The Joneses are broke, have debt over their heads, and are going to get divorced (statistically*), why would I want to be like them? Good question, I don’t. I don’t want to live in a suburb house with a payment so large I can barely afford it. I don’t need that new Ford Bronco or Range Rover, and I definitely don’t give a shit what people think about me based on what I own.
Actually, that’s not true, I do care. I care about people who are like me, but people like me are not impressed with a new car or a big fancy house, but with the exact opposite. I am impressed by people that live small and simply. I am more impressed by how small your house is and how affordable your car is, or not owning a car. While these things may sound miserable to some and flat out impossible to others, I think it is one of the key principles that will lead me to have a happy and fulfilling life.
Some may ask, “You don’t want to own a car? How will you get to work or to the grocery store?” I will bike. “What if it is raining?” I will bike in the rain. You know, humans did live outside 99.9% of our existence. Plus all of that exercise is good for the body and mind. Is it a coincidence that we have the worst mental health in developed countries as we keep making things easier?
Minimalism is a form of artistic expression used in sculpting and painting that began in the 1950s using simple forms. Today, minimalism has spread its way from art into every day life**. Applying the simple forms to your life, it has helped many people, myself included, to declutter our lives and break free from the materialistic world us Americans live in. It is a life filled with meaningful things. It also offers a financially smart life. Buying only items that you need you will inherently save more money than your friends who “need” a new phone every year or “need” a new outfit for that party on Friday. It also means you don’t need as much room to store your junk, meaning you can ditch that storage unit your paying $100 a month for, and maybe even downsize the house.
I think the ultimate goal in the foreseeable future for my minimalistic life is building my own tiny home, riding my bike everywhere, and growing most of my own food. Most people would look at that and say “Gosh, that sure does sound like a whole lot of work. Wouldn’t it be easier to buy a house already built and drive to the grocery store?” It would be a whole lot easier, but that’s the point. There is meaning in the difficult tasks, so long as the task has meaning. Have you ever gone for a long run or worked out really hard and feel the wave of endorphins wash over you afterwards? That is the feeling you get after completing something hard, it feels good. My goal in life is to try and maximize each day to the fullest, whether that be sitting around and reading a book or building a house. Whatever brings me and others the most joy that day. In order to do that, you need to do hard things, because there is no nice relaxation without the difficult.
Alright rant over, lets get back to talking about tiny houses. I am thinking of buying a nice plot of land somewhere near the edge of town, far enough away where I can’t see the neighbors house through the trees but not so far that I can still bike to the grocery store or library. Something around 500 sq ft, using mostly lumber milled off of my land. It will have mostly south facing windows to allow for a lot of natural light. A room that is the kitchen and living room that will take up the bulk of the square footage and a small bedroom with adjoining bathroom off the side. Ideally, the house will be off grid using solar for power and a mix of a well and rain water collection. I am hoping that the house will have a very low carbon footprint, other than the wood stove used for heat in the winter. By doing most if not all the work by myself / with friends and family, I hope to keep the cost low. This is part of my plan to be an unconventional adventure dirtbag that is not broke and homeless.
All in all, the Joneses don’t know what they’re doing and I definitely don’t want to be like them. They buy things they don’t need or even want because they are convinced that they do need or want them, it gives them momentary satisfaction until the next new and improved item comes out. Life isn’t a pissing contest. Live simply, take on challenges, live healthily, and live happy.
*The average debt per person in America is $104,215, the average savings in the US is $65,100, and 43% of first marriages in the US end in divorce (Forbes 2024, CNN 2024, Business Insider 2024).
** See “The Minimalists”
