Saving Money
Downsizing Your Life: How to Do It and Why You Might Want To
After what may have seemed like an extremely long winter for some, spring is finally arriving. With the blooming flowers, warmer temperatures, and adjusted clocks, many are also gearing up for a tradition known as spring cleaning. While the habit of reorganizing yourself and decluttering your closets is great, what if you took things a step further? What I mean is, have you ever considered downsizing as a way to simplify your life?
First off, this post is going to be a bit different than my normal fare. While at its core this is still a personal finance concept, Iâve found the implications extend far further than that. In fact, Iâve come to believe that downsizing your life can help you emphasize the things that matter most to you.
Before you get scared, Iâm not talking about going full minimalist and leaving everything behind â I just want to discuss a few changes you can make that can not only help your finances but also allow you to explore your passions and reach your goals. Moreover, my wife and I actually have some personal experience that relates to many of these topics. So without further ado, hereâs how you can downsize and simplify your life as well as some of the reasons why you might want to.
Setting Your Simplifying Goals
Realizing your priorities is the first step in setting a downsizing and simplifying plan. Just as no two people are the same, thereâs certainly no âone size fits allâ plan when it comes to building yourself a better life. That said, to get you thinking, here are a few popular reasons people may elect to downsize their lives.
Saving Money
This being a personal finance site, you could probably anticipate that âsaving moneyâ would be among the top goals here. However, in this case, itâs not so much about saving money for the sole sake of growing your wealth but more about saving money so that you can achieve the things you want to achieve. Let me explain: by reducing your financial obligations, youâll have more freedom to spend your income in whatever way you see fit (while still setting some aside for the future and for emergencies of course).
Now the question is, what do you want to do with your life and your money?
Travel
One of the things I learned about myself as I was navigating my 20s was that I really enjoyed traveling. After years of assuming that I didnât enjoy flying, I ended up booking a flight to Tokyo in my mid-20s that would prove pretty pivotal in my life. Not only did I survive the 11-hour flight but also managed to find my way around a foreign country where I didnât speak the language (and by myself, mind you) with relative ease. Four years later, I would return to Tokyo on my honeymoon and have since had the chance to visit Shanghai, Hong Kong, Paris, and other locales with my lovely wife.
Once we realized how much we enjoyed exploring new places together, my wife and I resolved to travel as much as we could and see more of the amazing cities around the world. As part of this, weâve arranged our finances in such a way that allows us to take big trips without going into debt or wiping out our savings. This could not have been possible had we not made our goal clear and made changes to our financial situation in order to allow it. Iâll share more of our story and how we were able to pull this off in the coming sections.
Entrepreneurship
If youâve ever watched ABCâs Shark Tank youâve probably heard one of the showâs millionaire or billionaire panelists talk about the hustle required in order to succeed when launching your own business. But, on top of that hard work, they also often discuss the sacrifices it takes to make it. I remember one episode in particular where Mark Cuban grilled an entrepreneur who said heâd be willing to slum it and âlive off of six figuresâ for a while until he made it. Naturally, Mark laughed at that notion, insisting he should be willing to live off mac and cheese for the sake of his business.
No matter what type of business you want to start, youâll need to invest your time, energy, and yes, your money into them. Therefore, by downsizing your life and limiting your expenses, youâll have more funds to pour into your business. Moreover, since failure is a fact of life, keeping your obligations to a minimum is essential. Doing your downsizing now instead of when the pressure is on could end up making it possible for you to bounce back and rebuild your business in the future.
Spending Time with Family
For some people, the ability to downsize means they can work less and spend more time with the people they care about. This is a completely noble goal and once again speaks to the power of downsizing. Additionally, if you and your kin enjoy traveling, you might even consider an arrangement that allows you to see the world as a family like these parents and many others have done.
