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Man Living in 50 Sq. Ft. Micro House He Bought for $950


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In this video post you’ll get to see how a man named Rob Greenfield downsized into a 50 sq. ft. micro house on wheels that he bought for only $950.

Rob admits that he is pretty extreme when it comes to downsizing. And I agree because this kind of lifestyle is definitely not fit for everybody. But he seems to love it and it’s simply inspiring, isn’t it? It’s amazing how little we really need if we’re open and willing to go that far. And Rob is showing us that right now.

I think you’ll really enjoy his story (and new teeny tiny house on wheels) below. Please re-share if you want to and let me know what you think about living tiny to this extreme in comments at the bottom. Would you ever do something like this? Have you ever done it in the past? Would love to read your own stories and thoughts below. Thank you.

Man Lives in $950, 50 Sq. Ft., Micro House on Wheels

rob-greenfield-tiny-house-living-01

Images © RobGreenfield.TV

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Images © RobGreenfield.TV

Video #1: Man Moves In To Tiny Home (Rob on the News)

Video #2: Welcome to My Teeny Greeny (Rob’s Video)

Original story: http://robgreenfield.tv/TheTeenyGreeny/ (Rob’s site)

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Alex

Alex is a contributor and editor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the always free Tiny House Newsletter. He has a passion for exploring and sharing tiny homes (from yurts and RVs to tiny cabins and cottages) and inspiring simple living stories. We invite you to send in your story and tiny home photos too so we can re-share and inspire others towards a simple life too. Thank you!
{ 95 comments… add one }
  • Nancy
    February 11, 2015, 12:38 pm

    So, basically, he bought a bedroom, and plans to basically do everything but sleep elsewhere. Basically, a SOLID tent. No, I could not live that way for long. I need to have a bathroom and a kitchen, and when it rains, someplace to sit that is not my bed, to read. But it looks like a solid itsy-bitsy roof over his head. Insulated? Doesn’t look like it, and so any heating and cooling that had to take place would be extremely inefficient.

    • jerryd
      February 11, 2015, 6:10 pm

      Nancy, Cahow, etc,
      No matter what there is always value in owning your own home, however small it might be.
      Some can’t, don’t want to own a problem to do that. Fact is this fitted with suitable cooking, toilet and shower using camping tech is a near no cost way to live.
      Especially one who isn’t home much or travels a lot.
      Sure it isn’t for everyone but say living with someone and they get hard to live with, lost job, etc one always has a home.
      No reason he can’t have a tent room added.
      Personally I like to make mine that float as always legally rent free and a cool place to live and good people to live around.
      And I do like my 3’x2.5′ shower/head as I’m 62 now.
      But as I was younger I had some of the best times of my life in under 60sq’. It gives a freedom that is hard to beat.
      That’s one man’s why and a good number of women I’ve known like it too.
      Besides there isn’t much to clean up;^))

      • Cahow
        February 12, 2015, 9:53 am

        Thanks, jerryd, as always, for invaluable insight. 😀

    • February 11, 2015, 7:17 pm

      Hi Nancy!
      I’m building a compost toilet outside as well as a simple outdoor kitchen. I live in San Diego and do not need insulation or cooling.
      You could call it a tent, but I find it much more welcoming than a tent. Although I really enjoy camping too!

      • Lesa
        February 11, 2015, 11:55 pm

        Hi Rob
        Might I have seen your tiny house slinking around Golden Hills?

  • February 11, 2015, 1:33 pm

    Hello everyone!
    This is Rob from The Teeny Greeny! I wanted to let you all know what I am the most excited about. I’m setting up a rocket stove, compost toilet, solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and growing my own food. Off the grid, in the city, tiny living!
    Much love to you all!
    Rob

    • TEE
      February 11, 2015, 7:44 pm

      Hi Rob, I’m saving up to buy a Tiny house myself. I plan to get solar panels as well but I need a flushing toilet. Anyway, I think your teeny house is pretty cool and I am happy and excited for you as well. I can’t go as tiny as you have I’m going to need 100 – 150 sq ft but I still think your home is Awesome!

    • eaufraiche
      February 11, 2015, 9:20 pm

      so cool – subscribing and will be watching this adventure as you live it, Rob! bon voyage!

  • Cahow
    February 11, 2015, 1:57 pm

    Okay, SOMEONE do a profile on WHY MEN WANT TO LIVE IN THE SMALLEST “THING” POSSIBLE?????????? Is it some weird testosterone test, like climbing El Capitan with your bare hands?

