My fiance and I bought an 841 sqft house last fall and it's so heartening to hear of families with kids living in houses not much larger than ours, because we hope to stay here awhile, even with kids...maybe finish up the attic or something.
I feel silly sometimes telling people how small our house is, but we love it, and it's just the right amount of space! Luckily we have an attic and basement for storage as well.
A previous post mentioned a question I KNOW I'm going to hear: Where do you see yourself in 5-10 yrs?
My problem: A little background info...I have a degree in Biology and 2 years in a doctor of optometry program (it's a 4 yr program; I left b/c I decided I wanted to become a physician/ophthalmologist instead of an optometrist). I have an interview for an ophthalmic technician position (requires a G.E.D. and certification preferred; try getting a job w/ a B.S. in Bio and no work exp...it's hell! No one cares about all of my schooling :() to hold me over until I get into medical; maybe 2 years from now. NOW...here's the problem: I know they're going to ask about my future plans so what do I say? If I tell them I want to go back to school to be a physician, they probably won't hire me b/c companies want long term employees. So, what do I say? If I tell them I want to "grow w/ the company" (not quite sure where you can grow in the healthcare field if you're a tech...w/o going back to school), they probably won't believe me b/c I have a bachelors and 2 years of graduate education. Any suggestions? Thanks!
When we bought our house we thought we NEEDED a 3 bedroom, so we could have our bedroom and then each have a home office. Well, both of us usually end up working in the living room and hardly ever use our offices which are "catch all" rooms. I closed the vents and the door in mine over the winter so I wouldn't have to heat it. I think we'd be much happier in a small house (even though our house is only about 1200 sq ft). I feel overwhelmed cleaning it and we don't simplify because it's easier to just put clutter in the basement.
Our next house will be much smaller. Sometimes we day dream about living in a restored old Airstream. I can't imaging living in a McMansion. It just doesn't seem appealing to me.
I live in a place too big for just me. But I do like living on my own and the place where I live is very nice and I can stay here for as long as I want.
I have thought about moving out into a smaller place, but where I live - Brisbane, Australia - is going through a "housing crisis" and it is hard to find nice places within one's budget.
I am used to living in smaller places and I actually prefer it. It always feels more cozy. And like you said it is easier to heat and clean. Although I live in a townhouse at the moment with 5 half-levels and although I have all that space I tend to only use 3 -4 rooms regularly (kitchen and bathroom included), so heating and cleaning aren't huge issues for me. Most of my time is spent in one room: my bedroom/study.
We're a family of 5 and we're living in a 1,200 square foot house with a detached garage.
Our master bedroom was the rec-room for the former owners (a childless couple), our youngest kids (age 4 and 8) share a bedroom and the oldest has his own.
We have 2.5 bathrooms, a dining room, a sunroom, a playroom for the kids (which will eventually be a bedroom for the 4 year old - when he's a bit older), a living room, a home office, laundry room, furnace room (with storage space), a small fruit cellar, a small but efficient kitchen... in other words, we have everything we need and then some!
Given the power to change something, I'd make the kitchen slightly larger so we could have the whole family in there while cooking.
I rather like that our house is small enough to keep us somewhat close together but that we all have some space to spread out when we need it.
There is an old Japanses saying: "Full Mat, Half Mat, A Fist Full of Rice" which I keep going referring to when images of a grandiose house tempts me.
It translates to: No matter how highborn a King you are or how lowly a peasant, when you are sleeping you take up a full mat, when you are sitting you take up half a mat, and your stomach only holds a fistful of rice...