Eliminating Your Excesses
Regardless of what your goals are, youâll likely want to start purging some of your unneeded items. In addition to this being helpful if and when itâs time to relocate (more on that in the next section), getting rid of old items can be oddly comforting. Of course, this is a process and you have a few options for how to approach downsizing, but here are a few ideas for starting points.
What to Lose
Books, CDs, DVDs, etc.
Iâll be the first to admit that I still have a box of old compact discs sitting in my outside storage space â but itâs a lot better than it was! Though I couldnât tell you the last time I used one of these CDs for anything except ripping them to my computer, those special editions and, in some cases, signed booklets remain. Alas, hopefully you are stronger than I am and can part with your aging collection once and for all. The same goes for DVDs (and perhaps even Blu-rays) now that many have moved to digital downloads and streaming services.
For the more literate among us, you may have also amassed a number of books over the years. While having a library of everything you read might make you feel good, are you really going to reread any of those books? Beyond being a pain in the butt to move, thereâs also good reason to let your book collection go as part of the process since they can easily be donated to libraries, schools, retirement homes, etc. â in other words, they can be given to people who actually will read them.
Clothes
This is admittedly another area where I could stand to improve. In fact, my wife frequently makes fun of me for the number of t-shirts in my dresser. However, I have found one solution to this problem: turning my old tees into quilts, allowing me to revisit all those rock concert memories while also staying warm in the winter.
Sporting Goods and Exercise Equipment
Being active is great but having your home cluttered with unused treadmills, skis, rackets, and whatever else you may have acquired over time certainly isnât. Worse yet, these items are often oddly shaped, large, or bulky, making them extremely annoying to store. If you regularly participate in sports and honestly utilize this equipment on a somewhat regular basis, keep it. Otherwise heave-ho, my friend.
Mementos, Clippings, Etc.
Okay, this one could be a bit controversial but itâs important nonetheless. These days many of us have a number of sentimental items we hold on to, seemingly just to give us a walk down memory lane whenever we move or go to organize our homes. Some of these items may be worth keeping while others likely arenât â especially if they can be digitized for safekeeping instead.
Collectibles
Do you still have that limited edition G.I. Joe in a box that youâve held onto since you were only yay high? If you canât fetch a pretty penny on eBay for it now, chances are you never will.
Old Electronics
Until more recently than Iâd care to admit, I was holding onto a Mac laptop I bought in 2004 and which had the screen detached from the keyboard. I had already migrated the contents of said machine to another computer in 2010, yet it lived in a box along with about three different chargers for it. On top of that, the 2010 laptop and the (non-working!) computer I had after that were also still in my possession for some reason. Thankfully all three are now gone and Iâm better for it. The moral of the story is, if you have old electronics youâre planning on fixing or are just holding onto for some other reason, just toss âem.
Anything Else You Havenât Used in a Year
Finally, one of my big rules as Iâve worked to get rid of my (for lack of a better term) crap is to bid adieu to anything I havenât needed (or, in most cases, even thought about) in a year. I came upon this rule after realizing I only saw several items whenever I went to dig through things to throw away.
Obviously, I realized how silly this was and my one-year rule has been successful so far. However there are a few exceptions to the rule including important documents or emergency preparedness items but you can use your best, honest judgment to determine what warrants an override.
What to Do (and What Not to Do) With Your Stuff
Do: Sell It
There is a chance that some of the items you no longer need might still have some value to someone else. As a result, itâs completely acceptable to explore ways to rid yourself of clutter while pocketing a little extra money. This can be accomplished on platforms like eBay, Craigslist, OfferUp, or Facebook Marketplace but thereâs also the option to host a good old-fashioned garage sale/yard sale as well.
Donât: Waste Time Trying to Sell Junk
Notice that I said some of your items will still have value â not all. Sure you probably have a record store in town that still buys used CDs but 1) unless your collection is truly killer, they might not be in the market for anything youâre looking to pawn and 2) the amount theyâll be giving you might not be worth the time it took you to pack everything up and haul it over to them. Similarly, yard sales can take a lot of work to organize and, with most items selling for under a dollar, itâs okay if you elect not to go through the trouble and find another way to ease your junk burden.
