within a block of our house living out of their cars. Not RVs, cars. As long as we live here, we will probably never own a house. I suspect that our experience is much closer to that of the average American.

well this story sounds similar to ours. except we had an old farm house and 5 acres in the country of the prairies. we sold everything and do mission work now with 4 of our 6 children. we have an old rv, that is good on gas and we travel and hlep people. we homeschool our children and they are very stable. they are the best kids,. They know how to work and are very social. they love to have fun and know how to laugh. so if this couple had let mom stay home with the kids and hardly see Dad, that would be ok? i think its great that they are able to travel together. the stability children need , are parents who truly love them and each other. we are so greedy in this country and always think our opinion is the right one. walk a mile in someone's shoes before u judge them.
simplistic lifestyle!!

This couple represents part of the reason why Americans are cast in such a negative light and how some among us have lifestyles which border on the grotesque, contributing to a host of injustices and the disgusting waste of resources. I'd venture a guess that these folks have self-esteem issues, gaining affirmation and fulfillment through unbridled consumerism. Never being satisfied, always wanting more, bigger, and better is an sickness and is not in keeping with what is needed in the world, such as unselfishness and consideration of other peoples and the environment. Is this story supposed to inspire people to downsize and simplify their lives? They didn't downsize - they simply shifted from one luxury to another. This family went from what is likely a very inefficient, land-gobbling 6,000 square-foot home to a gaz-guzzling $150,000 road hog. Now that's a radical shift toward simplicity and global consciousness, eh?

In fairness to this family, the article does mention that they've begun looking for another, much smaller home. However, how long before they get 'home envy' again and move into another McMansion? I for one hope their shift in mindset is truly permanent.

Geesh, many Americans continue to be clueless and self-absorbed...

"she has just realized that the endless cycle of "trading up" to nicer homes isn't very fulfilling."...until a year later when they need an extra room or a bigger yard and they're buying a 6000 sq. ft. home again. BTW, a $150,000 RV isn't exactly 'roughing it'.

not 3000......370!!!! Yikes!

Not 3000......370!!!

Since when is 3000 sq. ft "extreme downsizing"? My family lives quite comfortably in a 1600-sq-ft house. We moved up from an 1100-sq-ft house before that. Sorry, but 3000 sq. ft. is still house lust in my opinion.

I started the 'RV'ing during summer time since my kids were 2 and 5 and I have to say it's one of the nest decisions I made. A few times we traded up in the RV world until we ended up with a really nice unit 33' long with 3 slide- outs. I cannot imagine ever not having one of these babies in my yard. My kids now are 19 and 16 and they still love to spend summer vacation in our RV. Granted we still have a house but the summer house is my RV and I move it a month at the ocean and a month in the mountains. My kids have benefited from 'RV'ing in many ways - to long to describe here, but yes it is possible to live in an RV and quite comfortable I may add. I know LOTS of retired people who have an RV in Mass and one in Florida. That is all I need when I retire. I hope to leave the kids the house and live in a trailer - and don't think trailer = park trailer - but think RV park with pools, tennis courts and the whole nine yards. They call them resorts and they are awesome. It's a life style I really enjoy. I made lots of friends and so did my kids. Kudos to this family!

Funny, when I saw the title about "extreme downsizing", I thought it might be about displaced Katrina victims trying to make do with FEMA trailers because they weren't getting enough insurance coverage on their old homes. Or maybe about someone in foreclosure because of shady lending practices having to move into a small apartment. I'm in neither situation, but thought I'd read about the consequences of poor planning (on the part of the homeowners or the part of the insurance or lenders.) Instead, it's about a rich family deciding whether to live in a big expensive house or a small expensive house? I guess I'm not wealthy enough to relate to their problems. :-(

I would gladly live in a smaller house if I could be a stay-at-home mother. So many women I know only work so they can afford some mega house. They don't realize the important part is closeness and time and attention - not something material, like a big house. This is why so many teenaged kids are emotionally lost - they see their parents' screwed-up values and know they are not getting what they need to become emotionally healthy adults. The parents can't see past their greed. It's sad.

It's all relative, I guess. I'm moving from a 1900 s.f. house to a camper that sits in the bed of my pickup. The idea of an RV with 370 s.f. at $150k is way too much, but then they are four and I am one. I'll be traveling the backroads of the western U.S. for a year or two following my passion of photography.

It's all relative, I guess. I'm selling my 1900 s.f. house for about $270,000, and I'm moving into a $19k camper that sits in the bed of a pickup. I'll be there for a year or two traveling the backroads of the western U.S. doing my passion: photography. A 370 s.f., $150k RV is monstrous (but then they are four, I am one).

before coming to america somebody used to say "Spending is the secret of American Economy" but i see here people spend toomuch..way toomuch.. thats not good for individuals as well in the long run for economy because if you don't save enough in your younger working years..you won't be able to afford colleges for your kids...if they don't get college education image how they will turn out.. don't argue with me that kids need to get their own loans..it is you who brought them into the world.. not every kid is an Einstein..you have to support him as a parent.. God Bless America.. i love this county though..

before coming to america somebody used to say "Spending is the secret of American Economy" but i see here people spend toomuch..way toomuch.. thats not good for individuals as well in the long run for economy because if you don't save enough in your younger working years..you won't be able to afford colleges for your kids...if they don't get college education image how they will turn out.. don't argue with me that kids need to get their own loans..it is you who brought them into the world.. not every kid is an Einstein..you have to support him as a parent.. God Bless America.. i love this county though..

I didn't get it I don't get it and I won't get it. What is America's fasination with always getting bigger. My wife and 2 kids and I started out in a mobile home with anaddition. About 11 square feet then we made ajob move to a higher cost of living area but not higher salary. We found ourselves back to buying a mobile home very spacious and much cheaper than a stick built still only less than 1200 square feet. We saved some money and payed of bills and designed a house. Five years later we built and moved. We now live in a bueatiful 1400 square foot house in a woods in a nice subdivision. We built what we could afford. We designed it to die in. Our kids have plenty of room and when they move out on their own my wife and will still be able to maintain our house even into old age. We couldn't even think of having bigger. What we have now is plenty. We have meals every night with our kids and have enough space for alone time but are close enough that we know what our family is doing. Why do people think they need to have such a big home. The green economics of smaller also make sence. less house less heating and cooling costs. We live in northern michigan where yesturday it was 14 below zero. Our heating bill is around $1000 dollars for the year. That includes gas for cooking and water. Wake up America you don't need bigger. Do yourself a favor and go smaller. Your family will be better, your money will be better, and the environment will be better.

I didn't get it I don't get it and I won't get it. What is America's fasination with always getting bigger. My wife and 2 kids and I started out in a mobile home with anaddition. About 11 square feet then we made ajob move to a higher cost of living area but not higher salary. We found ourselves back to buying a mobile home very spacious and much cheaper than a stick built still only less than 1200 square feet. We saved some money and payed of bills and designed a house. Five years later we built and moved. We now live in a bueatiful 1400 square foot house in a woods in a nice subdivision. We built what we could afford. We designed it to die in. Our kids have plenty of room and when they move out on their own my wife and will still be able to maintain our house even into old age. We couldn't even think of having bigger. What we have now is plenty. We have meals every night with our kids and have enough space for alone time but are close enough that we know what our family is doing. Why do people think they need to have such a big home. The green economics of smaller also make sence. less house less heating and cooling costs. We live in northern michigan where yesturday it was 14 below zero. Our heating bill is around $1000 dollars for the year. That includes gas for cooking and water. Wake up America you don't need bigger. Do yourself a favor and go smaller. Your family will be better, your money will be better, and the environment will be better.