This time last year, my husband and I were living in a new construction house that checked in at just over 2000 sq. ft. (not including the additional 930 sq. ft. in the unfinished basement). The "plan" was to stay there forever, have kids, grow old, etc. But, living in the 'burbs, we becaming increasingly frustrated with a lifestyle that chained us to our cars and kept us from ever meeting our neighbors, and there were whole rooms of our house that went unused. Six months ago we sold our house and moved into a 1450 sq. ft. townhome in a neighborhood adjacent to downtown Denver. We share a car, we fill up our gas tank once every two weeks, my husband bikes to work, we have lunch together in a nearby park at least once a week, and a night on the town involves little more than a short walk. We don't miss the extra space, and we could probably get by with something even smaller. But I work from home and needed a dedicated home office, and my husband - a classically trained pianist - needed space for his grand piano.
My husband, two children, and I live in a 3 bedroom 1 bathroom, 1000 square foot duplex. I like that it forces us to simplify and that it takes little time to clean.
The only things I would change are I'd add a second bathroom, more kitchen counter space (we barely have any), and a garage or shed for outside storage.
If we are ever able to buy our own house, I'm not going to look at a huge house. I prefer small.
I think Barak is actually sensible on this issue. He said what you said and pointed out that gas companies will probably just raise the price to eliminate the tax savings. Anyway, all of these stupid stunts for the election are getting kind of annoying.
I have to admit that I like my big house. It's just me and my dog in an 1800 square foot house. For most of my adult live I lived in less than 800 square feet, but I bought this place about three years ago. I enjoy having a really nice guest room with a king-size bed when family comes to stay. I enjoy having a nice dining room for dinner parties. And I really like having an office for all my books and papers. I like to close the door to my office at the end of the day and not have to look at my work or my bills when I'm relaxing in my living room.
Yes, it's more than I probably NEED, but I enjoy every inch of my house.
Before I got married I also shared a 3 bedroom 1200 sqft condo with 2 roommates. What I found is that the living room and dining room were barely used because we mostly liked to hang out in our own rooms. We used the kitchen, but it was pretty small so each of us used probably 300 square feet of the place. A lot of extra space in big houses are just collecting dust and it really is a waste.
I used to be a space snob, sadly. I lived in a big old apartment with a roommate but when I moved across the state, the only apartment/house I could find is a 350sq ft shed. Now, I love it! Cleaning is easy, and I've really got room to spare. I think 200sq ft would probably be fine for just me. 75ft is probably pushing it though.
This to all the old folks posting on here talking trash about runescape!
You're all noobs and I pwn you irl.
Runescape usernames are: Yogosun, Zezima, Zzzamorak, Elvemage, Kingduffy 1, Uloveme, Ffsbbqily
As a Cleveland Resident, and a Cleveland Indians fan who is STILL offended by LeBoob showing up at a Cleveland Indians vs NY Yankees playoff game last year wearing a NY Yankees cap, sitting in general seating, asking for special treatment from the Indians management, and "being at the game to "represent" for my team (the New York Yankees)" I am still waiting for LeBron to apologize for insulting the town that pays him millions of dollars to throw a ball into a hoop.
Too bad that Lebron doesn't have as much class as the local pizza joint. Good for the people of Cleveland and the charities that will benefit. And good for Papa John's for owning their mistakes.
Grr...some of us were born and raised in Cleveland and had to move to find an actual job. Papa Johns should make this nationwide, since Cavs fans are all over. Just because I don't live in the rust belt anymore doesn't mean I wasn't offended by the whole of the Wizards' antics against LeBron ;-) Some of the Washington players are sorely lacking in gamesmanship, a critical ROLE MODELING skill. And I live in the DC region too. I'm ashamed. Wizards SUCK! And I want my pizza, Papa!
I've been reading reviews on several boxes, and based on what I've read, have decided to narrow the choices down to the RCA or the Zenith. Can anyone give me a comparison of the two, and which you would choose?
Trent has enjoyed a long and successful career. He can afford to give this away with no strings attached.
@everyone,
I think it's great that he's doing this - of course not all artists can afford to do this, or even want to do this. But he's sending a VERY strong message to the RIAA, which is a great thing to do.
This reminds me of when Bill Waterson retired - it was partly over artistic choice, but also about his decision to be free from the united features syndicate.
