It’s become evident to me this week as I read comments on my IG business page post about voting that some people assume I have a price on my head and that $$$ is my greatest motivator as a business owner. We immediately went from 21,300 follows to 21,800, but I am not bothered in the least because I know Who is the Source of my provision and blessing. And I know I will reap what I sow.
Why is that offensive to people that the person behind the company is a human with an opinion?
I have the same right as anyone else to an opinion and the right to share it. If I were trying to manipulate people to convert and not giving them freedom to disagree, I would Be at fault. To share my personal story and opinion shouldn’t be offensive. It’s my story; it’s not a judgment against you. I said nothing until the eve of November 3rd, after 99% of the audience had already voted! What does that tell you?
I am not upset when others differ with me. I want to be friends and agree to disagree. I don’t have to change you to be like me to like you. I can accept you where you are and respect your opinion. It would be nice if others felt that way too, but I understand it’s not a perfect world. I am not discouraged at the loss of follows. It’s been a very interesting case study, honestly.
Frank Vandersloot shared wisdom I will never forget: “Our culture believes the lie that To agree with someone is to like them and to disagree is to hate them”
Just because I disagree with you does not mean I don’t like you. Can we just be friends even if we don’t agree? I won’t judge you; please don’t judge me.
One person had the courage to say “we can still be friends”. She’s my hero!
In this episode you will hear how and why Shari Snyder and her family downsized from their 2,200 square foot home to a Tiny Home on Wheels(THOW) and started a tiny home building company. If you are thinking of downsizing you will be inspired to hear how going so drastically tiny has helped her family in so many ways.
I’ve been Practicing this with noticeable results! The science is fascinating! Our Brains have a hard time believing something that is completely free and so Simple could actually heal our ailments, our organs, our aches and pains, and help us sleep better!
Maybe you want to “go tiny” or maybe you just want to clear some space in your head and enjoy a simple life with less stress. I like to say, “Downsizing is the art of reducing clutter in your environment to enhance your performance mentally, emotionally and physically.”
The most important thing is to get a clear handle on WHY you’re doing this. Focusing on the joys and benefits will keep you true to the end of the task. Will the tradeoff be worth it? Will the peace of mind you gain be worth saying goodbye to some old memories and possibly some things that feel like “friends” to you like old books? This is an emotional game and to win, you must be ready to take this leap. Take time to overcome your fears to get where you want to be.
Shrink your “todo” list, NOT your free time!
One of our clients relates the story about the day she decided to “go tiny” after her husband had been on board for a while. One Saturday morning, at breakfast, they went over the ‘to do’ list for the day. So much was related to the 3,000 square foot house they lived in with their 2 small boys. The wife said, “All I want to do is take the boys to the zoo today.” to which her husband replied, “If we lived in a tiny house, that would be the only thing on this ‘to do’ list today.” Will the joy of more time doing what you love and with whom you love be your motivation?
Reduce your stuff to reduce your stress
Another client we interviewed on WHY they want to go tiny replied, “So we won’t keep collecting more stuff”. They recognized that stuff was not making their life better or their family stronger and their solution was to downsize from a 4 bedroom 3 bath house to a 394 sq ft tiny house. Will the joy of less stress motivate you to get rid of your stuff?
Does this bring me Joy?
The best advice I got when I decided to go tiny was: “Don’t ask yourself: ‘Can I live without this?’ Instead, Ask: ’Do I need this to live?’”
In each room of my 2200 sq ft house, if I did not need the item to live, my next question was: “Does this item bring bring me joy?” If yes, then I put it in a separate area for the next few weeks. I worked on one room at a time. After I packed up the rest of that room, I took it to the salvation army (I’m opposed to Goodwill where only 10% of my donations help the needy). I reserved only the most valuable items to sell. When I left the salvation army, I felt loads lighter and the reward motivated me to want to do it again and again. I became addicted to downsizing. I repeated this process in each room twice in about 6 months. I ended up with 5 boxes/separated spaces:
1. Storage
2. Give away
3. Sell
4. “Brings me joy”
5. Tiny house (These items usually stayed right in that room til I moved)
I also liked the idea of my “give away” boxes staying in the garage for 2-3 months just in case I found I missed that item in my every day routines. In the end, I sorted through the boxes one last time before I made a final decision to keep or give away including my “brings me joy” box.
It’s also important to set up boundaries to protect yourself from ending up at this same place 12 months from now. If you’re not downsizing your home, how will you ensure you keep the clutter out?
1. Must change your buying habits. To do this, you have to change your mindset.
If you think moving up in life means buying a bigger home, it’s time to set the record straight. Most American families have plenty of room to downsize their home without cramping their style.
Consider the numbers: The average new single-family home comes in at over 2,600 square feet, according to the United States Census Bureau.(1) You may not think that’s all too big until you look back at history. The National Association of Realtors reports that the average home size in 1950 was 1,000 square feet or less—and families were bigger back then.(2,3) By those standards, today’s homeowners are living large!
Moving into a smaller home may feel like a step down, but a closer look reveals quite a few upsides: saving money, saving time and having less clutter in your life. Downsizing could be just the fresh start you and your family need!
How to Downsize the Right Way
Smaller mortgage payments and spending less time dusting those spare rooms may sound like a dream come true, but is downsizing really the right move for you? Before you head down the path toward downsizing, read on for some tips to ensure your downsizing-dream doesn’t become a costly mistake.
