Another great book.
You Can Buy Happiness (and It’s Cheap) How One Woman Radically Simplified Her life and How You Can Too, by Tammy Strobel.
I have always been interested in the small house movement, so this book was right up my alley.
Tammy takes you through her downsizing process (or as she refers to it, smart-sizing) from working a hectic job and turning to shopping for comfort, to living in the tiny-ess of tiny houses with her husband. She explains that it was a slow process, with several downsizing of apartments for them to get to their current living space of 8 feet wide, 16 feet long and 13.5 feet tall.
The big lesson in her story is that living with less she found a peace and happiness that she didn’t have before. Isn’t that the point? Peace and happiness from within.
Tammy states some facts on page 83. In 1950 the average American home was 983 square feet. By 1970 it was 1,400 square feet and by 2004 it had expanded to 2.300 square feet. I agree with her statements that we have become an over the top consumer society. People are looking outward (by buying stuff) for their happiness and then they need a bigger house to store all this stuff.
Tammy decided to radically change her life style and I admire her conviction. I don’t live in a small house. It’s pretty average size. But, I shop consciously, don’t keep anything I don’t use or love. I do see myself radically downsizing in the future, when my kids are no longer living with us. I am starting the discussion with my husband. I’ll never get into a tiny house, but the idea interests me.
What do you think? If you’d like to see and read about Tammy’s tiny house visit her blog RowdyKittens.com.
Basic Organization 