How To Live With Less in 200 Square Feet

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If you had 200 square feet to share with your spouse, how would you use it? Would you bring your prized possessions, or trade them out for low maintenance ones? Would you keep twenty pairs of shoes, or make do with three? How would you pick from all the bath products you own, or purses, or tools?

We recently faced this dilemma when we had to move out of our 2000 plus square foot house, which included a two-car garage and shed. We determined early on that we did not want to pay for storage and that all we would keep would be left in our 120 square foot shed, or taken with us in our 200 square foot trailer.

How did we pick and choose what left and what stayed? Each item had to meet certain criteria, like how many ways could we use the item? Could it survive travel? Did it make us happy? Did we care if we lost it? And so on.

Taking time to evaluate the need to keep all of our belongings was a challenging task. We've spent the last seven years downsizing because the task was so daunting. However, as time passed, and we became more aware of what we brought into our house, we were able to reduce the number of items crowding our space.

The biggest hurdle was telling ourselves that it's okay to let go. Let go of "what if I need this". Let go of "what if I forget the memory". Let go of "maybe someday". The fact is someday never seems to arrive and in the meantime we become more frustrated with the object. It hinders our ability to move on with our lives.

Living in 200 square feet is one of the best decisions we have ever made. In our case, we like that our tiny space is mobile.

Perhaps you're at that point in life where you just want to let it go so you can live life for real. Maybe you just need to hit a reset button and allow yourself to relax. There is nothing in this world we can take with us. And the next generation isn't really interested in keepsakes and hand-me-downs. How can you bless someone today with what you have to offer?

Sell or give away almost everything

In 2013, we made a life-changing decision to move out of our "dream home" in a beautiful neighborhood with lots of amenities. It was the home we thought we would raise our kids and grow old together in. God had other plans.

We landed in a tiny town of 1000 people.

I remember thinking to myself those first few months in Westcliffe, CO, "What in the world are we doing here?" The people were nice enough. There were in fact plenty of activities for the kids because all the retired folks made them happen. No one got turned away because an activity was full.

We were able to meet a lot of people in our new town by holding a garage sale on the same weekend as a local Bluegrass festival. We didn't realize how crazy it was to bring all that we had with us, until we landed in our rental house. We couldn't function with so much stuff. Why were we dragging around things that we hadn't used in years?

There began our downsizing process. A garage sale here, a garage sale there, a few Facebook and Craigslist sales when we moved back into a large city. Over the course of seven years, we were able to whittle our stuff down dramatically.

We also started to say, "No."

We are so grateful for all that we have received from friends, family, and neighbors. However, there came a point where their generosity hindered us from moving forward in clearing our space of clutter. We were receiving faster than we could load off.

The mass exodus came in the last two months before we took off in our trailer. Our house was scheduled to be rented by June 20th. We had no place to go but our trailer, so we better get rid of the stuff pronto.

Our massive garage sale turned into a free event where people from all over our neighborhood flocked our front yard to liberate us from the burden of owing so many belongings. They were blessing us by taking all the stuff and we were blessing them with whatever they thought they needed.

We kept back only a handful of furniture pieces. My husband did keep his prized mechanic's tool box that set us back ten grand. He still uses all the items in it so it makes sense to keep it if and when we settle down again. Who knows when that will be. We try to stay as flexible as possible.

Paperwork and photographs were stored along with a few childhood toys.

Keep only what is helpful and inspiring

Many of us have heard of Marie Kondo's method to only keep what inspires joy. The problem we found with this quest to reduce our stuff is that we thought everything brought us joy. An old shirt from high school reminded my husband of his former years. Pieces of artwork I created as a child reminded me of simpler times.

We had to come up with different criteria.

1. Does this item serve at least three purposes?

2. Is it durable?

3. Do we like it?

We didn't have to make it complicated. Everything we have needed to pass the test above or we didn't need to bring it with us. Here are a few examples.

Our dining table

Searching for the perfect piece of furniture for our dining space was a top priority. We had heard many reviews on IKEA furniture and their space saving designs. I, however, wanted something a little different. I'm not one to go with the crowd.

I found a set of table and chairs online that made me smile immediately. It was pretty. It was durable. And it was compact. Plus, I got four chairs instead of two. We can use the table under our picture window when the motorcycle is parked outside. We can roll it onto our deck and use it with four people. Or, we can use it while sitting on our couch when the motorcycle is sitting in half of our living room. That's how compact this table is.

Chair cushions

Normally you would think these would serve one purpose, but in our case we needed more. These plush pillows add comfort plus that nice homey feel. When we are traveling, I use one under me in the truck as many hours on the hard seat can become uncomfortable. We also recently used them on the roof of our RV when we watched the fireworks on the fourth of July.

Wicker Baskets

I knew I would not enjoy traveling for months on end without feeling like I was at home. Years ago I purchased four sturdy wicker baskets to hold old artwork and cards from our kids. The baskets just sat without getting much use, but they were sure pretty to look at.

Inside our RV they serve a much greater purpose. I used them to design our couch. The homey combination of storage baskets and rose gold cushions are the perfect addition across from our micro table. Each basket is filled with books, craft supplies, food, and of course games. And they only consume the front half of the storage space under the couch. The top cushions move forward to reveal trap doors underneath to double our storage area.

The RV itself is multi-purpose

We specifically chose a toy-hauler so we could carry Matt's motorcycle, but more importantly, we wanted the huge patio that opens up to the beautiful world around us. It also provides easy access to the roof when we place a ladder on it, and great air flow inside the RV.

Don't overfill your space

The first thing we had to do when we moved into our new tiny space was downsize. At our first stop, I was parting ways with bulk foods, kitchen gadgets, and jewelry.

I spent a couple hours refolding our clothes and preparing our closet space. I used an over the door organizer to help with shirt and shoe storage. Under the bed, we have four ClosetMaid bins for shorts/pants and more shoes. I'm one of those people who keeps a variety of shoes. I wear 3-4 pairs a day. My argument is my shoes are tiny compared to my husband's, so three pairs actually counts as one of his pairs.

By the time we unloaded the motorcycle at our first SOWER project, our tiny home felt huge. We had downsized enough items to make it breathable again and taking out the bike was like icing on the cake.

We admit there may always be small adjustments to make our space more comfortable, but for now we are loving the cozy feeling it give us. It forces us outside and on more adventures. Clean up is quick and painless, as long as we don't make any sudden movements. My poor husband has whacked his head on cabinets, the shower door, the awning arm, the truck topper, and I'm sure something else. His feet have bonked every corner of our furniture and anything that possibly gets left on the floor.

Still, we are happy. We are content. We do not know how long God will let us enjoy this adventure, but we want to make the most of it. Living like this gives us the opportunity to travel, see family and friends, and serve countless ministries across the country. It is an amazing opportunity.