When we sold our house and moved into an RV, we had to give away a large portion of our belongings so we could transition to living minimally in a much smaller space. We passed items to family, invited neighbors to take what they wanted, arranged a big pickup with the Salvation Army, and more. We didn’t sell anything — we simply gave most of it away.
And it felt liberating.
Today we live in a 33-foot RV and embrace a minimalist lifestyle.
We’re not the norm. In 1950, the average U.S. home was under 1,000 square feet; by 2013, that average had grown to nearly 2,600 square feet according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Our former homes were close to that scale. The house we owned in the St. Louis area was about 2,500 square feet if you included the finished basement, and our Colorado home was just over 2,000 square feet. Both housed only my husband, our two dogs, and me.
We decided to buck that trend and dramatically downsize.
We aren’t perfect — I was once a chronic saver. My basement was full of things I kept because I thought I might use them someday. “Oh, I’ll use that eventually,” I’d tell myself. Eventually, though, almost never came.
Clutter and the burdens of holding onto everything can become exhausting. We chose to live with fewer possessions for many reasons, but the primary one was that taking long trips and traveling almost full-time made home ownership a stress. So we went further and committed to full-time travel.
Now, almost all our belongings fit inside the RV. A few sentimental items and photo albums my dad left me are stored with a family member, but otherwise everything we own travels with us.
Life has improved. Living with less has taught me a lot.
What I learned from living with less
I wasted a lot of money.
Giving away nearly everything I’d ever purchased made it clear how much money I’d spent on items I didn’t need. That realization changed my approach to money and buying decisions.
Now I’m much better at saying “no” when tempted by impulse purchases. I understand that I don’t need much, so I buy only what’s necessary instead of accumulating clutter. I can walk into a store and leave with just the essentials, even at places designed to encourage extras.
That improved discipline has saved me a lot over the past year.
I don’t need most of what I once thought I needed.
I used to hold onto items because I thought they might be useful someday. In reality I regularly used maybe 25% — or less — of what I owned. Many people keep things “just in case,” but that mindset traps belongings forever.
A helpful rule is to set a one-year limit: if you haven’t used an item within a year, you probably won’t. Letting go is easier than you expect, and in many cases you won’t miss the item at all.
Owning more doesn’t make you happier.
Material possessions don’t make you a better person or a more successful one. Having fewer things has made me happier, freer, and less focused on comparison. Own only what you truly want — not what you think you should have because others do.
Giving things away feels great.
This blog focuses on making and saving money, and I could have sold many items for thousands of dollars. Still, giving things away felt better and was far simpler. If I had to do it again, I would.
Life is more peaceful with less stuff.
Reducing possessions has brought calm. Accumulating things over many years can clutter not only your home but also your mind. I held onto clothing and objects tied to memories of my father; seeing them every day kept those feelings alive in a way that wasn’t healthy.
Letting go allowed me to move forward. It was emotionally freeing to remove constant reminders and create space for new experiences.
Starting a minimalist life is easier than it seems.
Despite the common belief that minimalism requires drastic sacrifice and a major mindset overhaul, the transition was surprisingly straightforward for us. With fewer possessions, there’s less to break, less to maintain, and fewer decisions about what to do with things.
Having less also means more time and energy for what really matters: travel, relationships, experiences, and projects we care about. We don’t miss the excess, and we feel happier and more carefree living with less.
Are you interested in living minimally? Why or why not?