Andrew’s TEDx Talk on Tiny House Living

Written By Andrew Morrison
December 3, 2014

This past October I was invited to Colorado Springs to give a TEDx talk on tiny house living, living within one’s means, and living a deliberate life that supports one’s joy and wellness. The subject matter will be a natural carry over to the straw bale community (who is comprised of so many amazing people looking for a better way to live) so I wanted to share it with you.

By choosing to live in a small space, we were able to build our house with cash and now have no housing payments (and won’t for the rest of our lives if we stay living here).  I hear from so many of you that this is a dream: to live without a housing payment and to live free of debt. Well, it’s not just a dream. It is an obtainable reality.

I hope you enjoy the talk and it inspires you towards achieving the dreams you hold dear.

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5 Responses

  1. that was a great talk! I am looking at exactly these goals, to simplify, to get a small place of my own. You summarized it so well, thank you!

  2. Precious. Reorganizing mental structures. In each moment. Get zen is delightful. Thanks, forever for what you do.

  3. I’m currently living in a 120 sq. ft. shed while building a 300 sq. ft. tiny house (on foundation). While I only need one chair, one plate, one bowl, one cup, etc. I do have many friends and neighbors. I think that so much of the stuff we have is really for family and friends visiting (the extra bedrooms and bathrooms) and for entertaining (needing dinnerware for eight or more plus the seating space, all the extra kitchen gadgets to cook a fantastic meal, and the larger fridge to hold the ingredients for the meal, etc. In Maine I had a 3 bedroom house and could have overnight visitors and could entertain for a large party. Now in the PNW in a tiny house, baring a cultural shift (e.g. every guest bringing his/her own plate and glass), what could be some solutions for wintertime gatherings and housing overnight guests? Do folks in tiny houses have fewer social activities with fewer friends at a time?

    1. Hi Denis. I think it depends on the individual or family in question. I can say that for us, we have had a few gatherings with upwards of 12 people at a time in our 207 sf tiny house. We simply found ways to seat everyone comfortably, and picked only those friends who we knew would love the experience. In other words, I doubt we would have added a new group of friends to that mix as it may have been outside their comfort zone. Other folks may choose to entertain less. It all depends. One thing to consider, if you enjoy entertaining, is that the money you’ll save by not building such a big house could be used to host parties at a local hotel or event center. After all, not paying for the larger build, AND, not paying for the month to month upkeep of a larger house, will save you lots of money. You can choose how you use that money, but if entertaining is a big thing for you, it may be worth investing some money into the event. Hope that helps. Cheers.

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