Paul, you got it so right with the Danny DeVito quote... the RIAA needs to face the facts.
For another GREAT article on the music industry check out www.homeofmusic.com and read the mission statement.
Two of my DVD's were scratched by my portable DVD player recently. I nearly cried. I couldn't belive my favorite DVD is gone forever. I am going to go try the Brasso as soon as I get home. Thanks so much for the tips!
I noticed you are also spineless and can not even put a handle, so Guest I hope your job is eliminated someday, see if you have a change of heart when you lose everything you worked years for.
I paid into the system for many years (over 25) since age 17 I was married and working, worked my way up to a high paying corporate job. I have a large house payment, car payment 2 kids and a wife. I paid thousands and thousands into the system. My job was outsourced to India, I now am being told I am over qualified for every job I apply for (at least 15 per week) This has been going on for a year now. my savings is gone. My wife can not make enough to support the family. I was hurt on the job as well so I think the company used a reorg to get rid of my medical bills (I continued to work even though I could hardly walk) The company started denying my medical care much less any payments. When I was still able to get unemployment, I did not take it until I only had a few weeks left, I kept thinking I would land another job.
We are starving with no money, we applied for public assistance and have been waiting over a month now for approval.
I can only hope you have to go through this someday yourself as I probably paid more in my short years than you have ever into the system.
Some people try and just can't make it so quit making judgement on everyone because there are people that abuse the system.
I should've been in the first group but still don't have my direct deposit. Perhaps because I did my taxes online using TurboTax and they use a clearinghouse bank that then deposits to my actual bank. I'm not sure what I need to do now.
This really helps. I always say to myself, THIS now *or* HOUSE later... Yes this 20 or 30 bucks can go right to savings is usually my next thought. But like your third point, this still isn't always enough. Now I have a new weapon in my fight against mindless spending.
My fiance and I bought an 841 sqft house last fall and it's so heartening to hear of families with kids living in houses not much larger than ours, because we hope to stay here awhile, even with kids...maybe finish up the attic or something.
I feel silly sometimes telling people how small our house is, but we love it, and it's just the right amount of space! Luckily we have an attic and basement for storage as well.
A previous post mentioned a question I KNOW I'm going to hear: Where do you see yourself in 5-10 yrs?
My problem: A little background info...I have a degree in Biology and 2 years in a doctor of optometry program (it's a 4 yr program; I left b/c I decided I wanted to become a physician/ophthalmologist instead of an optometrist). I have an interview for an ophthalmic technician position (requires a G.E.D. and certification preferred; try getting a job w/ a B.S. in Bio and no work exp...it's hell! No one cares about all of my schooling :() to hold me over until I get into medical; maybe 2 years from now. NOW...here's the problem: I know they're going to ask about my future plans so what do I say? If I tell them I want to go back to school to be a physician, they probably won't hire me b/c companies want long term employees. So, what do I say? If I tell them I want to "grow w/ the company" (not quite sure where you can grow in the healthcare field if you're a tech...w/o going back to school), they probably won't believe me b/c I have a bachelors and 2 years of graduate education. Any suggestions? Thanks!
When we bought our house we thought we NEEDED a 3 bedroom, so we could have our bedroom and then each have a home office. Well, both of us usually end up working in the living room and hardly ever use our offices which are "catch all" rooms. I closed the vents and the door in mine over the winter so I wouldn't have to heat it. I think we'd be much happier in a small house (even though our house is only about 1200 sq ft). I feel overwhelmed cleaning it and we don't simplify because it's easier to just put clutter in the basement.
Our next house will be much smaller. Sometimes we day dream about living in a restored old Airstream. I can't imaging living in a McMansion. It just doesn't seem appealing to me.
I live in a place too big for just me. But I do like living on my own and the place where I live is very nice and I can stay here for as long as I want.