    Between Mr. 50 sq.ft. and the other posting of Mr. BackPacker I am just left scratching my head. Even on the Tiny House show I watched, if there was a man involved in the decision process, he kept pushing for “smaller/more primitive/in the outback” while the woman wanted “moderate/in town/flush toilet”.

    There’s got to be something I’m missing here. He could have saved himself the $950 and just slept on a park bench like they do in Chicago ~still scratching head~

    • danielle
      February 11, 2015, 3:36 pm

      If you look at his website, his philosophy seems to be to commit to an “extreme” way of a lifestyle to raise social awareness to the issue (which in this case is living above your means/working to live). Had he lived in a standard 20 foot long tiny house (which others also think is extreme) the media would not be all over his story like they are. I also live in San Diego where he does, and his story is everywhere! It’s inspiring

    • February 11, 2015, 7:18 pm

      Hi Cahow!
      Funny I thought the stigma was that men wanted things bigger- big trucks, big boats. etc. I had never heard this stigma that “men want things small.”
      Yes my home is small, but I live on earth which is pretty huge, and that is my home.

      • Andrea Hardy
        February 11, 2015, 8:44 pm

        LOL

      • Mimi
        March 21, 2015, 9:55 pm

        Awww! Good for you! It seems like it is exactly what you need and it works for you! 🙂 Just be happy! (and maybe put up a few pictures of your family and friends…..that would make it more “homey”!) ENJOY!

    • eaufraiche
      February 11, 2015, 9:27 pm

      one of my favorite friends ever who lived in a nice mcmansion often spoke of the best, most tranquil time in her life…. it was when she attended a retreat at a monastery, and was only encumbered by the suitcase of belongings she’d carried w/ her…. basic wardrobe, a couple of important framed photos…. etc.
      sometimes stripping to basic elements is liberating and defining. rob’s afforded himself that essential redefinition.
      maybe this basic un-encumberence is what we are all seeking when we troll these sites….?
      i’m so envious… and continuing the path to redefinition, too.

  • Karen R
    February 11, 2015, 2:45 pm

    It is a competition to see who can build the smallest home . . .there are women who also get caught up in this. I think that is why we see so many of the micro houses for sale; most people can’t live that small for long. Those of us who decided what we needed to be comfortable, as well as what we couldn’t tolerate (washer and dryer, downstairs bedroom, large kitchen, extra half bath YES!; composting toilet, ladder to loft bed, teensie kitchen and living areas NO!), are more likely to be happy with our homes for a long time.

    • Cahow
      February 11, 2015, 5:58 pm

      Well, at least I have some insight into the kind of mind that would pull this stunt.

      Geez, even DEEK, the God of Teeny Concept Houses, doesn’t claim to live in them. His term “Relax Shack” is Truth In Advertising if I ever heard it: “Relax” and “Shack”.

      • Karen R
        February 11, 2015, 6:44 pm

        Small is fine but a home needs to have some basic amenities FOR MOST OF US. If he is happy, I am happy for him.

        • February 11, 2015, 7:20 pm

          I spend my time out doors not in doors, hence it being plenty large for me. Much love to you all!

    • eaufraiche
      February 11, 2015, 9:28 pm

      noh, it really isn’t a competition. it’s a reaction – and frankly, a really really healthy one at that! who needs all that freakin’ STUFF?!?!?!?

    • February 12, 2015, 12:53 pm

      This is a very good point. I am fascinated by the tiny house movement and enjoy reading about it, etc. I like to camp on vacation.

      But mostly, I look to it for ideas on simple living and organizing. My home is “small” (not tiny) at 1100 sf for 4 people.

  • Bev Owen
    February 11, 2015, 2:54 pm

    What a smart guy–he is now debt free. I also moved to a Credit Union when I saw fees banks were charging. Clever little sleeping space–love the windows and ceiling! Looking forward to hearing moreabout his adventure!

  • Lynnette
    February 11, 2015, 3:14 pm

    First, I applaud this young man for his efforts. However that place is just waaaay too darn small. I don’t see a john or a shower or a cooking space, let alone a heating source etc (I didn’t see his location) . Maybe he has a goal in the long run to save money to actually buy a real living space but until then it looks like a small space for madness to begin. I think the very minimum for a single person would be 100sq ft. 5his is a great use of space even though it’s 10x10x10. Cramped but everything is there.
    10x 10 x 10 ft cube house.: http://youtu.be/ZXtMpQk9Iyw

    • eaufraiche
      February 11, 2015, 9:30 pm

      ahhhh… minimum is defined by individual. one can ferret out plumbing.

