Are you considering downsizing your house to save money? Welcome to the club! Hello, my name is Emma and in 2015 I was exactly where you are now. I won’t rehash our entire downsizing story (you can read it here if you like) but suffice to say we downsized so we would have more time for enjoying leisure together and more money for travel. Downsizing to a smaller home can be a great way to free up cash for taking that dream vacation, to pursue a hobby, or even just work less, but how do you Read More...

I've been living in a small house with my family for over three years now. I was quite apprehensive about how living in a smaller home would work for us, but I can say now that downsizing was the right choice. Don’t get me wrong, living in a small house with a family has not been easy all of the time. But, I realized just how monumentally my perspective has shifted after watching a home show on HGTV recently. The new homeowner was super excited to be moving into her enormous house Read More...

I remember searching for downsizing tips before we moved to a small home. I was completely overwhelmed with decluttering and the idea that I was somehow demeaning myself because I was moving to a smaller space - crazy, right? Well, maybe not. If you have considered downsizing your home the idea of getting rid of most of your clutter and prioritising what is important to you can be overwhelming. In fact, it can put you off the idea completely. But it doesn’t have to be so hard. 8 Read More...

Four years ago, my husband and I were living in a large home with loads of stuff all around us. We had a toddler, a low income and a large mortgage payment (relative to the income, anyways). Our house was damaged in an earthquake and we were unable to renovate it until we had a clear idea of what our insurance company intended to do with our home. There was a high chance they would demolish it, in which case any money spent on renovations or improvements would be money down the drain. So Read More...

If you have kids you know that in a short time your child's toy box can be overflowing with toys. Some toys get played with once or twice and just sit and collect dust on the shelf. Giving non-toy gifts is a great way to minimize the toys and perhaps inspire a new hobby or interest in your child.  Non-toy gift ideas don't have to be boring. Many of the options below will be highly enjoyable for your child! Perhaps even more so than a single-purpose toy. Just skim through the list and see what Read More...