6 Benefits of Living with Less: Simple Tips for Tiny Living

written by Nancy Carter, Making My Own Lane

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“The first step in crafting the life you want is 

getting rid of everything you don’t” 

Joshua Becker, author of The More of Less.

You really don’t need a lot to be happy.

Just for fun, if you could only have 3 things in your house to make you happy, what would you choose?

For me it’s a cozy bed, a 42” TV, and my Keurig coffee pot.

Living in a small space helps to force you to be intentional about what you bring into your life. It's the perfect opportunity to re-evaluate your priorities and focus on what truly adds value. But what if you live in a larger space? Can you still learn to live with less? It starts with a ruthless decluttering process. Everything that doesn't serve a purpose or bring joy has to go. It's not about depriving yourself of things you love, but about creating an environment that sparks joy and simplicity.

But, it’s a daily struggle. Being emotionally attached to things, dealing with people who want to give you their stuff, and the constant pressure to buy more stuff. Consumerism that is handed to us every day in the form of commercials on our computers, our phones, and our TVs that give you that FOMO, or fear of missing out, feeling - missing out on what others have that you don’t.

I chose not to buy a lot of things, not because I can’t afford them, but because I want to live a more simple life, where I am not controlled by having so much stuff to take care of. The more you have, the more you have to maintain and keep up. I can afford more, I choose not to spend more.

This blog post is not designed to offend anyone, or anyone’s current lifestyle or the decision to live a certain lifestyle. Everyone is different, so a one-size fits all lifestyle isn’t what I’m about here.

I’m just sharing the way I have chosen to live for the past year and a half. This is the phase of life that I am in. A phase of freedom, personal growth, and peace, and I can’t imagine going back to the lifestyle of consumerism that I once lived.

Now I consume only what I need, but not excessively. I consume only what I need and what I will use, and I have become much more intentional in my spending.


Almost everything I own serves multiple purposes. For example, I have a rolling storage box that can also serve as a seat if I have company, my microwave doubles as storage for snacks and crackers. It helps keep things fresh. My shower is the perfect place to keep the kitty litter box. and everything gets used on a regular basis. Anything I own has earned its spot in my tiny home.

I don’t claim to be a minimalist, but I do live a minimalistic type of simpler life, where I value experiences over things.

How do I decide what to buy?

When I am making a decision to buy something new, the first question I ask myself is, where will I put it? Living in a smaller space has helped me to really think about what I buy before I buy it.

The next question is, what joy will this item bring to my life and for how long?

And the third question I ask myself is, will it make me more comfortable? For example, will it keep me warm on a cold day or give me more time to do the things I really want to do?

Recent purchase - inflatable paddleboard. It took me 3 months to make the purchase.

Let’s put it to the test.

Yes, it does take up space in my home, but it’s smaller than a non-inflatable paddle-board or kayak.

While I don’t use it every day, being able to get out on the water on a beautiful lake has given me a lot of enjoyment and peace. There’s nothing like floating around and exploring a lake on a warm summer day, and I will be able to use it for years to come as I continue to explore the US and find new lakes, streams, and springs.

6 benefits of living with less

1.  Mental minimalism - Having less gives me more peace, more time for new experiences and personal growth, and more contentment. More time to focus on the people and things that are important to me, instead of the burden of having to take care of so much stuff, and live a fuller, more intentional life. I felt that when I owned a houseful of things, those things owned me. My time, my energy, and the money it took to maintain all those things. I found that I was exhausted trying to keep up with my old life of maintaining everything I owned.

Obviously I still have things to maintain, but I maintain only what I need to live a life of travel.

2.  Emotional minimalism - not having as many emotional attachments to what I own. Everything serves a purpose.

3.  Less clutter … so there is still clutter, even with living with less. And yes, I still “lose” things in my home, but I find that I find them much faster. Everything has a place, and I don’t have many places to put things. As long as I put things back in their assigned place, I don’t lose things. I’m still working on getting better at that.

4.  Another benefit I have found is that I have more flexibility and freedom to be more generous in my time with helping others. I am able to take more time to nurture and enjoy relationships in my life.

