Downsize Your Home, Save Money from It

Have you ever thought of having a simple and stress-free life? Well, most of us want that but the question is "how?"

But first we need to why. Most of us don't realize that downsizing and decluttering can save you a lot of money. Moreover, it can also make your life stress-free. But before we go on to the details of how we can do it, we have to understand that we live in a modern world where are so attached all the material things we accumulated through the years and downsizing can be something negative. We tend to resist the idea of controlling our collecting habits and disposing some stuff that we like.

If you can overcome that barrier then we can start downsizing and save money from it.

1. Save on Home Costs

Remember, the less stuff you have, the smaller space you need to store it all. Stop and think about the size of your home and how much of that space you’re paying to store stuff. You might be surprised at how much your stuff is costing you!

Here's a simple exercise that you can try:

-Write down the total square feet of your house.

-Write down how much you pay monthly for your house or apartment.

-Divide your total square feet by your monthly payment; this is how much you pay monthly per square foot.

-Now estimate how many square feet you’re using to store stuff: include your closets, your basement, extra bedrooms, and your garage.

-Multiply that times your “monthly square foot” cost.

For instance, imagine your home is 2,500 square feet (including storage space) and your mortgage is $1,600 per month. You’re paying .64 cents per square foot, per month, for your home space.

If you’re using 1,000 square feet total to store stuff, this means your stuff is costing you $640 per month. How much would you save by downsizing to a smaller home with a smaller mortgage payment? You do the math!

2. Save on Utilities

A bigger home means you’re spending more every month to heat and cool the space. Aside from the wallet-draining effect, there is also a corresponding environmental effect when you consume more energy. Take the same exercise mentioned above but with particular attention to energy consumption.

Simply take the yearly total of your heating and cooling (or you can do just one month) and divide your square footage into that number.

For instance, if you’re spending $300 per month on electricity and heat, and your home is 2,500 square feet, you’re paying .12 cents per square foot for utilities. That 1,000 square feet you’re using to store stuff is costing you $120 per month to heat and cool.

3. Save on Health Care

When you live in a home that’s packed with stuff and clutter, chances are your air quality is not as healthy as homes with fewer things. Don't hoard yourself to death.

Why?

Because homes that are cluttered are almost always dustier and dirtier than homes without it. They are much more difficult and time-consuming to clean. Owning a house full of stuff is also often stressful. You worry about it. You groan when you have to clean it or move stuff around. This stress can also negatively impact your health.