Top 10 Things We Learned by Downsizing Our Lives

​We're coming up on a full year of RV travel. I can't even believe that it's been a year. We've seen SO many different things, and explored a TON of new places, it's been a wild whirlwind of fun and adventure. In the spirit of recollection, we've decided to come up with a list of the top 10 things we learned by downsizing our lives and living full-time in an RV. 

This article doesn't necessarily apply to RV travelers solely. Truthfully, if Vanessa and I didn't move into an RV and decide to travel, we still would be living as minimally and simply as possible. It's about getting rid of garbage which takes up room in your house, brain, and everyday lives, in order to free up space for other things that make you happy. Take a look at what we learned from downsizing.

1. The Less Stuff You Have, The Better You’ll Feel

This is number 1 for a reason. I really can't describe how freeing it is to have nothing holding us back in terms of excess. Oftentimes in this lifestyle, we're making purchases that really serve no purpose. By downsizing our lives, Vanessa and I tossed or donated an incredible amount of stuff. It's completely freeing to know that anything we own, we can take with us.

2. Less Options, Less Headache

When you downsize things like clothing, for example, you are also downsizing the exorbitant amount of options you have. This is a good thing. When you only have a few pairs of pants, a few quality shirts, a single pair of sneakers, you know what you're going to use. There aren't too many options clouding your brain, making you fuss over unnecessary decisions.

3. You Realize That You Really Don’t Need Much

After we downsized, we really got a taste of what we truly need to survive. Here's a hint: it's not much. There was no reason I needed to hold onto that old iPod in my drawer. I didn't need a second pair of sneakers. We didn't need to keep books that we've already read. Our needs were few and simple. Even in terms of grocery shopping, we downsized to only necessities, instead of shopping in terms of want. 

4. Living a More Authentic Lifestyle

By paring down our belongings, and minimizing our things, Vanessa and I were able to live a more authentic lifestyle. For example, Vanessa started making beauty products after she rid herself of a majority of her personal collection. It turns out that she became much happier after learning how to make beauty products, and only making what she needs.

5. 90% of What You Own, Owns You

If you have ever seen Fight Club, then you'll know what we mean by this. If not, then think of it this way...that jetski that you thought you needed to have when you visit the lake twice a year? You probably didn't need. Sure, it's fun to ride around when you use it. But then when you aren't using it, it ends up owning you. Covering it, maintaining it, making sure that it's taken care of during off-season. And what about the payments? If you're financing it, then you're paying for something you don't even use! This also applies to a second card that you don't drive. Most of what you think you own, you probably don't. 

6. If You Don’t Use It Often, You Can Probably Toss It

There's a rule we have in the RV—if you haven't used it in at least three months, goodbye. There are things you have that you use everyday, and things that you have that you may not have used in the past three tears. TOSS IT. Get rid of those stagnant items just taking up space. If you don't use it, lose it. 

7. You Can Still Entertain the Way You Need

A lot of people think that downsizing means losing out. This is far from the truth. Do we live in a much smaller space than what we have? Absolutely. But do we still entertain the way we can? Indeed. Just a few months ago, we were having cocktails and snacks with Birch and Pine in our small RV, braving a sandstorm in the middle of Joshua Tree. Two dogs, five humans, and everyone fit comfortably inside. And for the record, when that sandstorm wasn't raging, we still entertained outside the rig.

8.  You Will Cut Your Cleaning Time in Half

This is probably my favorite. I used to loathe cleaning our bungalow. In order to get that deep-clean that I so desperately wanted, it would take me hours. HOURS. The more space you have, the more you need to clean. With only 170+ square foot space in our RV, cleaning time is a cinch. Actually, it's so enjoyable to clean now, because it takes less than 20 minutes, that we find ourselves doing more cleaning because it's so easy.

9. You Have More Time to Do What You Want

We don't need to organize all our crap, we don't need to go through storage, we don't have bins that need to be sorted and searched. Because we got rid of all of the unnecessary things cramping our lives, we have more time to do things that make us happy. Downsizing has allowed us to have the time to focus on the important things we want, rather than what we have to. This is what has also allowed us to not work full-time, because our bills are few.

10. Satisfying Needs Over Wants Is More Fulfilling

There are certain chores in life that have become more enjoyable now that we have time and finances to enjoy them. Grocery shopping is fun because we're not buying junk, but instead realizing that we're nourishing our bodies. Doing laundry is enjoyable because we have the time to sit and do it. When we satisfy our needs over our wants, we're much more fulfilled in the end. 

And there you have it. Have you downsized your own life recently? Share with us how it's worked for you!