I can’t tell you how nice it is to connect with like-minded / like-journeying people, wherever found! It's a pleasure Aimee:) I wasn’t sure if or how long it would take on Steemit before having real conversations with anyone because it's a little bit discouraging to see all the one-sentence bot comments.
I think that’s awesome that you’re flexible and making sacrifices to achieve your collective dream ~ do whats best ❤ Im really happy that you aren’t giving up and you’re finding another way to make it work. I know that some of the best choices we made for our family weren’t always clear or easy in our tiny living choices, especially in Washington with the mold issue of the camper at the time. I really didn’t want to move into an expensive apartment as alternative housing but with the housing laws it wasn’t possible or legal for a family of 4 to rent a kitchenette or even a one bedroom, and our choices were even more limited by having a large breed dog. So we were thankful to get into the first astronomically priced place we could and kept our head above water there as long as we had to and now we’re back into tiny life but better this time around. So, hey, kudos to you guys for also going back to "do it" better! It’s 4 of us in our 30' 5th wheel now along with a cat, dog, and a guinea pig (who lives outside until it becomes cold at night we bring her inside.) It's mostly wood flooring and has a 14' slideout and is DRY ~ mold-free! :) All we need is a patch of land to move it onto now or trade in our vehicles for a truck to move it onto a communal living type of situation that we also dream of. Yes it takes a village!
I was surprised how quickly I was able to connect with like-minded individuals too! Truthfully, I was on F-book a lot, mostly in moms groups, and Matt kept encouraging me to try Steemit. I didn't take long to transition over. There is so much good content here on Steemit and the community is incredibly supportive.
We always shake our heads at the bureaucracy surrounding housing. We've modified our own plans because of it too. Between inflation and taxes, more people than not seem to be having a hard time keeping their heads above water - us included. When we were renting we could never seem to save enough money to buy property or a house. I don't think we're overly frivolous with our spending either. Wages aren't keeping up with inflation or taxes so it's no wonder more people are downsizing. Of course, instead of recognizing this issue and working towards rectifying it the government just imposes more laws that restrict people from living within their means. I always used to hear the saying the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer when I was in school, but now I feel like I am living it. That said, we are determined to get our homestead operational so we can grow our own food, be self reliant, and drastically reduce our money worries.
I am so glad to hear you are living in a comfortable and mold free home now! I don't know how you do it with a large dog inside though. I think it's funny that your tiniest animal ended up outside! Ha ha! I wish you the best in finding the perfect property. -Aimee