Are tiny houses/vanlife a good idea or is it all just cope?

melty

True & Honest Fan
kiwifarms.net
Joined
Oct 10, 2014
Pretty much the title, I find these things appealing but wonder if I'm just coping with houses being so expensive. I don't feel like I want a lot of space but if somebody gave me a mansion with free cleaning services I probably wouldn't turn it down either. Are people really doing these things because they're tired of mcmansions and consoomer society, or to cope with the fact they can't afford it?
 
It is mostly a fad for people who only need a laptop to watch Netflix.

I think minimalism on some level can be a good idea to shift down economically so to speak. Of course the problem with minimalism is... you are not flexible. You lack tools, storage space etc. Your tool box is basically your credit card. Ultimately it depends who are you, what you do and how do you wish to use your house? I mean, if you are just a guy chilling with a laptop and building up some crypto wealth, sure why not. But be mindful that small houses make you dependent on getting tools and services more and going out a lot, because you can't do much at home.

I would say the frugal living beats minimalism, because one is designed to be cheap, the other is designed to look good on Instagram.
 
I think minimalism on some level can be a good idea to shift down economically so to speak. Of course the problem with minimalism is... you are not flexible. You lack tools, storage space etc. Your tool box is basically your credit card. Ultimately it depends who are you, what you do and how do you wish to use your house? I mean, if you are just a guy chilling with a laptop and building up some crypto wealth, sure why not. But be mindful that small houses make you dependent on getting tools and services more and going out a lot, because you can't do much at home.

I would say the frugal living beats minimalism, because one is designed to be cheap, the other is designed to look good on Instagram.
I think there's a difference between philosophical and aesthetic/instagram minimalism, and there's a lot of overlap between it and frugality. The minimalism stuff I do find mostly sincere and not entirely cope because of personal experience and there's just a lot of people who went from having a lot of stuff to wanting to get rid of the stuff because they just get sick of it. I try to find a balance between looking minimal, and also being cheap and functional.

There are probably some people who do it to cope though because they get in a lot of credit card debt from buying too much stuff so they go the opposite way and it becomes a "choice".

Every youtuber that starts as a tiny house enthusiast ends up moving into a real house once the money starts coming in. So cope.
That's interesting. I don't really follow the community so this would indicate that it is indeed cope.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Koby_Fish and Blamo
I think there's a difference between philosophical and aesthetic/instagram minimalism, and there's a lot of overlap between it and frugality. The minimalism stuff I do find mostly sincere and not entirely cope because of personal experience and there's just a lot of people who went from having a lot of stuff to wanting to get rid of the stuff because they just get sick of it. I try to find a balance between looking minimal, and also being cheap and functional.

There are probably some people who do it to cope though because they get in a lot of credit card debt from buying too much stuff so they go the opposite way and it becomes a "choice".
My personal heuristic is:
If somebody is doing something and is not living from social media doing it, then it's pretty legit. Like I am not a fan of vegans, but there is a difference between a vegan and The Vegan™️.

Also, stuff is really bloat. I mean if you think about it everybody's house if filled with items that are just there. Having some sensible minimalism would pretty much help in the long run. There is the meme saying "the things you own, end up owning you" after all. There is certainly some merit in it.

A balance is important, as in most things. Having stuff is actually really depending on the stuff. Do the items for example carry some importance or are they just context-less decorations etc. Like I sincerely doubt Funko pops ever gave anybody feels or joy. I think nobody even looks at them again after they got placed on the shelf.
 
Tiny houses seem cool but only if you have a shit ton of land to make up for it. You could have the entire family chillin' in little houses and more space for farming and whatnot.
Tiny houses in suburban areas are just stupid and expensive hippie shit.
I would TP their house in Minecraft if I saw that shit in my neighborhood.

Van life is only good if you're doing a road trip for a certain amount of time or just want weekend getaways, long term it doesn't seem viable.
Maybe bus living? But not the little ass van. Imagine the fucking smell.
 
I've been researching skoolie (school bus to living space conversion) and the like as a sort of fun project and concluded that having a nice, modestly sized house with a spacious garage and some land along with your RV/camper is the best combo. You have a home base to return to and a mobile living quarter in case stuff goes to shit, or just as a nice road trip machine.
 
Any area that allows you put a tiny house there is usually shitty, far far away from anything, or for poors. It's a nice concept, but even if you own the land there can be regulations of the size of what you can live in.

Van life is probably a better idea, but again, you can't just park it anywhere and van resale value is lousy.
 
I have a tinyhouse where I stay during the workweek. It's certainly not bad for one person, and beats the shit out of a sleeper cab, what with having a kitchen and a toilet.

I wouldn't care to live my life in it, and it would be stressful to share. But it's far better than a sleeper cab or an RV, and I have no need for an entire trailer house to sleep and cook supper.
 
Mini-houses/vans are a viable options only if you lead a nomadic lifestyle and/or you have a lot of land to compensate for the lack of space.
Raising a family while having a normal job inside one of those things will destroy you.

Cope.
 
Tiny houses seem cool but only if you have a shit ton of land to make up for it. You could have the entire family chillin' in little houses and more space for farming and whatnot.
Tiny houses in suburban areas are just stupid and expensive hippie shit.
I would TP their house in Minecraft if I saw that shit in my neighborhood.

Van life is only good if you're doing a road trip for a certain amount of time or just want weekend getaways, long term it doesn't seem viable.
Maybe bus living? But not the little ass van. Imagine the fucking smell.

I would be fine with one if it were a little bigger. But they are all ridiculously small and it seems like an all or nothing thing.

They aren't even affordable for the people that desperately need housing and would benefit from them. It's just some hipster playhouse.
 
I'd prefer a mini house and lots of land just because of my lifestyle. I've lived in a small home and a mid sized home and still prefer a smaller home with a large yard or even acreage. I am a hippie dippy doo though with a smattering of DIY Punk; I think a majority of people on the small home, tent living, van stuff are just doing it for clout. The ones who aren't more than likely aren't on the interwebs for all to see.

In OP's case though, I think it is a cope.
 
  • Feels
Reactions: Koby_Fish
Pretty much the title, I find these things appealing but wonder if I'm just coping with houses being so expensive. I don't feel like I want a lot of space but if somebody gave me a mansion with free cleaning services I probably wouldn't turn it down either. Are people really doing these things because they're tired of mcmansions and consoomer society, or to cope with the fact they can't afford it?
I bought a 450sqft house. I know what I want in life and a tiny house is perfect for me. when you use the space right, it won't matter how big your place is. I used to rent a 290sqft place. that's a little too small for me but i also had way too much stuff there (i got rid of a lot when i moved out of there).
 
Back