2946: In Defense of Downsizing: 4 Reasons a Smaller Home is the Right Size by Rose Lounsbury on Financial Freedom

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Finance Daily, in Defense of Downsizing, 4 Reasons a Smaller Home is the Right Size by Rose Lounsbury of Roselunsbury.com. And I'm your host and personal finance enthusiast, Diana Merriam.

[00:00:16] Welcome back to our Sunday bonus episode where I share an article with you from a different podcast in our network to keep your life nice and optimized.

[00:00:25] Today's episode is coming from our personal development and mental health podcast, Optimal Living Daily.

[00:00:32] You can find that show wherever you're listening to this. And please do follow or subscribe to the show to get new episodes every day.

[00:00:40] So with that, here's Justin with the post as we optimize your life.

[00:00:49] In Defense of Downsizing, 4 Reasons a Smaller Home is the Right Size by Rose Lounsbury of Roselunsbury.com.

[00:00:58] I live in a 1500 square foot home with five people, me, my husband and our three kids.

[00:01:06] Josh and I bought our cute 1930s Cape Cod as a starter home back in 2006, imagining that we'd upgrade sooner rather than later.

[00:01:15] Then 2007 hit and the real estate market went kaboom and we decided to stay for a while.

[00:01:21] Then 2009 hit and we had triplets, but they were very small so our little house was really no problem.

[00:01:28] Then 2011 hit and I went back to work full time and the most convenient childcare option for three toddlers was to hire a live-in au pair.

[00:01:37] Surprisingly, this was also the most affordable.

[00:01:40] That's about the time our house started to feel really, really small.

[00:01:44] But I soon realized something.

[00:01:47] The problem wasn't the size of our house.

[00:01:50] It was the quantity of our stuff.

[00:01:53] We started minimizing in 2012, slowly shedding our excess possessions,

[00:01:57] and soon realized that a 1500 square foot home could easily accommodate two parents, an au pair, and three kids as long as we lived with just what we needed and loved.

[00:02:10] We no longer need live-in childcare so our home is back to just the five of us.

[00:02:14] But we still aren't budging.

[00:02:16] And here are four reasons why.

[00:02:19] Reason number one, smaller homes are more affordable.

[00:02:23] I'm not just talking purchase price, although that is something to consider.

[00:02:27] My property taxes are lower, my utilities cost less because there is less space to light, heat, and air condition,

[00:02:34] and we don't need to purchase or replace furniture very often because we don't have that many spaces that need furniture.

[00:02:41] I get a bit giddy when I think of all the things I can do with the money I'm not spending on my home.

[00:02:47] Travel to cool places, learn new things, see the sunset over many different oceans.

[00:02:53] The possibilities are endless and exciting.

[00:02:56] Reason number two, smaller homes are easier to clean.

[00:03:01] Several years ago I started a Saturday whole house cleaning routine.

[00:03:05] My children received this news with joy and rapture, yeah right.

[00:03:09] But nonetheless, I ordained Saturday as the high holy day of dusting and scrubbing and set the family to it.

[00:03:17] I wrote out a list of everything that needed done, assigned jobs, set a timer, and cranked some tunes.

[00:03:24] We've been doing this for years now and amazingly, it has never taken us longer than an hour to clean the entire house.

[00:03:31] And I'm talking every toilet scrubbed, every floor vacuumed, swept, or mopped, and every surface dusted.

[00:03:38] I can only imagine how much longer this would take if we had a home two or three times our size.

[00:03:43] We'd probably hire a housekeeper, which would only provide further proof of reason number one.

[00:03:49] In case you're wondering, I have nothing against hiring a housekeeper.

[00:03:52] I believe you should do whatever makes your life easier.

[00:03:55] I just never have because, seriously, it takes less than an hour to clean my house,

[00:04:00] and it seems a bit ridiculous to hire someone for that small amount of time.

[00:04:04] Also, I would consider myself derelict in my parental duty if I sent my children out into the world

[00:04:09] without the knowledge of how to scrub their own sinks and toilets.

[00:04:13] I'm sure their future college roommates are thanking me right now.

[00:04:17] Reason number three, smaller homes promote family togetherness.

[00:04:21] Now, depending on your family, you may not consider this a bonus,

[00:04:25] but I like my family and I like being close to them,

[00:04:28] and I'd miss my kids if they had a separate wing of the house to escape to.

