When it comes to simple living, it seems like a good idea to start with the largest thing you will ever own; your home. Ever since WWII we have seen a steady increase in the size of our homes. The average size home has grown to 2,330 sq ft from 1400 sq ft in 1970. Why the need for all the extra space? The average family has actually decreased in size since then, but I'm sure most of you know the reason. Americans are obsessed with stuff, but we'll save that discussion for later. For now, lets look at the advantages of owning a smaller home.

1) Saving Money. Smaller homes don't just cost less to buy, they cost less to keep. Most household expenses are reduced. The less you spend on your house, the less you pay in taxes and insurance. You'll spend less on heating, cooling and water. You'll probably spend less time on up keep like cleaning and yard work, but don't forget about maintenance too. You'll spend less the next time you need new carpet, a coat of paint, or a remodeling job.

2) Buying Less Junk. It doesn't take too much thought to realize that buying a smaller house does not mean living in a cramped space. You don't take up that much space. A family of four can easily watch a movie together on a couch. The loss of space just means you'll have to keep less stuff. The bigger the rooms the bigger the furniture. The bigger the walls the bigger the décor. If you don't have room in your closet for 100 purses (That's not an exaggeration, my friend's wife really does have 100 purses) you might be less tempted to start that collection. All that space opens up room for a lot more clutter. Does clutter make you happy? No? Then why have it?

3) Lessening Your Impact on the Environment. Yes, you save money using less electricity, less water, and buying less junk. Even if you have the money to spend, why do you need to? Many people take pleasure out of knowing that they leave behind a smaller footprint by making some small and empowering changes. Sure, the townhouse I live in is cheaper than a house, but I also enjoy the fact that shared walls, shared landscaping, a shared clubhouse and a shared pool all relate to a smaller impact on the environment.

4) That Cozy Feeling. I recently saw on the news about a very wealthy couple who had their "dream home" built. It ended up being over 27,000 square feet. After they lived there a couple of years they realized that it's just too big and were looking for something in the 3500 to 7000 square foot range. Still huge but a fraction of what they though was their dream home. Most people think more space equals more happiness, but that's not necessarily true. If you think about it, there is something to be said about having that "Cozy little house". I personally enjoy having the fridge close to the couch and the fact that I can watch the TV from my dinning table. I think it looks funny when you see someone on TV with a huge bedroom that's mostly just empty space. My bedroom has room for a queen sized bed, two night stands and a dresser, but not much more. That's OK because I really don't really do anything in the bedroom that doesn't take place in the bed. And I'll never understand those people who have the clean, well decorated room that no one is allowed to sit in.

Part of Simple Living, Voluntary Simplicity, Living Green, or whatever you want to call it, involves making choices based on what is good for you and the environment. Too many people make bad choices because they are concerned about what other people think. You may enjoy keeping up with the Joneses but I bet you'll enjoy living deliberately, free of other people's expectations even more