  • Jen
    February 11, 2015, 3:27 pm

    I think it would be possible for a while as long as you have a nice climate to live in. I live in the cold north with 6 months of COLD winter. You would either go insane or have to literally hibernate to pull off living in such a small spot. But, then again, he can go almost anywhere, so problem solved! It would be fun to do this, for a while. No way with a family, that would be impossible.

    • eaufraiche
      February 11, 2015, 9:32 pm

      perhaps one would just have planned excursions to the world outside… library, volunteer opportunities, meetups, etc. but sitting alone in a walkinclosetsized space would definitely challenge that inner claustrophobe!

  • alice h
    February 11, 2015, 3:32 pm

    Looks like it might be an upgrade for him, being quite an adventurer and no doubt used to roughing it most of the time. Doesn’t sound like he’ll be spending much time inside anyway. Not for me, but if it enables him to live the life he wants then it’s a successful shelter. At heart that’s what a house or home is, a shelter from the elements and a safe place to sleep. The other stuff is nice and can make life better but the degree to which we desire those things varies.

    My minimum requirement is a warm dry space I can stand up and lie down in with controllable heat and ventilation and lots of natural light. Next layer of comfort would include indoor cooking and hygiene options and at least 6×8 feet of open, uncluttered floor space with a minimum 8 foot ceiling. Plus a covered outdoor space. Maximum would probably be about 400 square feet.

  • Fred
    February 11, 2015, 4:03 pm

    It is small, but that is the idea – it is a house built to fit his requirements.

    In San Diego insulation and HVAC are a waste of money and the climate allows for outdoor living 95% of the time. Land prices, zoning and permits preclude the tiny houses that can be built elsewhere.

    If you think of this as a low profile mobile bedroom where you share bath/kitchen facilities with your roommates this house is a perfect fit for the location.

  • Liz
    February 11, 2015, 4:13 pm

    It slays me what people think of as homes. I can’t believe anyone would call a wooden box with windows and a mattress a home.

    • Cahow
      February 11, 2015, 5:56 pm

      Amen, Liz, Amen!

      Honestly, this is NOT a “home”…this is just a SHELTER and nothing more! With this criteria, if I fall asleep in an airplane seat, then I get to call that seat my home, right? NOT.

      If you can NOT do the following in your “home”, then it’s NOT a HOME!—it’s a SHELTER, like sleeping under a viaduct in a sleeping bag.

      1) Stand up to your full height.

      2) Stay there for a week without going outside because you have an epic case of the flu.

      3) Stay there for at least 4 days without going outside because of 8″ of rain or 78″ of snow.

      4) You can’t prepare a meal that involves HEAT and can’t clean your entire body except by using a wet rag.

      If you can’t do ANY of that in your box, then it’s NOT a home!

      You know, it’s epic silliness like this that is all the ammunition that alderman and zoning boards need to keep a VIABLE tiny house community from going into every city and neighborhood.

      • Marsha Cowan
        February 13, 2015, 12:44 pm

        Ahem…I have been living in my tiny bus without a shower and bathing in a sink for 8 months now, and I have not been banned from work or the many social places in which I hang out. I get very clean with “my wet rag” and smell great. Heck, man, I lived for the first 18 years of my life washing from a small tin wash pan, and have beautiful skin to show for it. You don’t have to have a shower to get clean, just to waste an inordinate amount of water doing it! Lol!

        • Alex
          February 15, 2015, 10:01 am

          That’s great to hear, thanks for sharing Marsha 🙂

        • hunter
          March 18, 2015, 3:23 pm

          I agree Marsha. they think this is not a home? what about people in cardboard boxes that they call home, which melts in heavy rain. home is where ever you are happy and comfortable to live .
          Native people lived in teepees and raised happy families. So who can say just WHAT should or should not be called a home? good luck Rob. enjoy your home.

      • Carol
        February 24, 2015, 11:08 am

        and yet people live in mud huts/shacks with no electircity and no clean water (much less running), and dare to call them homes. why all the hate for a way a man chooses to live???

      • CJ
        July 2, 2019, 9:04 pm

        I LIVE in such a tiny box. I have land, so I have an outdoor shower, composting toilet and a spring. Occasionally, in the winter I use the ” wet rag”. I spend most of my time outdoors I cook with fire in a bushcrafted shelter. It is getting me through college without monster debt. I am writing you from a phone I charged with a single trickle charger (solar). I am happy as is my human companion and the assorted canine, feline and avians who live in my yard in their own tiny boxes. No one thinks I smell, men hit on me (they don’t know where or how I live). I will add on to my 7x 8 box a little at a time as it suits me and while an indoor shower is a goal I have I don’t have the kind of money to do it legally. I live in a series of loopholes. No, I will not tell you where because then they WOULD crack down. I am clean, fed and paid for. Did it occur to you maybe he eats out and San Diego doesn’t need a heater and yes I have been sick for four days in my tiny box (followed by surgery) and was so happy to come home to my tiny home (which I can stand up in) and watch movies on my tiny phone and eat campsite food in the dead of winter. It does get cold where I am and this year was mild but we got through a blizzard with 15 below before we had insulation or a method of heating. My friends asked me to write a book about it. This IS the legitimate tiny house movement. people should have to prove they are not polluting and have methods of taking care of their needs, but what do you think street people do? ( Which is where I would have been btw). People should be allowed to live period. Within their means.