[00:04:32] Yes, they have bedrooms where they can get some privacy,

[00:04:35] but typically, all the living in our home takes place in one main room,

[00:04:40] the shared living and dining space.

[00:04:42] It's the space you walk into as soon as you enter my home,

[00:04:45] and it's where 90% of the talking, listening, playing, squabbling, and laughing happens.

[00:04:52] In fact, right now my boys are playing video games on the couch while I sit at the table and type.

[00:04:58] Later tonight, we're having some friends over,

[00:05:00] and this table will be used for a big group meal and then turned into a board game station.

[00:05:05] I think we lose something when our homes are so big

[00:05:08] that family members can cross paths like ships in the night.

[00:05:12] A little elbow rubbing on the couch makes for good memories down the road,

[00:05:16] and being able to keep a closer eye on our kids can prevent a whole host of problems during the teenage years,

[00:05:22] which with three 12-year-olds are coming for me sooner rather than later.

[00:05:25] Yes, there are times I long for a larger space, mostly when we have people over.

[00:05:31] But honestly, how often do we host large groups? Maybe once or twice per year.

[00:05:36] It'd be ridiculous for me to buy, clean, and maintain a large house just for those few times.

[00:05:43] And interestingly, I've noticed that when I'm invited to a large home for a party,

[00:05:47] everyone congregates in one space anyway, usually the kitchen.

[00:05:52] So I wonder, what's the point of all those extra rooms if they aren't even used during a party?

[00:05:58] And reason number four, downsizing is easier the sooner you start.

[00:06:03] I've helped my fair share of baby boomers with the downsizing process,

[00:06:07] and let me tell you, your 70-year-old self will thank you if you start this process now.

[00:06:14] Downsizing can be hard physical work, and the younger your muscles are, the easier it will be.

[00:06:20] Downsizing is also emotional, and handling the feelings that come with downsizing is easier the sooner you start.

[00:06:27] I've talked to some seniors who view downsizing as the final act.

[00:06:31] This is most certainly not true, and I can only imagine how devastating it must feel to view it this way.

[00:06:37] Because the sooner you start downsizing, you realize a really important truth.

[00:06:42] Letting go of objects that don't serve you is just a normal part of the process of living.

[00:06:49] This is true no matter what age you are.

[00:06:51] It's true for five-year-olds letting go of toys from their toddlerhood,

[00:06:55] and it's true for 85-year-olds partying with hutches full of china.

[00:06:59] Letting go of our stuff is normal and healthy,

[00:07:02] because it provides us the open space to be who we are now.

[00:07:07] Life is nothing more than constant growth and change.

[00:07:11] In order to grow and change to our full potential,

[00:07:14] we must let go of the things that no longer support who we are.

[00:07:22] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:07:25] In Defense of Downsizing, For Reasons a Smaller Home is the Right Size,

[00:07:29] by Rose Lounsbury of roselounsbury.com.

[00:07:33] Thank you to Rose. She makes a good point.

[00:07:35] 1,500 square feet is not that small when our possessions aren't out of control.

[00:07:42] Obviously, the more stuff we have, the more it suffocates the space.

[00:07:45] You can walk into a cluttered room and feel like there's barely any space at all,

[00:07:50] and then when moving out or doing a massive cleaning and or decluttering session,

[00:07:56] find out just how big that room really is.

[00:07:58] I know I've gone through that myself.

[00:08:00] And in my own life, I've experienced the same thing as Rose.

[00:08:04] The smaller the place, the easier it is to clean and declutter,

[00:08:08] and the less money that's spent on rent or a mortgage and repairs and maintenance.

[00:08:14] Now, all of this is said really in the hopes of not trying to convince you to move

[00:08:19] or shame you into downsizing, but possibly of saving more money in the future

[00:08:25] by getting behind those random wants that we have and questioning our assumptions.

[00:08:30] For me, hearing articles like this confirms how happy I am in my current space.

[00:08:35] And if I choose to move, I can make that decision from a more informed place,

[00:08:40] taking into account all of these factors,

[00:08:42] not just some random arbitrary guideline of what other people think.

[00:08:46] So something to think about, but that should do it for today.

[00:08:48] Have a great rest of your day and start to your week.

[00:08:51] And I'll be here curating articles for you again tomorrow,

[00:08:54] where your optimal life awaits.