I have thought about moving out into a smaller place, but where I live - Brisbane, Australia - is going through a "housing crisis" and it is hard to find nice places within one's budget.
I am used to living in smaller places and I actually prefer it. It always feels more cozy. And like you said it is easier to heat and clean. Although I live in a townhouse at the moment with 5 half-levels and although I have all that space I tend to only use 3 -4 rooms regularly (kitchen and bathroom included), so heating and cleaning aren't huge issues for me. Most of my time is spent in one room: my bedroom/study.
We're a family of 5 and we're living in a 1,200 square foot house with a detached garage.
Our master bedroom was the rec-room for the former owners (a childless couple), our youngest kids (age 4 and 8) share a bedroom and the oldest has his own.
We have 2.5 bathrooms, a dining room, a sunroom, a playroom for the kids (which will eventually be a bedroom for the 4 year old - when he's a bit older), a living room, a home office, laundry room, furnace room (with storage space), a small fruit cellar, a small but efficient kitchen... in other words, we have everything we need and then some!
Given the power to change something, I'd make the kitchen slightly larger so we could have the whole family in there while cooking.
I rather like that our house is small enough to keep us somewhat close together but that we all have some space to spread out when we need it.
There is an old Japanses saying: "Full Mat, Half Mat, A Fist Full of Rice" which I keep going referring to when images of a grandiose house tempts me.
It translates to: No matter how highborn a King you are or how lowly a peasant, when you are sleeping you take up a full mat, when you are sitting you take up half a mat, and your stomach only holds a fistful of rice...
This time last year, my husband and I were living in a new construction house that checked in at just over 2000 sq. ft. (not including the additional 930 sq. ft. in the unfinished basement). The "plan" was to stay there forever, have kids, grow old, etc. But, living in the 'burbs, we becaming increasingly frustrated with a lifestyle that chained us to our cars and kept us from ever meeting our neighbors, and there were whole rooms of our house that went unused. Six months ago we sold our house and moved into a 1450 sq. ft. townhome in a neighborhood adjacent to downtown Denver. We share a car, we fill up our gas tank once every two weeks, my husband bikes to work, we have lunch together in a nearby park at least once a week, and a night on the town involves little more than a short walk. We don't miss the extra space, and we could probably get by with something even smaller. But I work from home and needed a dedicated home office, and my husband - a classically trained pianist - needed space for his grand piano.
My husband, two children, and I live in a 3 bedroom 1 bathroom, 1000 square foot duplex. I like that it forces us to simplify and that it takes little time to clean.
The only things I would change are I'd add a second bathroom, more kitchen counter space (we barely have any), and a garage or shed for outside storage.
If we are ever able to buy our own house, I'm not going to look at a huge house. I prefer small.
I think Barak is actually sensible on this issue. He said what you said and pointed out that gas companies will probably just raise the price to eliminate the tax savings. Anyway, all of these stupid stunts for the election are getting kind of annoying.
I have to admit that I like my big house. It's just me and my dog in an 1800 square foot house. For most of my adult live I lived in less than 800 square feet, but I bought this place about three years ago. I enjoy having a really nice guest room with a king-size bed when family comes to stay. I enjoy having a nice dining room for dinner parties. And I really like having an office for all my books and papers. I like to close the door to my office at the end of the day and not have to look at my work or my bills when I'm relaxing in my living room.
Yes, it's more than I probably NEED, but I enjoy every inch of my house.
Before I got married I also shared a 3 bedroom 1200 sqft condo with 2 roommates. What I found is that the living room and dining room were barely used because we mostly liked to hang out in our own rooms. We used the kitchen, but it was pretty small so each of us used probably 300 square feet of the place. A lot of extra space in big houses are just collecting dust and it really is a waste.
I used to be a space snob, sadly. I lived in a big old apartment with a roommate but when I moved across the state, the only apartment/house I could find is a 350sq ft shed. Now, I love it! Cleaning is easy, and I've really got room to spare. I think 200sq ft would probably be fine for just me. 75ft is probably pushing it though.
wow thats cool, i always need more memory....
