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Sure, if I were an old-time coal miner who worked 12+ hour shifts, came home, ate dinner, went to sleep, then back to the mine, I'd not need any "stuff". But that's a pretty miserable existence. I've got places to sit and read, I've got places to watch TV, I've got places to use the computer, I've got places to work on my helicopters, I've got places to eat, I've got places to exercise. And these are several DIFFERENT places, which means I can read while my wife is watching TV, or I can watch TV while she's using her computer, etc. I don't have to fold away my bed to have a place to eat, nor put away the computer to watch TV, etc.
Yeah, I've got "stuff". The stuff serves a purpose. I could live without it, but just fitting myself into the smallest apartment possible as an exercise in space efficiency doesn't really hold any interest for me.
I don't think that's what he means, think of it as you live in NYC, you don't have to live in a box nor a mansion, if you got the money go on ahead, in my mind why would I move to NYC to just spend all my time inside you know? The whole point is to get out in about and then come back home just to sleep, invite a few people in, eat, whatever.
I have a two bedroom 850 square foot apartment. Way more space than I can use on a daily basis. But it was the smallest decent apartment I could find. No point trying to heat it all, so I just heat one small bedroom (the other 750 sq ft are unoccupied during the winter).
... I've got places to sit and read, I've got places to watch TV, I've got places to use the computer, I've got places to work on my helicopters, I've got places to eat, I've got places to exercise. And these are several DIFFERENT places ...
Yeah, I've got "stuff". The stuff serves a purpose. I could live without it, but just fitting myself into the smallest apartment possible as an exercise in space efficiency doesn't really hold any interest for me.
I definitely don't live a "boring" life, if that's what you're getting at. Most reading is done on tablets / laptops, so computer use and reading were one in the same. I haven't had cable in two years (let's face it, with Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO Go, and a fast internet connection, there's just no point), so most of my TV watching is also on the computer. I do have a little media player device hooked to the TV, so we can watch Netflix on a larger screen when we want to.
In my current place (a fairly average house with a roommate), we feel like we've got way too much space. Half the house we don't even use! I can sit, read, use the computer, or watch TV in my living room. I usually study / do homework (still in college) in my room. While I don't have any helicopters (full size or RC), I do a lot of work on my car -- which is what we use our garage for. We've got a dining room, but we usually eat in the living room anyways, or outside by the grill. Exercise? I ride my bike a lot around town, and there's a gym just down the street.
Part of living in a small place is getting out more. Here's a good quote from earlier:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Komeht
Utility bills a third, property taxes half, weekends are ours now, more money in our pocket to do stuff with, less stuff in our home to weigh us down. Do I miss the big back yard? I thought I would, but it turns out I like the hike trail nearby a lot better. instead of mowing the lawn on the weekends, I cook out on our small patio and we have time to enjoy the space we do have.
Instead of having a big backyard, go to a nearby park and interact with your neighbors. Instead of having a home gym, go down the street to a real gym. If you get into it, you'll have more motivation to work out. Instead of cooking all your meals at home, get a block party going, and pull out the BBQ!
My last apartment, about 300 sq ft between 4 people, we were always doing things. We got to know all our neighbors, and had several parties. Heck, I led a more active life then than I do now!
I definitely don't live a "boring" life, if that's what you're getting at. Most reading is done on tablets / laptops, so computer use and reading were one in the same. I haven't had cable in two years (let's face it, with Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO Go, and a fast internet connection, there's just no point), so most of my TV watching is also on the computer. I do have a little media player device hooked to the TV, so we can watch Netflix on a larger screen when we want to.
In my current place (a fairly average house with a roommate), we feel like we've got way too much space. Half the house we don't even use! I can sit, read, use the computer, or watch TV in my living room. I usually study / do homework (still in college) in my room. While I don't have any helicopters (full size or RC), I do a lot of work on my car -- which is what we use our garage for. We've got a dining room, but we usually eat in the living room anyways, or outside by the grill. Exercise? I ride my bike a lot around town, and there's a gym just down the street.
Part of living in a small place is getting out more. Here's a good quote from earlier:
Instead of having a big backyard, go to a nearby park and interact with your neighbors. Instead of having a home gym, go down the street to a real gym. If you get into it, you'll have more motivation to work out. Instead of cooking all your meals at home, get a block party going, and pull out the BBQ!
My last apartment, about 300 sq ft between 4 people, we were always doing things. We got to know all our neighbors, and had several parties. Heck, I led a more active life then than I do now!
Not all of us like to watch TV on computers. Some of us like a regular sized screen. Some of us like snuggling up on the couch with our SO and/or our cats while we watch TV.
You have a garage, not counted in square footage, but which gives you the space to work on your car. Think about that! Where would you work on it if you didn't have the garage? We can't all eat outside much of the time. It's 42 degrees here today in metro Denver at high noon, but there's snow on the ground.
You can't always go on a hike. It's nice to have the backyard to sit and read the paper on a nice summer day. Yes, let's have a block party (we do) every other day or so! That's usually a once a year thing in my neighborhood. If you had kids, you'd see the value of being able to send them out to play w/o having to go somewhere. The mom (admittedly few of you young guys are doing childcare and know essentially zip about it) can get some housework done, and it doesn't take an hour of gathering crap up to go to the park, only to have the kids start whining after 10 minutes there.
