Tag: downsizing

Downsizing, Again?

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Hello, friends. As I type, I’m sitting in the living room of our new-to-us cabin. We have downsized, yet again. This time it’s more in the manner of land instead of house size. We now live on 1.5 acres instead of 6. The land is both hillside and rocky, not at all usable like our last home.

The inside of our home is about the size of our last one, if you don’t count the garage conversion we completed last year. I honestly didn’t know if our furniture would fit. But joy upon joys, it does. Our living room fits our new-to-us furniture well. We didn’t pay a dime for any of it, praise God. Our kitchen is awfully tight, but we have plans to convert our screened porch into a sun/dining room one day. Our master bath boasts a single sink and the washer/dryer. Surprisingly, I don’t miss our previous master bath at all! I do miss the privacy our previous place offered, though.

Instead of two baths, we now have three, which is wonderful news for our family of ten! We are also now spread out between three levels instead of one. The noise reduction is a huge plus.

The past few years have been an exercise of embracing the simple and learning to be content with the abundance the Lord has set before me. Most everyone living in America lives in abundance. A yearly income of $33,000 puts you in the top 1% of wage earners worldwide.

Those of us living in America and other industrialized nations (myself being one of them) often forget how abundantly blessed we are if we have clothing to cover our bodies and food. That’s it. We are taught in Scripture to be content if we have these things. But how often do we chase the next car, the season’s must-have accessory, or the upcoming family vacation? We tell ourselves things like, “You only live once,” or “It’s more important to make memories instead of paying off debt quickly.” Again, I’ve been there and am still there at times!

Free fun at our library.

God has changed my heart like only He could. Our mortgage debt now feels like such a burden and I want to be rid of it. I have been deeply convicted about our debt. I have no business taking lavish vacations if we owe the bank a huge debt. In this abundantly blessed place that we live in, there are so many free and inexpensive opportunities for fun and recreation right under our noses. People in other places of the world only dream of the opportunities we have.

Our new living room.

So yes, we have downsized again, and I’m embracing it. My daughters and I planted a small container garden today, which was lovely. The cabin is cozy, and well just about perfect when it comes to my preferred decor style. We are sitting on two mortgages at the moment, and prayers are appreciated for our out of state home to sell quickly. My husband’s new job necessitated a quick move, which is why we still (or the bank, ha!) still technically owns both homes. Once it sells, Lord willing, we will be completely mortgage free fairly soon.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Feel free to read my thoughts about motherhood here, and connect with me on Instagram.

Reasons to Downsize into a Smaller Home

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We have recently downsized. And let me tell ya, it has been really hard for me to do.

I had no idea just how attached I was to stuff. And space. Without even realizing it, I had attached myself to items that don’t even matter. Downsizing is sanctifying. It really is. Every time I ignore my flesh and continue to purge, a small victory is won.

There are many, many benefits to downsizing homes. I thought I would share a small list of ways taking the plunge and moving into a smaller home is good for our family life.

  1. Living in close quarters hones our patience.
  2. Our children will be better equipped to share, get along with, and even live with others once they enter adulthood.
  3. It is easier to monitor what type of material enters our homes when they are smaller.
  4. There are naturally more conversations when living in tight quarters, and relationships blossom.
  5. Much less time is spent cleaning, and more time is spent with our families.
  6. Finances are freed up, and more of our resources can go towards meaningful goals. Utility bills are cheaper as well,
  7. Financial and debt freedom is more easily attainable.
  8. Bad attitudes are seen more plainly, and we can address heart issues faster.
  9. Our children will learn that stuff isn’t as important as they once thought it was.
  10. Hopefully, one day we will see a shift from the materialistic culture we live in now.

I try my best to be quick to remind myself of the hidden “downsize blessings” that naturally occur whenever I miss our old home.

What about you? Please feel free to share your favorite thing about downsizing with us!

Thank you so much for stopping by! I would love to connect with you on Facebook. I’d also like to invite you to my Mary & Martha Facebook Page, and to my Mary & Martha website. It is a such a blessing to serve you!