On the day our first daughter was born, our priorities changed. As I looked into her beautiful little eyes for the first time, my focus became ensuring stability and protection for the rest of her life. From that moment on, I was dedicated to making her happy and securing a promising future.
Before having kids, we weren’t always intentional with our spending. Trips would be spontaneous, we’d frequently eat out, no solid budget, and many live-in-the-moment purchases. We had no immediate plans of purchasing a home or building a family, we were making memories together and loving every minute.
Once she came into our world, our impromptu lifestyle changed. Building our savings took precedence over impulsive spending. We were living in a spacious modern apartment at the time and financially comfortable but there wasn’t much left over that could be contributed to saving. We wanted more for her future.
We decided to downsize our lives to save money and build stability. The first thing we needed to do was evaluate our possessions and make some difficult decisions. Change isn’t easy. We accumulated a lot of stuff, and it was clear that we needed to cut down. We went through the decluttering/downsizing process and settled into our new place. Adjusting to a smaller environment had its challenges but at the end of the day, we found happiness here.
Creating a comfortable home started with space optimization. Under-the-bed storage solutions for off-season clothing, baskets, and bins for organizing closets/shelves, and multifunction furniture all played a huge role in creating a practical and cozy space for our family.
When living in a small environment, everything must have a designated place. This helps with overall clutter. Babies and toddlers can become easily overstimulated by too many toys and overcrowded items. I love to do a toy rotation, dividing her things into bins and occasionally switching them out so she doesn’t get bored or feel overwhelmed. In her eyes, it’s getting brand-new toys each time!
I hope to teach my daughter that the best things in life aren’t things. Instead of having a huge home with the latest designer furniture/décor, I want to show her the world.
“Frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the English language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and enjoying. The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things.” Elise Boulding
I look forward to creating memories with my family and using our earnings for experiences we will never forget. It took some time to unlearn habits, but the quality of our lives improved by having less. I love our happy little life.
