Wowza, it’s almost July! So much progress has been made on our tiny abode and I can’t wait to share some of the progress pics with you! We are officially in the “home stretch” (see what I did there?)  for this build and it is looking AWESOME. 

​The walls have been primed and painted. 

​Floors have been laid. (Aren’t they GORGEOUS!!!!?) 

​​Fridge and other appliances have been delivered! 

​Bathroom Vanity and shower have been placed! (Love that vanity color!) The shower will be bigger than what we had in our old house!

​Bathroom and kitchen cabinets have been built and primed! (Look at all that storage we’re getting!) 

​So what’s left on the docket?

• Painting the cabinets
• Creating a pantry under Evie’s ladder
• Bring in the countertop
• Completing electric and plumbing fixtures
• Installing all the appliances and air conditioner
• Finalize assorted detail work

 
I’m sure there is something else but Hawk Tiny Homes is on it!
I’ve already gotten requests for a walk-through of the entire space and I promise to do a video tour as soon as I can! 😊
 
Thanks again for all the outpouring of love and support on our new tiny journey. 

​Last week I sat down with some dear friends and toasted to paying off our tiny house… COMPLETELY! Knowing that I would never hand over another mortgage payment was liberating, to say the least. 

​Like many people, J and I racked up student loan debt when we achieved our educational milestones of earning graduate degrees. Neither of us would trade our education because it is extremely valuable and has helped us to attain our careers, but both of us have felt the pressure of owing large monthly sums in order to slowly chip away at the debt that comes with our credentials.

About three years into our marriage we bought our first home and acquired a mortgage. It was, to us, better than paying someone else’s mortgage through rent but it did add to the overall mound of debt we held. The story continued (you’ve heard it before) when we had to purchase a new car and then a van to accommodate our growing family.

Our costs were all justifiable and necessary. We used fair judgement and made it a point to not make lavish purchases. Our vehicles were pre-owned, our houses remained within monthly budget constraints; we didn’t use credit cards and still we felt stuck.

Last year we took a trip to Iceland and a slow trickle of re-prioritization began in our minds, whether we acknowledged it at that time or not. That trip opened our eyes to how little of the world we had experienced. How we were living to work versus working to live. How our existing debt limited us to what experiences we could have.

After coming home from Iceland, I felt the urge to work even harder so I could EARN another trip like that. My anxiety levels rose, my physical health declined, my time with my family lessened and I was blatantly ignoring unhealthy behaviors surrounding me. All of this was to obtain the next experience.

I always tell people that my position being eliminated in February was really the best  thing that  happened to me and I honestly believe that. It’s allowed me space to pause, breathe and realign myself to who I truly am versus who I was becoming. And in the midst of rediscovering myself, Jordan and I constructed our Plan to Freedom that I want to share with you.

1. Understand what’s holding us back (for us this was the debt we carried and the lifestyle we had chosen).

From here we decided to refinance my student loans for a lower interest rate that would save us $10,000+ dollars over the next 5 years. We also took an in depth look at all the student loans so we could snowball them. (For more information on what snowballing is- read this!)

1. Change our lifestyle to re-align to our goals

This is where we decided to go tiny. By doing so we would eliminate our mortgage and create a more simplistic lifestyle which we both craved.

1. ATTACK!

We began to attack our debt and ties to stuff. We sold our house and paid off our tiny house in its entirety. We did a drastic downsizing of our things and put a budget in place to make the biggest dent in our debt mound. With our current attack plan we have a goal to be completely debt free by July 2023
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1. Enjoy life

Step 3 and 4 will be done simultaneously. I don’t want to wait to travel or gain experiences while we’re paying off debt. I want to seize the opportunities as they come so, we are. We have two channels where are funds are going: Debt and Experiences. Once debt is FINISHED, it will become investments.
 
So, here we are! Home owners in the truest sense of the term and enjoying life and each other. I know many people I’ve met along this journey have similar stories to the one I’ve just shared and there is community forged through those common goals. To anyone reading this, I  encourage you to gain some space to breathe and reflect on what you want out of this one precious life. And if what you discover doesn’t align with who you are then find a way to change it. It’s not impossible… sometimes unconventional, but not impossible. 

