Stuff
by Chris Tilley
Courtesy Tumbleweed Tiny Homes
How much stuff do we really need? I am guilty of this one. I’m a pack rat, have way to many gizmos that I really don’t need and have bookshelf after bookshelf of books. Do I really need it or just want it? Its to easy to turn my wants into needs and somehow justify my purchases.
There are people who are trading in there big house for tiny ones. Jay Shafer, owner of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, lives in a 87 sq ft house and has for 10 years. To put that in perspective, it is smaller in sq ft than either of my kids bedrooms. To do this requires the simplest of living, absolutely nothing that is not necessary.
So when we buy stuff, do we really need it? What’s its life-cycle? Can it be recycled? Is it a ‘disposable’ item? Where is it going to end up when you are finished with it? Is it a quality product that will be passed down to the next generation? Why are you buying it? Is there a greener option? What kind of packaging do it come in? Is the packaging minimum? Recyclable?
Our large houses make it easy to accumulate junk. The latest thing to help us lose weight or get organized, most of which say to get rid of stuff. Personally I own at least three books on getting organized, the get rid of stuff is a hard step.
Another big advantage to these tiny home is the energy efficiency. Smaller homes take considerably less to heat and light. One woman writes that her heating bill is $6/month and electricity is free from solar panels.(source) How much area are we heating that we are not currently using. I’m downstairs as is all my family watching tv and working on our computers upstairs is empty. There wouldn’t be any lights on, my 4 year old has decided that all lights should be off which is great but sometimes she turns off light where we are. However the upstairs is heated and that is waste. Since 1950 the average US home has grown by 1247 sq ft and there is one less person in the house.(source)
A simpler life is a cheaper, greener and happier life. This is something that for me is an ideal but not yet a value. That is that I want to have it in my life but as of yet have not made the changes to to turn it into a value.
Myself, I just buy practical stuff I am going to use. Don’t have much use for decorations ect. I do this more for economic reason than environmental.
But, the environment will benefit. My ex-roomate was, what I call, ajunk collector.
At work ( retail outlet) w’eve been recycling carboard since Oct. 2008, and before that it all ended up in the landfill. We also, now use, environment- friendly salt for ice and snow; and it works like a charm.
Comment by Keith — Monday, January 5, 2009 @ 5:09 am
Hmmmm, a house on wheels…sound familiar, guys?
Maybe this one is more leak free? No exploding engines? …no bed for Simon. I guess it woulnd’t work after all.
🙂
Miss You
Comment by Ashleigh — Monday, January 5, 2009 @ 8:41 am