Do: Donate
Somewhere between stuff you can sell and stuff you should throw away is the option of donating. Popular outlets for donations include Goodwill, Salvation Army, and other local charities. Of course, even if youâre donating, be realistic about what items people will need or use and donât give them anything thatâs broken, in bad shape, or otherwise useless.
Donât: Get a Storage Unit
In some cases, you may feel that, while you want to declutter your home, you also arenât quite ready to part with certain items âjust in case.â This thinking could lead to you renting a storage unit to keep your additional stuff. Not only is a storage unit an extra monthly fee you donât need but the chances of you actually making use of those âstandbyâ items are slim to none. Avoid this mistake at all costs!
Do: Throw Things Away
Iâll be the first to admit that throwing items youâve paid good money for in the trash can be an upsetting experience. Look, no one wants to feel like theyâve wasted money but, the truth is, you already did â thereâs no going back now. Holding onto items you donât need in an attempt to save what little value they still have is a major fallacy and something youâll need to get over if you truly want to downsize. It may be hard at first but I promise it will be worth it.
Rationalizing (Potential) Relocation
Before paring your belongings down you might not have thought it possible to fit into a smaller space. With that first task done, you may be discovering thatâs not actually the case. Whether you choose to move to a different home in the same area, relocate to a more affordable area, or live life as a âdigital nomad,â there are several benefits to moving as part of your downsizing mission.
Living Small
In recent years one of the big trends (pun intended) has been tiny homes. These microsized abodes are often less than 500 square feet but include a number of features via unique uses of space and clever engineering. Given their popularity, this is what many people likely picture when they consider downsizing but thereâs no reason to be so extreme.
Downsizing can simply mean selling your unnecessarily large four-bedroom house and buying a two-bedroom instead. It could mean ditching your pricey apartment with all the bells and whistles to move to a complex with fewer amenities. Really, the way you downsize is up to you (which can include a tiny home if you really, really want).
In Search of Better Cost of Living
Until 2015 my wife and I were living in Glendale, California. For the few years prior to that, I had been an extra in television and movies and had enjoyed this unique occupation. I also harbored dreams of becoming a sitcom writer, but thatâs a story for another day. Meanwhile, my wife was working at a bakery, which wasnât panning out quite the way she had hoped. Just before Christmas of 2014, we decided a change was in order â a change that would lead us out of Los Angeles and over to Springfield, Missouri.
By this time I had begun freelancing, meaning I could do my job from anywhere. Similarly, while she didnât have any specific jobs lined up in the Midwest, my wifeâs skills were easily transferable to other lines of work. This led us to realize that we were paying a hefty premium just for the opportunity to live in L.A. That may have made sense when my line of work and aspirations were tied to the entertainment capital but now it just felt like a big waste of money that got in the way of our other goals like traveling.
Moving to Springfield was a watershed moment for us and really opened my eyes to many things. First, contrary to popular belief, there are fun things to do beyond the coasts of our country. Secondly, rent doesnât have to eat up your entire paycheck â who knew?
Cut to years later and, thanks in part to the money we were able to save by moving here, weâve now been able to become homeowners. To be sure, this is something that almost certainly would have never happened if we were still in California.
Needless to say, our decision to relocate as part of our downsizing initiative has paid off. Now weâre able to sock away money for our future and pursue our passions.
Reducing Your Commute
Another benefit that came with moving to Springfield actually happened by accident. As luck would have it, my wife ended up getting a job at a place that was literally next door to our apartment. Whereas back in L.A. she would have to drive one to two hours each way for work, she could now walk over in five minutes. This lack of commute had a hugely positive effect on her happiness and stress levels. So, as youâre looking for a small place in town or a new home in a new city, Iâd highly recommend doing what you can to reduce your commute.