Not all of us like to watch TV on computers. Some of us like a regular sized screen. Some of us like snuggling up on the couch with our SO and/or our cats while we watch TV..
Wall-mounted flat screen TVs have really made this a reality for tiny places.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiana
You have a garage, not counted in square footage, but which gives you the space to work on your car. Think about that! .
I work on our cars in the alley. A garage would be nice, but not essential. I probably spend less than 10 days a year under the hood. I don't do major repairs. I've never had one, so I guess I don't miss it. Luckily our winters are so flukey, it can be 20 one day and 50 the next.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiana
You can't always go on a hike. It's nice to have the backyard to sit and read the paper on a nice summer day.
Yes, have you been to IKEA and seen their demo rooms? I wonder if this is how people live in Sweden?
It pains me to admit that when I am adequately funded I will buy a pre-packaged Ikea room or two
I stayed in a hotel recently that was set up like a studio apartment, one of the features was a wall-mount TV that had a swivel, so it could be watched either in the bedroom or the living room.
My wife and I loved the arrangement and decided it would work if we ever went super-tiny. I measured it (who travels with a tape measure, I know) and it was about 520 sq ft.
Wall-mounted flat screen TVs have really made this a reality for tiny places.
I think they've become rather common these days, at least among people I know my age in apartments. One has computer on desk in corner of living room and then a wall mounted TV near the desk with the couch opposite. The TV is connected to the computer so you can sit on the couch and watch videos from the computer. The space was small, I wouldn't call it tiny, but the wall-mount fit better with the room.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiana
You have a garage, not counted in square footage, but which gives you the space to work on your car. Think about that! Where would you work on it if you didn't have the garage? We can't all eat outside much of the time. It's 42 degrees here today in metro Denver at high noon, but there's snow on the ground.
Wear gloves and a coat. I never had a garage and it's a colder than that here.
Quote:
You can't always go on a hike. It's nice to have the backyard to sit and read the paper on a nice summer day.
Agreed. But instead of the backyard, I use my front porch for the same purpose. We installed a hammock on it!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiana
Yes, have you been to IKEA and seen their demo rooms? I wonder if this is how people live in Sweden?
No clue what's common there, but it probably varies a lot. In Stockholm, you can live in these blocks in the center of the city:
Not all of us like to watch TV on computers. Some of us like a regular sized screen. Some of us like snuggling up on the couch with our SO and/or our cats while we watch TV.
You have a garage, not counted in square footage, but which gives you the space to work on your car. Think about that! Where would you work on it if you didn't have the garage? We can't all eat outside much of the time. It's 42 degrees here today in metro Denver at high noon, but there's snow on the ground.
You can't always go on a hike. It's nice to have the backyard to sit and read the paper on a nice summer day. Yes, let's have a block party (we do) every other day or so! That's usually a once a year thing in my neighborhood. If you had kids, you'd see the value of being able to send them out to play w/o having to go somewhere. The mom (admittedly few of you young guys are doing childcare and know essentially zip about it) can get some housework done, and it doesn't take an hour of gathering crap up to go to the park, only to have the kids start whining after 10 minutes there.
There are some big pc monitors, flatscreens as well. I build my pc's, my parents have a 48 inch flatscreen, granted I have a powerful pc, I run my pc on the big screen when I want, also I have my own 27 inch monitor.
I dont have any friends who read actual papers, they take gadgets to watch news videos or online news websites.
Given the choice I'd much rather enjoy a sunny day in an active vibrant place, you enjoy your quiet backyard, that's your choice and mine is mine.
There are some big pc monitors, flatscreens as well. I build my pc's, my parents have a 48 inch flatscreen, granted I have a powerful pc, I run my pc on the big screen when I want, also I have my own 27 inch monitor.
I dont have any friends who read actual papers, they take gadgets to watch news videos or online news websites.
Given the choice I'd much rather enjoy a sunny day in an active vibrant place, you enjoy your quiet backyard, that's your choice and mine is mine.
You're younger than my youngest daughter. You're living at home, no? Someone else is doing the housework, the meal prep, etc, correct?
I did not say I never want to do anything "vibrant" as you call it, though my "vibrancy" has been slowed down by my hip surgery. I asked my dr. if I could go ice skating again, always something I enjoyed, and he said, "Just don't tell me".
Years ago, I read an article in the American Journal of Public Health where the researchers asked people of different ages what they liked to do in their spare time. The young ones said stuff like hiking, camping, etc. (This research was conducted in Madison, WI, so not so much climbing 14ers and skiing double blacks there.) I don't remember what the older people said. Anyway, they had people keep a log and son of a gun! The young and the old basically did the same things in their spare time, e.g. read, watch TV, take a nap, etc.
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I can sit, read, use the computer, or watch TV in my living room. I usually study / do homework (still in college) in my room. While I don't have any helicopters (full size or RC), I do a lot of work on my car -- which is what we use our garage for. We've got a dining room, but we usually eat in the living room anyways, or outside by the grill. Exercise? I ride my bike a lot around town, and there's a gym just down the street.