        • Alex
          July 3, 2019, 10:15 am

          Thanks for sharing, CJ.

  • Tracy
    February 11, 2015, 4:56 pm

    I love this! In San Diego, the rents are very expensive but the climate is ideal for being outside most of the time. Before people got all civilized in Western society, in hunter gatherer communities, houses were typically very small, more on the scale of this house, or maybe twice or three times the size for a family. In a beautiful climate by the ocean, if you don’t have kids, you really don’t need more space than this. Super inspiring!

  • Elle
    February 11, 2015, 5:14 pm

    Such a great post for so many reasons! People’s take on tiny houses and TH living varies to the extreme. It’s so interesting and helpful to be able to actually see the physical results of the many ways all these courageous people are taking control of their lives and living their concept of the TH life style. And as evidenced in this forum, being able to enjoy the fruits of their determination and labor (via no small thanks to Alex’s unique and very important newsletter/website) provokes constructive discussion, contributions and the exchange of yet more creative ideas that lead to still more wonderful possibilities.

    It’s nice to see how little we really can live without and still meet our needs in the event we choose to, or are forced to do so. It’s nice that we can free ourselves to a great extent from the invasive political and corporate control that permeates every aspect of our lives. And it’s wonderful that we know we can do so much to alleviate the suffering and inhumanity of homelessness.

    It’s seems an eternity since I’ve been so inspired and experienced such a reawakening of creativity until I stumbled across this extraordinary site and the invitation to sign up for the newsletter and join this special community of TH advocates.

    And oh yeah; grew up in Southern Cal. No insulation? Definitely not a problemo. 😉

    • Rob Greenfield
      February 11, 2015, 7:22 pm

      Much love to you Elle! You are a beautiful soul!

    • Andrea Hardy
      February 11, 2015, 8:54 pm

      bravo elle, agreed and well put!

  • Brian
    February 11, 2015, 5:20 pm

    Just want to wish you every success in your ventures Rob. For me this TH would be way too small, but you have obviously made a notch for yourself with your super TH. Thanks for sharing Rob. Cheers from Australia.

  • Sue
    February 11, 2015, 5:58 pm

    That’s not house…..that’s a bedroom. To be a house, you need a place to cook and some kind of toilet situation. This could be called a camping trailer….but if it works for him, that is all that matters. You go, guy. Just don’t ponder why you aren’t getting any dates….this might put most women off!

    • Sally
      February 12, 2015, 9:38 am

      Ha ha, not so fast, Sue. In my younger hippie days, Rob and his interesting “wagon” would have been a major chick magnet. They would have lined up to investigate the possibilities. 🙂

      • Cahow
        February 12, 2015, 9:57 am

        Are you speaking from experience, Sally? 😉 <that's a BIG *wink* btw!

        • Sally
          February 12, 2015, 8:12 pm

          The customized vans were rather popular depending on the airbrush subjects on the side, but a recent shower was not negotiable. 🙂
          Oh dear, it appears we have antagonized someone (see below) with our paralegal experience. I’m not sure who he’s calling an idiot, you or me.

        • Cahow
          February 12, 2015, 9:08 pm

          I was too busy baking an angel food cake to care, Sally. LOL

          Looks like your capable hands handled it, though. 😀

  • Aaron
    February 11, 2015, 6:36 pm

    Better than a refrigerator box and hey, no mortgage payment!

  • Gus
    February 11, 2015, 7:05 pm

    I lived in a hi top van for two years. It was about that size except you could stand up. Set up right you can have a small sink, camp stove, bed, a 5 gallon bucket toilet and even a refrigerator. I even had tons of storage available. I took showers @ the local health club. I spent more than just a few nights in it at sub zero temps. I live in the frozen north. That little shelter is really not st up to efficiently. It would have helped a great deal if it would have been built a foot wider to accommodate a bed cross wise across the front. Just my 2 cents. I’ve got a bus now.

