Like you, I think they could utilize what space they do have better and be able to keep their clothes in the apartment. But to each his own…

Which is not to say that there aren’t people who live in Tumbleweeds and converted buses and grow all their own food and store it in a root cellar, etc. but I think a lot of do-it-yourself, save-and-mend, washable-not-disposable projects do require a bit of space.

I was raised pretty gung-ho hippie, and now live in 600 sqft house. It’s in the middle of the woods, though, so I don’t have the urban option of dry-cleaning and take-out. (Those things are honestly so alien to me, though, I don’t think I could do them even in that NYC apartment. Heh.) I am constantly struggling with storage needs — not for consumer things, like televisions or whatnot, but for “frugal” things, like canned food and kitchen cloths and gardening supplies. I would give anything to have more of a pantry. One makes do, certainly, but I get a little testy when my friends brag about their bulk food that my kitchen simply cannot accommodate.

Small spaces, by necessity, tend to end up with more visual noise. (Because you CANNOT reduce your belongings but so much without adopting a lifestyle like the above couple.) Stuff has to been seen/interacted with more often, which I’m not particularly fond of.

Of course, I’m also a pretty tall, broad person… my ideal is a reasonably large house with greeeeat big doorways and minimal clutter. And a kicking pantry.

But the truth is that as an adult I love my space.

For me, what this couple lives in would just be too small for me. I love to cook and really don’t like going out to eat. I don’t go to the dry cleaners…my clothes are all wash and wear.

My house cost us less than their apartment and $700 maintenance fee!!!!! That’s quite high!

Everyone has their own needs for homelife. I am sure they are very happy with their situation and I am very happy with mine.

it is small, yes – but being single/having no kids – how much space do you NEED (differing from ‘want’ and ‘are used to’)?

I currently live alone on 106sq.ft. with a shared kitchen + bathroom, and have previously shared a 180sq.ft. apartment – incl. kitchen corner & tiny bathroom – with my boyfriend.

I’d skip eating out in favour of cooking on the one hot plate – that’s fine for good&simple meals for 2 people. also skip the dry cleaners and go for a comfy sitting corner with storage boxes underneath and a loft bed. but that’s about personal preference

The land is the real value. We have fruit trees now, and the amount of food we could grow on every inch would be astounding, but I am not that capable, so I just keep one giant garden, not gardens on every inch of the property. Best of all, we have the Badlands, which are a year round outdoor treasure

Why are they doing this? If it is to be “green” then, they don’t seem to be doing a very good job. Dry cleaning because you don’t have a closet? Eating out almost every meal? If it is just to slim down and decompress a very busy life, in a very, very busy city, then I absolutely get it.

HGTV used to have a show(maybe they still do) about small living spaces and how to make every inch count, but I think the smallest place on any of the shows I watched, was 350sqft.

Could I live there? NOOOOOOOOO! lol Would I go bonkers? Yes I would to be honest. We have teenage children, and it would be inappropriate to try and have our 18 yo daughter and 15yo son changing, bathing, etc in a space with absolutely no way to do it in privacy. I guess each of the kids could stand out in the hall while the other dressed, and then they could both stand in the hall while we(my dh and I) dressed, and then we could stand in the hall while both of them dressed? No clue how I could do that and keep my sanity.

What we don’t have is alot of “stuff”. Military life where YOU have a very specific weight allocation when you move your stuff. There is no “grace” overweight, so you quickly learn what is and is not vital to life. We have very little clutter, and it makes life much easier.