5.  Less debt/less stress. I bought a used RV in good condition that I could afford, not a new one that I would have had to make payments on. I researched and made a list of what I thought I needed, and I found that RV. Exactly. It’s small, but it has everything I need to live comfortably and travel easily.

And yes, I had to sell my house to live a life I love. Debt-free and on my own terms.

6.  I am able to realign my life with my greatest passions. Living a “smaller” life has allowed me to live larger and spend more time with the people I love, in different parts of the country, and do the things that I really enjoy while I am able to do them.

Do you want to be remembered for your net worth and the cool stuff you own or for the positive way you made people feel and the difference you made in someone else’s life?

How I downsized my belongings

I started by not replacing things just because society said it was time. I kept my older car with plenty of life left in it, and no car payment, even though I could have bought a new car, I chose to use what I had.

Wearing clothes that I have instead of buying something new.

Basically, enjoying and being thankful for what I have instead of always wanting more so I could be the same as everyone else and have the same things that everyone else had.

When I moved into my tiny home on wheels, I made a list of things I already had that I wanted to bring with me. Actually, it was pretty easy. I listed those items in the order of how important they were to me and my daily living expectations, and when I ran out of room, I was done! Everything else had to go.

I decorated with things I already had that reminded me of my family and friends, or things that I had experienced. My art was created by my daughter back when she was in high school, and it makes me happy to look at it every day.

My knick-knacks are gifts from people I love that have been given to me over the years. When I look at them I am reminded of that person.

My quilts were made for me. One by my daughter, and one by my mother and completed by my sister. Not only are they beautiful, they help keep me warm on cold nights.

Simply put, I decorate with memories.

I still have a lot of things that are very sentimental to me, just not every letter, card, picture, or piece of artwork from the times my daughters were 3. I gave those things to my daughters to enjoy.

I divided up our scrapbooks. A few for me, and few for them. And our home videos, many of which sadly, didn’t hold up to time. But my daughters can decide if they someday want to get them restored. They are their memories too. I boxed their things up and dropped them off at their homes, and they can decide what to keep and what not to keep.

I let my daughters pick their favorite things in my house, from furniture and antiques to dishware, holiday decorations and books. I did not judge what they chose and what they did not choose to take. The only thing I asked was that they use it and enjoy it, not just stick it away in their attic.

I gave my friends things that they wanted, and I gave my favorite dog groomer all of my depression glass because she collected it and it gave her joy.

Everything else I sold or donated - in 27 days. Probably for the best because I didn’t have the time or energy to worry about what I was doing.

And one and a half years later, I can’t think of a thing I miss.

I enjoy going to my family and friends' homes and seeing them enjoy what I gave them. It’s not my stuff anymore.

Maintaining a minimalist mindset is just as important as implementing practical hacks. It's essential to regularly assess your belongings and habits to ensure they still align with your values and priorities. This mindfulness practice helps me stay focused on what's truly important and avoid falling into old patterns.

After living in my RV for a year, I let go of even more things. Things that I was tired of moving around or stepping over. Things that I wasn’t using that were taking up much-needed space. I happily rehomed them and gave myself more living space.

I also made some internal design changes to give me more room and space to walk around.

I had a friend that was redoing her RV, and she gave me her old set up, which works perfectly for me, and it was free! The total amount I spent reconfiguring my RV was $75. $50 for an oversized chair that I could sit in with one of my dogs, and a new, washable rug to make it feel more like a home and less like an RV.

Less stuff, better organized, and a lot less stress.

This simple life concept is something that has been reinforced in my travels this year to some very remote places. Learning how some people lived a very minimalistic, functionality-based based lifestyle that allowed them to live their dreams, appreciate their surroundings, and find peace and personal satisfaction living a simpler lifestyle.

Hi there! I'm Nancy.

In 2023, I ditched my heels for hiking boots, sold my house, and decided to travel the US full time in my 2005 Lazy Daze Class C RV.

I love to share the places I travel to and what it's like to live in an RV full-time.

If you have ever thought about hitting the road and traveling in an RV, either in your free time or full time, you are in the right place!

Follow along for weekly blog posts about my adventures as I travel the US with my two dogs, Rufus and Willie, and my cat, Katie.