Are We Actually Better Off? Tiny House Budget vs Our Old Life

You know those money “rules of thumb” that say your housing should be around 25–30% of your income?

In this video we’re putting our old life and our tiny house life up against those guidelines to see if we’re actually better off 11 months after my layoff.

We’re not sharing our exact income, but we are sharing:

What our housing percentage used to be in our traditional 1950s house

What it would have jumped to if we’d stayed there after the layoff

What our tiny-house housing percentage is now

How much of our budget health insurance takes up (spoiler: it’s higher than housing)

The small decisions that are helping the numbers work: selling a car, downsizing storage, and planning for a used campervan

This isn’t meant as advice or a “you should do this too.”
It’s simply a real-world look at how downsizing, cutting our fixed costs, and being honest about health insurance have changed our options in midlife.

Traditional jobs aren’t the enemy here. For us, this season has been about reacting and re-shaping our lives to find better work-life balance and make room for some bucket-list travel while our bodies and energy still cooperate.

???? In this video:

How housing and essentials “rules of thumb” actually feel in real life

What changed when my employer health insurance went away

Why we sold a car, are closing out two storage units, and still plan to buy a used campervan

The tradeoffs we’re making to protect both our budget and our quality of life

A few questions you can ask yourself about your own numbers

Next week, we’ll tell you what we found out about health insurance for next year—and which option we chose.

???? Watch more of our tiny house + downsizing journey

From Layoff to Tiny House: $2,600 to $950 Per Month https://youtu.be/9vqhg8xI0ks

The Hidden Cost of Tiny House Freedom https://youtu.be/vlBeNTLf_SY

This Week Did NOT Go As Planned: Tiny House Reality Check https://youtu.be/ICZiX56STFM


???? Resources

???? If you'd like more information and/or to support the work Shutt'er Down Ranch is doing, they would be grateful for your support:
https://www.sdranch.com/

???? Tiny house + lifestyle resources:
https://livingfullworkingless.com/resources

???? Our blog (weekly updates + numbers & reflections):
https://livingfullworkingless.com

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If you’re somewhere in your own midlife transition—downsizing, changing careers, or just rethinking what “enough” looks like—we’d love to hear where you are in the process. Drop a comment and say hi. ????

CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Are we actually better off?
00:18 – The usual money “rules of thumb”
02:11 – Our old life by the numbers
03:10 – What changed after the layoff
04:00 – Tiny house budget: new housing % and health insurance
06:15 – Small choices that move the needle (car, storage, etc.)
06:59 – Why travel is part of the plan
10:11 – Questions to ask about your own numbers
10:51 – What we’re sharing next week (health insurance decisions)