“Have you seen my green shirt?” I hollered across the house to Jordan.
“What green shirt?” He yelled back.
“My only green shirt!” I shouted while burying myself in the clothes hamper. Then it hit me, I really missed this shirt. This was THE shirt that I wanted to wear. It was my go-to shirt for running in, grocery shopping, throwing on with jean shorts and it made my eyes “pop”. Had I ever before realized how much I appreciated this shirt? Honestly, probably not. I had a ton of other shirts that were similar, but not now. I had chosen to keep this shirt instead of the others. That meant something. This shirt held value to me.

My attitude and gratitude toward things have shifted in this process of going tiny. We have sold or donated about 70% of our stuff. Each item we now own is important to us. It serves a purpose and/or brings us happiness in some way. Items that I have chosen to keep (books, clothes, décor) all mean something to me. It hasn’t always been that way.

With a world that is constantly advertising to us that we need this or we have to upgrade to the latest and greatest, the items we consider precious or necessary can sometimes get lost in the midst of the ever-growing pile of clutter. After sifting through each and every item, I now find myself realigned and surrounded by pieces that really do hold significance and fill me with a gratefulness I never felt even when I had a lot more things. I believe in quality over quantity. I don’t have nearly as many clothes, but what I do have are my favorite pieces that make me feel good, including my unearthed green shirt. 

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter stated, “Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. But we've discovered that owning things and consuming things does not satisfy our longing for meaning. We've learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose.”

Now please, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not against having things. I have things, my daughter has things, my dogs have things. There is nothing wrong with having things. My qualm, and recent revelation, has come from experiencing that you can lose yourself in trying to show your success with possessions, which are often the symbolic trophy of the “American Dream” achievement.

 I heard one minimalist say, “The American Dream is a template, it is not THE template.” I’m starting a new template and it’s a little different and unconventional. I invite you to take a look at your current template and if it’s not what you want or intended, I am your biggest cheerleader to tear it up and write something that does resonate with you. Go find your green shirt (fingers-crossed it’s clean). 
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Today was a good day for chaos. I woke up and didn’t know what day it was. A little face stood over me since my mattress is now on the floor (no room for bedframes in a tiny house) and whispered, “Is it wakeup time yet?” Yep, it was wake up time.

The last three weeks have been a whirlwind. Our first contract on our house fell through but, fortunately, another offer came in soon after and we now close on Wednesday (I’m setting a reminder in my phone to know what day Wednesday happens). We had a huge garage sale where we social-distanced and Evie proudly announced “We gots to sell this because it won’t fit in the tiny house.” Some of our patrons were intrigued; others thought we were crazy. So, I wanted to take this time to share some questions (and answers) we’ve gotten along this journey. 

Q: Are you taking your dogs? (As they eye the two small horses laying at my feet). 
​A: Yes. Our dogs are part of our family and are coming with us. We’ve kept their needs in mind as we’ve designed the space to ensure they feel comfortable in their new home. These adjustments include   designated indoor space, a dog door, and a fenced-in outdoor space. 

Q: You’re going tiny with a kid? 
​A: Yep, she’s coming too. 

​Q: Will she (said kid) have any toys? 
A: While we have parred down on toys during this process, she still has PLENTY and doesn’t miss the ones we needed to forgo. We hope future “presents” will be more centered around experiences versus things. This move isn’t about deprivation; its about experiencing abundance in a different context.

Q: How are you going to have sex?
A: Last time I checked, it still worked the same way in a tiny house. But we have designed privacy into our loft area if that’s what you’re wondering.

Q: What if your family grows?
A: If health class in high school taught us anything, it’s that sex can lead to babies. Therefore, we have some contingency plans should our family have an unexpected addition. Our room downstairs is intentionally meant to be a flexible space.

Q: Is this your long-term plan?
A: I actually love this question because it explores the possibilities that come with going Tiny. For now, going Tiny is a short-term plan (3-5 years). It is a giant step toward becoming financially free and refocusing priorities. (I hope to write an entire blog over our vision soon). 

Q: Will you ever be able to get away from each other?
A: I have a toddler, so that is almost impossible even in a 1700 square-foot house. But we have designed three semi-separate places: Master loft, Evie’s loft and multi-purpose room on main floor. This will allow for us to have some quiet time when needed.
 
I hope this clears up some questions. I love that people are curious! It’s different, I get it. It’s Saturday by the way.