Lots of Changes!!

I was starting to look at things online about simplifying your life and came across an interesting website or two about people who choose to live in tiny houses. I was fascinated, but knew it wouldn't be something I could do. 

I'm a 50+ woman who is disabled and has to make ends meet on what the Government gives me in my social security check each month. Not an easy task, just ask anyone that has to do it. I mistakenly thought that it meant that I could never live on my own, but would have to always have room mates to get by. It was a disaster. I found that even though my daughter and I were able to survive with less, most people that moved in with us were still under the belief that in order to be happy they had to be super consumers. They would nod and agree with us that most of the "things" that we as a society surround ourselves with are unnecessary and often complicate our lives, they couldn't quite bring themselves to make the changes. 

I started by making my own cleaning supplies and by knitting my own socks and I just kept adding to the list of things I learned to live without. Things started leaving our home. No more televisions, the land line phone left and we kept only our cell phones and those we got with the cheapest plan we could find. Then we got rid of the car (along with the insurance payments and the registration, not to mention the gas). At that time, my estranged husband called and told us he was dying of cancer and needed my help while he was in hospice. So, because I was the one person he felt comfortable with, I moved into his little converted garage. 

At first I kept thinking about the space I missed and the appliances that I was used to in the apartment I shared with my daughter, but as time passed, I realized that I was living the "small house" dream. In a house with two small rooms (one of which has a tiny kitchen) and a small bathroom, I realized my error. Small meant less complicated. As it became apparent that my husband wouldn't survive his cancer, I gradually got used to "small" and decided to stay here. After he passed away and would no longer stress about his "collections" I started decluttering. I removed all the excess clothing, boxes, papers, and broken furniture. I Cleaned the place up and added curtains and other trim to make it look less like a converted garage and more like a cute little cottage.

Last night I tossed the old microwave and stepped back into the 1960's when people didn't have microwaves, garbage disposals, or Mr. Coffee machines. I got rid of the toaster and I'm gradually discarding the plastic dishes. My kitchen doesn't have space for dishwashers, and has limited cupboards. The floors are tile, no polyester carpets and carpet liners here, just rag rugs I made from clothes that I re-purposed. I started making my home made cleaners and laundry products again and will gradually get rid of the chemicals that are here.

So...yeah...this is my little revolution. I'm going to gradually scale down to a more simple way of life. Instead of living the "Big Life", I'm living the small one and smiling a whole lot more. I'm not a big celebrity, don't have a college education with a high paying job, and don't go on talk circuits around the country. I'm just Peg, a 54 year old widow, living in a small city named Barstow in the middle of no where, and surviving on a tiny disability check. But if I can make changes to my life at my age, so can you...