Needs

We, my husband and I, are working toward downsizing. Not because of a catastrophic event or loss of income. We are looking way down the line, about 20 years toward retirement. Our youngest son will be out of the nest and off to college in two and half years, our plan is move into a tiny house shortly after his goes off to college.

Instead of shell shocking ourselves from our comfortably large home into a tiny house, we are starting to thin the material stuff from our lives now. This leads to the thought of the day...Needs.

Do you realize how many times we say need in the course of the day? I need to grab some lunch. I need to get the kids from school. I need a haircut. I need new boots. I need, I need, I need. I have become so much more aware of the phrase "I need" in the last couple of weeks.

We need food. Without it we die. We need water. Again without we die. Shelter is considered a need, but our 2000+ square feet homes are wants, not needs. Our ancestors lived in caves, teepees, huts...there is nothing saying we NEED a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house. Don't get me wrong, that has been my concept of a need until probably a month ago. Why do my husband and I need a 3 bedroom house when it's only the two of us.

The answer I received when I posed that question...to hold your stuff. What stuff? Do you know how much stuff I have in my house I have not seen in years because it is in boxes, just because I have room to store it. Other people could make use of this stuff but I can store it, so I keep it. (I am convinced storage space is how hoarding begins.)

So here are my material needs. This is my list. I have no judgement if you need a large house, (Remember, that was still my plan a month ago.)

• Food - quality food, fast food and "filler food" make me sick


• Water - I need a lot more of it


• Shelter - including a comfortable bed, indoor bathroom facilities, kitchen (stove and oven, sink)


• Transportation - Decent and reliable, if I have my tiny house, I need a truck


• Money - root of evil it may be, but I have to have some in order to pay for all of the above

Through realizing my true needs I am taking stock of my real wants. Turns out we say "I want" way too much as well. In fact the word "I" in general is way over used.

One of my next posts will talk about wants, but I will say this. Like many people I have watch reality shows about hoarding and asked "How can people let it get that bad?" Those shows are extremes, but look in your closet, basement or junk room. How many things do you hold on to because you might use them one day? Do you have things locked away, that belonged to someone you loved and the idea of getting rid of those items feels like a betrayal? Do you have clothes from 5 or 10 years ago that might fit once you get into shape?

I am certain my degree of packing things away would never graduate to the level of a hoarders episode, but I can see how overtime it could get away from someone. My goal is to live more simplistic, with less stuff. Not to deprive myself or my family but to fill my time with action and memories, instead of working to take care of stuff and buy stuff. I do not expect everyone to jump on board and see this logic, there was a time that this sounded like a bunch of nonsense to me. I had to reach the right point in my life for all this to click.

I'm just taking you on my journey, not asking you to commit to it yourself. Think about what you really need. Pay attention to how often you say you "need" things. How often do our children tell us they "need" things. What we "need" to do is change that needy culture.