Excerpt from New Booklet

INTRODUCTION

Tales and advice are everywhere these days about downsizing your life. Television and the media, magazines can certainly make the idea of simplifying appear intriguing and tempting. Stories and images of travel trailers and motor homes, tiny houses, condos, town homes and their smiling residents---or are they gritting their teeth?---are everywhere. These images make the prospect of paring down look like a dream. In a country that is bloated with stuff and things and responsibilities, who wouldn't be fascinated with the possibility, the alternative lifestyle of less.

The big question is, Is it right for you? Could you, maybe you and a partner or family benefit from shrinking your life, would it be do-able, why would you want to? People of all ages and situations are considering this lifestyle change. It may be living smaller but it's definitely not a small decision to make. The hubby and I are approximately 99% complete in our downsizing adventure. We haven't regretted our decision, though it is certainly not for everyone. I would like to share our experience, the lessons learned, present some pros and cons and hopefully help some of you to make a good choice in your life.

I won't sugar coat it, this has been a monstrous undertaking. If you check the life calender for the two of us, we're in the late Fall of our life. We've had plenty of years to accumulate. This decision brought six long months of hard choices and lots of hard work. Making an agreeable plan, de-cluttering, giving up stuff and following through with the plan has strained our backs and our nerves. We are just now, finally able to look at each other in wonder and say “What have we done? Are we crazy or clever as foxes?”

I'll let you make that determination. Happy reading and good luck with all your adventures, big and small.