Things I have learned about living in a small cabin and downsizing to small place

[hank2222]

I have finish completely downsizing my whole complete bol and shelter set up to a smaller bol and cabin in another area .I'm doing this post from my Ipad instead of my computer after getting rid of it and alot of other items i do not need anymore .

My oldest son bought my old cabin and had it moved to his place because of his growing family needs and i sold off my land to the local rancher who wanted it . So now i'm on a 1/2 acre sized lot that back's up to a national forrest where i'm at now .

So here is some of the things i learned from just a few weeks of living in a small place .

1-grocery shopping is now done with the idea of two week's at a time instead of monthly because of limited amount of freezer space and storage space inside the unit .I bought a SunDanzer compact chest.50.l sized freezer and small up right 12.volt powered applinces to keep food frozen and cold food cold as it needed .

Now most of my meal are simple three unit system -1-meat type-2-main-side dish-3-small dessert type and everything is easly to make with a induction burner cooktop and mircowave oven and a grill to cook most of the meals items i have in the freezer

2-overnight guest do not like to sleep on the floor because of having no space for them or girlfriends who spend the night do not like to spend it in a twin exlong bed . My grandkids sleep on the floor in a pallet blanket set up and they sleep like a rock when they are on the floor

3-i have gotten used to a combo bathroom and shower set up but guest do not like the set up but to me it works and saves space in the place

4-laundry is now done once a week and not three or four times a week like it was done in my old place .I went to a Rv style combo washer and dryer set up and it works great for my needs

5-beening off grid means that now i'm my own power company and i make my own power along with having my own septic system and well water now instead of beening connected to the grid and that great to have the feeling that if something happens it not going to bother me much as it would everyone else in the area

It nice now not to get a monthly bill from the power company to say you own us this much .They did come around and asked me if i wanted to connect to them and i told why would i want to do that and they just left shaking there heads

6-I have lowered my taxs on the land and other bills down to a point where i now can not worry about them if i lose my job because i can keep up the payments now with my retirement check without a problem along with keeping myself feed and gas for the vehicle if need be and a few other bills

7-downsizing my clothing to just the basic as i listed in the other post here on this broad

[piranha2]

Over the last year, I have learned how much stuff you can get by without. Wish I had known this 30 years ago. Wanting and needing are not the same thing.

[Taz Baby]

We have been off grid for 2 1-2 Yrs now and love it most of the time. It,s hard work but we sleep better.

[Kodiak]

Sounds like you have everything in order, kudos.

[The Stig]

This is a fantastic post. Absolutely amazing.

Is there anything from a bigger space you do miss or have struggled with adapting to?

Sounds like a great adventure.

[bacpacker]

Nice write up Hank. Sounds like you have stuff set up as you need it. I am envious of being off grid for power and water. You get major props for that.

[hank2222]

This is a fantastic post. Absolutely amazing.

Is there anything from a bigger space you do miss or have struggled with adapting to?

Sounds like a great adventure.

Your going to find this one a little funny i'm totaly ok with the fact that i have to unplug most of the items after charging them so there is not a ghost load beening draw from the socket to the cord and not having anything there to charge .So it now when something is charged it taken right off the socket and the cord is warped up and stored in it cubby slot on the bed night stand area.

The second biggest change is using the ipad only as my main source of internet and not a desktop computer .My Ipad runs off my phone or my aunt and uncle wifi when i stay there for work if it bring down into the valley .

[Stormfeather]

Hopefully ya still have the smartcar?

[LUNCHBOX]

It seems you have a good jump on the rest of us, great job and planning.

[hank2222]

I still have the smart car and it getting some much need upgrades to the underside carriage with a installed a set of homemade rock plates with home made nerf bars on the driver and passanger side of the vehicle with a new bull bar
to mount a set of driving lights to light the back county roads i drive alot

The nerf bars are 1.inch".round steel bars that been powder coated black color with the rock plates are made from 1/8th thick plate steel to help with gravel flying up from the dirt and gravel roads I put a daystar 2.inch tall lift kit to run larger 17.inch rims with small truck tires for better back road handlng condictions that i drive on .