Our lives are filled with trinkets

Our lives are filled with trinkets. As I look around my room with my possessions I see a bunch of trinkets that I have gathered through out my life. Junk. Purging my stuff down to what I use every day and season, I don't have that much stuff anymore. All the trinkets that I bought throughout the years that basically bookmark different times in my life are gone. Pictures of our life are worth more, and in 2012 we can store thousands of "pics" in a small plastic box. The ipod replaces a closet full of records and CD's (although records sound better). T.V's are no longer the size of a oven but the size of a picture frame. Living alone in a car and tent, I learned that I really don't need a house or an apartment. I just need a place big enough to provide my basic needs and some storage. And in 2012 we have super efficient, small, and relatively cheap appliances that take up less space. And thanks to the Green movement we have better equipment and building materials. Personally I don't care about my carbon foot print or green foot print, I'm just trying to survive this economic "slump" the world is in right now, and if living simply can save me money then I'm all for that. Enter the Tiny House movement. There is a "green movement" right now of tree huggers designing and building tiny houses to live in, lowering their carbon foot print. This is all good and great for them and their green conscious, but I'm in it to save money. Building a tiny home on a 7'x20' foot trailer lets you save all that cash you would have given your mortgage bank or renter. That is A LOT of money saved. Lots of people work long hours, and some 2 jobs, and drive a looong commute every day just to spend a few minutes in their house, then they're off to bed. Your working to get money to spend on a place to sleep and rest up for work the next day, making someone else s business a success. Your house is just a really expensive hotel room at that point. And who's to say that in 30 years your home will be worth that much more? Maybe I'm just ignorant.  People like me who have an interest in wilderness self reliance and colonial period living might like the idea of living small. The pilgrims lived in small houses. They also spent most of their time outside. I'm looking at a tiny house on a 7'x20' foot trailer. This house can be moved when ever, and where ever I want. Now that is freedom. I could park it at a walmart lot close to my work for the week and save gas. I can go on vacation and not rent a room, visit friends in other States, all without a mortgage to pay. Ownership of property is real freedom but how many of us can buy out right property close enough to our work? Most of us must rent or get a 30 yr mortgage.   Count your trinkets, and then count your essentials.