This was a really interesting post. Thanks for the insight!
This to all the old folks posting on here talking trash about runescape!
You're all noobs and I pwn you irl.
Runescape usernames are: Yogosun, Zezima, Zzzamorak, Elvemage, Kingduffy 1, Uloveme, Ffsbbqily
As a Cleveland Resident, and a Cleveland Indians fan who is STILL offended by LeBoob showing up at a Cleveland Indians vs NY Yankees playoff game last year wearing a NY Yankees cap, sitting in general seating, asking for special treatment from the Indians management, and "being at the game to "represent" for my team (the New York Yankees)" I am still waiting for LeBron to apologize for insulting the town that pays him millions of dollars to throw a ball into a hoop.
Too bad that Lebron doesn't have as much class as the local pizza joint. Good for the people of Cleveland and the charities that will benefit. And good for Papa John's for owning their mistakes.
Grr...some of us were born and raised in Cleveland and had to move to find an actual job. Papa Johns should make this nationwide, since Cavs fans are all over. Just because I don't live in the rust belt anymore doesn't mean I wasn't offended by the whole of the Wizards' antics against LeBron ;-) Some of the Washington players are sorely lacking in gamesmanship, a critical ROLE MODELING skill. And I live in the DC region too. I'm ashamed. Wizards SUCK! And I want my pizza, Papa!
I've been reading reviews on several boxes, and based on what I've read, have decided to narrow the choices down to the RCA or the Zenith. Can anyone give me a comparison of the two, and which you would choose?
Nice! Another great reason for my husband quitting his job. (if you want to know the rest of the reason, see my blog)
@Mike 2,
Trent has enjoyed a long and successful career. He can afford to give this away with no strings attached.
@everyone,
I think it's great that he's doing this - of course not all artists can afford to do this, or even want to do this. But he's sending a VERY strong message to the RIAA, which is a great thing to do.
This reminds me of when Bill Waterson retired - it was partly over artistic choice, but also about his decision to be free from the united features syndicate.
Paul, you got it so right with the Danny DeVito quote... the RIAA needs to face the facts.
For another GREAT article on the music industry check out www.homeofmusic.com and read the mission statement.
Two of my DVD's were scratched by my portable DVD player recently. I nearly cried. I couldn't belive my favorite DVD is gone forever. I am going to go try the Brasso as soon as I get home. Thanks so much for the tips!
I noticed you are also spineless and can not even put a handle, so Guest I hope your job is eliminated someday, see if you have a change of heart when you lose everything you worked years for.
I paid into the system for many years (over 25) since age 17 I was married and working, worked my way up to a high paying corporate job. I have a large house payment, car payment 2 kids and a wife. I paid thousands and thousands into the system. My job was outsourced to India, I now am being told I am over qualified for every job I apply for (at least 15 per week) This has been going on for a year now. my savings is gone. My wife can not make enough to support the family. I was hurt on the job as well so I think the company used a reorg to get rid of my medical bills (I continued to work even though I could hardly walk) The company started denying my medical care much less any payments. When I was still able to get unemployment, I did not take it until I only had a few weeks left, I kept thinking I would land another job.
We are starving with no money, we applied for public assistance and have been waiting over a month now for approval.
I can only hope you have to go through this someday yourself as I probably paid more in my short years than you have ever into the system.
Some people try and just can't make it so quit making judgement on everyone because there are people that abuse the system.
I should've been in the first group but still don't have my direct deposit. Perhaps because I did my taxes online using TurboTax and they use a clearinghouse bank that then deposits to my actual bank. I'm not sure what I need to do now.
This really helps. I always say to myself, THIS now *or* HOUSE later... Yes this 20 or 30 bucks can go right to savings is usually my next thought. But like your third point, this still isn't always enough. Now I have a new weapon in my fight against mindless spending.