1. Think Long-Term
If you’re thinking about downsizing your house, planning ahead will help ensure your transition is a success. Do you need extra space for that freelance business you’re planning to start? Or were you left you with more than enough room to spare after the kids headed off to college? Only you know if you can spare that extra space or if losing it would be more of a headache than it’s worth! Find expert agents to help you sell your home.
2. Keep It Functional
Remember back in college when your entire life fit in that tiny dorm room? Somehow you had everything you needed within arm’s length. Though that may be far from practical these days, you can still benefit from cleaning out the clutter from those closets. Sell what you don’t need and take that money to the bank, baby! Or donate it to a local charity and get the added bonus of a tax benefit. Wouldn’t it be nice to have less to clean and more money in your pocket?
Think of all the fun you could have if you didn’t have to polish your miniature unicorn collection every weekend. You just might find a whole new world outside your door!
3. Consider Hidden Costs
Downsizing may save you money in those monthly mortgage payments, but what about the hidden costs? Does your home need any repairs to get it market-ready? What about your old furniture and appliances—will they fit into the smaller place, or do you need to bump up that budget for more space-efficient pieces?
And don’t forget to take into account the cost of moving, property taxes, storage, or even higher HOA fees. When it comes down to decision time, you may find that taking that leap to a smaller space will save you BIG time—or that you can save just by staying right where you are.
4. Focus on the Big Picture
Downsizing your square footage might mean your family has to gather around one TV at night instead of spreading out across three or four different rooms (Gasp!). But is more time with the ones you love really all that bad? It just might be the kick in the pants you need to spend quality time together!
Financial Benefits of Downsizing
Still not convinced? Then it’s time to bring out the big guns and talk money. What if you reduced your mortgage by $500 a month and put that cash toward other financial goals? Check out three strides you could make:
1. Attack Your Debt Snowball
If you’re working hard to kick debt to the curb, downsizing your home can help you maintain that gazelle intensity. Let’s say you owe $18,000 on your student loan. With a 6% interest rate and a minimum payment of $200 a month, you’ll be paying on that loan for 10 more years!
But throw an additional $500 at your loan each month, and you’d trim a whopping seven years and eight months off your pay-off date. Sallie Mae will have to find a new place to live, because you’ll be free from student debt in less than two-and-a-half years!
2. Boost Your Retirement Fund
Once you’re debt-free with a fully funded emergency fund, it’s time to build wealth for the future. Dave recommends investing 15% of your household income into Roth IRAs and pretax retirement plans. If you’re still working your way up to 15%, that extra $500 could be the push you need to get there. And, boy, the difference $500 could make! In 30 years, you could have an additional $1–1.6 million in the bank to get you through your golden years. You can do a lot of living and giving with that nest egg!
3. Pay Off Your Mortgage
Want to downsize Dave’s way? Trade in your mortgage for a paid-off home! Use the proceeds from selling your current home to pay cash for a smaller one. Just imagine what you could do with no mortgage holding you down!
If you can’t pay cash, aim for a 15-year, fixed-rate mortgage and put at least 10–20% down on your new home. Apply the $500 you saved from downsizing to your new monthly payment. At 4.5% interest, you could pay off a $200,000 mortgage in less than 10.5 years, saving almost $25,278 in the process. Cha-ching!
Downsizing might not make sense in every situation, but it’s worth a look if saving money and simplifying life appeal to you. Ask an experienced real estate agent to help you determine what your home is worth and show you options for cutting costs. A true pro knows what it takes to get top dollar for your current home and negotiate the best deal on a new one. Ready to downsize but don’t know where to start? We can put you in touch with a real estate agent who Dave recommends in your area.
As promised, our big announcement this week is that we are launching a brand new company as an extension of our product line! Hill Country Sheds & Studios will be launching soon as an addition to our current offerings that will supply you with tiny enterprises and sheds. We know that especially during these tumultuous times it’s important to have your own space to do what you love or to focus on what’s important. That’s the beauty of the Tiny Enterprise – it is customizable to you. Whether you want it to be an office to escape the house and get work done, or a yoga studio where you can relax and unwind, or you want to open up a small business and need a building; the sky is the limit. www.facebook.com/hillcoutryshedsandstudios
I have now celebrated 25 of your birthdays, one less than the number you celebrated without me.
I’m proud to be your wife. Thank you for choosing me to share your life with. Thank you for not giving up on me. I’m proud of the life we’ve built together and the 3 children we’ve raised, or nearly raised (the youngest being 3 years from adulthood).
You’ve always believed nothing but the very best in those you love. Your loyalty runs fierce. Our children have one of the strongest father/child bonds I’ve ever witnessed. They know they can always count on you for unconditional love and a deep deep friendship. I know your father looks down from Heaven with deep pride to watch you carry on his legacy. Happy Birthday, My Loverboy
I did NOT vote for Trump in the 2016 primary and I wasn’t excited to vote for him that fall, but there seemed no better choice. Within a year, he won me over with his actions, not his personality! After 4 years, his literal track record speaks for itself (not the media’s lies about his track record). I don’t believe the presidential race should be a personality contest, but a leadership Contest! Who will protect American’s Constitutional rights, who will protect us from our enemies, who will promote our economy with policies to encourage growth? Who will fight for our freedoms? Who will fight to protect our unborn children?
In 2020, I voted for TRUMP!
I voted proudly because he kept his word and more!! His actions prove him worthy to lead our country the next 4 years!