Digital Nomadism
As I mentioned, as a freelancer, Iâm able to work from pretty much anywhere with power and WiFi â and Iâm not alone. These days thereâs a growing number of both independent contractors and full-time employees that are able to work remotely. At the same time, some adventurous folks have taken full advantage of this opportunity and become what they call âdigital nomads.â
I was first introduced to the concept of digital nomadism by a podcast called Workationing. In 2017 these two ladies in their âmid to late 27sâ elected to give up their homes and spend the year on the road, living in different cities and countries around the globe for one to two months at a time. This idea fascinated me and Iâve come to learn that the digital nomad community has been booming for some time.
While I personally wouldnât want to go full digital nomad â including purging nearly everything I own and living out of a carry-on â my wife and I have been considering extended trips to places we love. Now that both of us can work from anywhere (she recently left her other job to join me in the world of freelancing), we could conceivably spend weeks if not months abroad, working during the day and touring at night.
If full-on digital nomadism or my scaled-down âextended stayâ notion sounds good to you, having a limited home base is crucial. For the Workationing gals, this meant moving their stuff into storage units (yes, I know I said not to get one of those but this is different), although I believe theyâve since gotten rid of those. In our case, before we bought our house the cheap rent we enjoyed in Springfield would have enabled us to keep our apartment so we would have something to come home. This is just one of the many opportunities that may be available to those who choose to downsize.
Readying for Reevaluation
Finally, itâs important to note that downsizing might not be for everyone. For example, if you have a partner or family, you may find that not all of you are on the same page about some of the changes youâre making. Because of this youâll want to leave the door open to reevaluating your plans and admitting when youâve taken things too far.
Missing Friends and Family
As much as I preach the gospel of finding your happy hometown with affordable living, I understand that there are plenty of reasons other than money that affect why people live where they do. One big factor for many is that want to be near friends and family.
When I was preparing to write this article, I was reminded of a couple of scenes from the film Up in the Air. In an early scene, our protagonist (played by George Clooney) is giving a speech thatâs more or less about downsizing, mentioning stuffing all of your belongings in a backpack, setting it on fire, and deciding whatâs worth saving. While that analogy may be something to get on board with, a later scene exposes the characterâs philosophy of detachment as he talks about the weight relationships add to our lives. Heâs not wrong â but having relationships play such a big role isn’t always a bad thing.
Family and friends are an important part of life. As a result, they should be factored into your priorities as well. If you forgot or didnât realize how much being literally close to the ones you love would affect your happiness, itâs not too late to make changes.
Going Too Small
On that same note, you may come to the realization that youâve overdone things in your attempt to downsize. Perhaps life in a tiny home is fine for a few months but you find yourself going a bit stir crazy after that. Ditto living in a small town after being used to big city amenities.
Thereâs a difference between pushing yourself to try new things outside of your comfort zone and living uncomfortably. Remember: the goal of downsizing is to simplify your life and enjoy what you love. In other words, donât sacrifice too much for the sake of adventure.
Adjusting Your Goals
Lastly, outside of the two examples Iâve already mentioned, there may be other factors that cause your priorities and/or goals to change. Maybe youâve decided to start a family and need more space or arenât ready to take kids on the road just yet. Or perhaps youâre taking an interest in different activities and finding new passions you want to pursue. Whatever the case may be, donât be afraid to make further adjustments. After all, if you were able to take the leap and downsize in the first place, how hard could it be to scale back up or go another direction?
As someone whoâs taken an interest in the concept of downsizing and simplifying life over the past few years, I really do believe the benefits vastly outweigh the sacrifices. Although my wife and I may not make a ton of money, our downsized living allows us to meet all of our financial obligations, prepare for our futures, live debt-free (excluding our newly acquired mortgage), and still enjoy passions of ours, such as traveling. If that sounds good to you, maybe this spring is the perfect time to do some deep cleaning â and deep thinking â as you work towards a simpler, better, life.
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