Can downsizing for small living be easy? I started planning van living a few months before actually moving into my van full-time. I wanted to live this lifestyle and knew I could not afford to keep an apartment in Vancouver Canada and travel so I had to downsize.
Living in a bachelor apartment I really did not have a lot of excess which made downsizing easier or harder depending on how one looks at it. Not being much of a saver of things helped me in the long run.
Firstly I looked at all my belongings and had to decide what I really needed and then what I wanted to keep. I boxed up a few special items. Luckily I have a family farm where I was able to store my 4 bins of memorabilia. I had a garage sale and donated clothes to a women’s shelter.
Downsizing Kitchen items
Downsizing my kitchen was fairly straight forward as I did not own anything that had real value or special meaning. I knew in the van I would have a one induction burner and little space for gadgets. Space was at a premium in the van. My kitchen has one upper cabinet, some wall Ikea containers and a utensil drawer for my kitchen/food storage.
I had a lovely set of stainless steel pots but knew they would not fit in the van so I purchased pots where the handle was removable and had to make sure they worked on the induction stove. My pots are easy to store, easy to clean and I love them. I have 3 pots and only really use one of them.
My only appliances are a collapsable kettle and coffee areopres. Both I purchased for the van, use them both every day and highly recommend both.
My other kitchen essentials are a travel mug for tea, another one for my coffee, a metal cup for brushing my teeth, 2 large plates, 2 small plates and collapsible bowls. Note: Rectangle ones are easier to store.
For utensils I have a chopping knife, paring knife, cutting board (that fits in the drawer), tongs, peeler, corkscrew and a set of small spatulas. Note: Full size spatulas are hard to store. I kept 4 forks, knives and spoons from my apartment utensils. I took all my others to the farm/cottage house. Tip: I use one of each of these so 2 each would probably be sufficient.
Everything else in my apartment kitchen was sold or given away.
Cleaning Supplies
For washing dishes I have 3 spray bottles – one with water, one with soap and water, and one with vinegar. I wipe off my plate or pot first with paper towel, spray with water or soap water if greasy, then do a final spray and wipe with vinegar. Keeps everything clean.
For dish clothes I have 6 microfiber ones, which I only use on occasion, mainly I use paper towels for any cleanup. Not necessarily best for the environment but so much easier keeping things clean. I also use wipes for personal bathing and sanitizing the kitchen. Tip: Dish clothes are hard to keep clean, dry and from smelling.
What about Linens?
Bedding was also pretty easy. All I needed in the van was a fitted sheet for my mattress, my sleeping bag, pillow and pillow case. Originally I had only one pillow case and sheet. Since moving in full-time I added a few more pillow cases as I change these more frequently than my sheet and another fitted sheet.
From my apartment I sold my expensive queen size comforter as it was much to large for my now single bed in the van. I use my – 5 Degree sleeping bag as it is easy to keep clean (just wash it), rolls up so easy to store in the summer. My Mom was a great quilter so I have a small one for summer use in the van and the larger ones are stored.For towels I have a Turkish bath towel that is easy dry for showering and a microfibre one for my hair. This is sufficient for me as most of my showering is done at truck stops or family where towels are offered. Tip: towels are hard to dry in a van when travelling or living stealth.
Bathroom Next
Bathroom essentials came next. When on the road I was not too worried about looking so put together so I took only the basics. Shampoo (also used for liquid soap), conditioner, comb, some makeup which I really have not used, dry shampoo, razor, face cleanser, moisturizer, and lotion. These are all kept in a pouch that is easy to pick up when I find a place to shower. I will wash my hair every ten days or so in the van sink.
Once I was travelling for awhile I started using witchhazel for cleansing my face each night and coconut oil for moisturizing. Both work really well for me and I am saving money on skincare products.
Downsizing clothes was the most difficult
Clothes were a bit harder to sort out. I love to thrift shop and always seem to find something perfect to bring home. I had a closet full of great clothes. I started downsizing the clothes once I decided living full time in my van was what I wanted to do. Most of my clothes I hung so I designed a hanging closet in my van. It was only 16 inches wide so not a lot of clothes could fit in.
First, I started noticing and documenting what I was wearing on a regular basis. I realized I mainly wore jeans or leggings and sweaters in the cooler months. Jeans, cotton pants and oversized shirts or dresses in the warm weather.
Next I culled all the clothes I had not worn in the last few months. I prefer linen or cotton so decided I would only keep items in these materials. I also kept a few special items, which are in my memorabilia boxes at my family farm.
In my first go around I probably had three times as many clothes as I needed. For the first year I was living stealth in the city as I was working full-time so needed dressier items. After I retired I culled my closet again. Settled on 3 blue jeans, 2 cotton pants, 4 leggings, 5 sweaters, 8 shirts, 3 dresses, 4 long sleeve t shirts, 4 t-shirts, 4 tang tops, 1 jean jacket, 1 rain jacket, 1 winter vest, 2 shawl scarves. I have 14 panties and 6 sports bras. Even now I probably only wear about 1/2 of what I have. After being on a 10 month roadtrip there is another culling coming up this summer.
Small Living
Living small allows me to have only the really important pieces with me. I have limited my thrift shopping and now when I shop I consider the quality of an item, is it a necessity, and where will it go in the van if I purchase it. This goes for clothes, kitchen items, tools and anything else I think I may want or need.
Downsizing can take time and commitment. My advice is really take a look at where you will put things in your van and then start letting go of what is not needed.