  • Linda
    February 11, 2015, 7:58 pm

    Awesome, dude! I threw my cell phone away 10 years ago and have not missed it at all. I have not had any debt since then and I’m totally free. It’s way more than awesome! Good luck to you!

  • Arlene rossiter
    February 11, 2015, 8:05 pm

    You are a pure soul.one of the ones!!i admire you greatly.i am 67 .live on a creek in the mountains .nothing like nature to get you grounded.up in the blue ridge of va.you can park here on the creek for work.

    • Marsha Cowan
      February 13, 2015, 12:39 pm

      Cool, Arlene, tell us more and send pics!

  • Comet
    February 11, 2015, 8:58 pm

    When I first saw this I thought it was some sort of a coffin–we know someone who pulls one behind his motorcycle.

    Not that much more room in this one!

    While I can appreciate the “mission” the owner is on–this is kinda taking it to extremes. Raising awareness of whatever the issue is to make better lives for people is always a good thing thho.

  • LoriDA
    February 11, 2015, 9:39 pm

    Rob,

    How are you keeping up with us if you got rid of everything including your cell phone?
    My real question is this: In video 2 the dark spots on the ceiling and the top of the window frame – is that mold? Just concerned for your health. What is the ventilation system other than fresh air when the door is opened?
    Lori

    • Cahow
      February 12, 2015, 6:30 am

      LoriDA wrote: “Rob: How are you keeping up with us if you got rid of everything including your cell phone?”

      I wondered the same thing; either he’s using Publicly funded computers at a Publicly funded library or he’s using a Paid-For-By-Friend’s Laptop and Paid-For-By Friend’s Wi-Fi.

      This is from his blog: “Rob Greenfield is an adventurer, activist, and dude making a difference. His purpose is to inspire health, happiness, and freedom on earth and he’s dedicated his life to this mission. He has cycled across the USA twice on a bamboo bicycle, WENT A YEAR WITHOUT SHOWERING, and has dove into over 1,000 dumpsters across America, all to inspire positive social change. When not out adventuring he lives in a 50 square foot tiny home in San Diego. His attention grabbing tactics are often a bit extreme and crazy but the messages behind them teach simple lessons that can be adapted into any life to live with more happiness, health, and freedom.”

      Well, that at least answers the questions some have asked about showering facilities: he doesn’t TAKE them! LOL As a woman, I can only wonder about this “dude’s” love life: “Hey, Babe…let’s hook up! Don’t mind that I haven’t showered in a year; the odors from the dumpsters that we’ll dine at will cover up the odor. Then I’ll take you back to my 50 sq.ft. shelter for some boot knockin’ fun.” Bwhahahahahahaaaa…Oh yeah…this will greatly accelerate the Tiny House Movement….NOT.

  • Mousehunter
    February 11, 2015, 10:25 pm

    What right do we have to tell someone how to live their life? I think everyone needs to remember that life is only temporary. What we may want to do today, may not be what we want to do tomorrow, next month, next year, or ten years from now. Who has the right to tell someone how many possessions they should own? Or whether they shouldn’t live in a portable bedroom? If Mr. Greenfield chooses to live his life outside in the world and sleep in a teeny tiny house, why should that bother us? The world would be very beige if we were all the same.

  • gianni
    February 11, 2015, 11:13 pm

    First off, lets stop judging other people. Rob is comfortable with 50 square feet so what is the problem? I give him credit for doing what he believes is the right thing for him. Could I do it, probably not. I figure I would need at least 500 square feet but that is me! God Bless you Rob, I wish you great success!
    Gianni

  • Chuck
    February 12, 2015, 8:28 am

    Are there any problems with the bank living life with “No Fixed Address”? I know about box addresses, but for some things isn’t a fixed address needed?

  • February 12, 2015, 8:50 am

    When I first moved out of a big, beachfront apartment into a 22 foot sailboat, I was forced to get rid of TONS of stuff, including (and I DID count these things, though these numbers are approximations) 20 pairs of shoes and boots, a dozen suits, 60 dress shirts, 40 pairs of slacks, dozens of belts, ties, dress socks, all kinds of furniture and wall hangings, potted plants, rugs, and on and on. 5oo books had to go into storage, with a TV, stereo, hundreds of tools, bedding, appliances and kitchen stuff.

    Strangely, I felt more relief than loss. My life improved tremendously. I wrote my first novel on that tiny boat, in pen and ink, by the light of an oil lamp, and when a friend stopped over one day and asked me how I could live in such a tiny place, a profound truth struck me.

    “I don’t live here,” I replied, pointing outside, “I live out there. I just sleep and fix meals here.”

    Over the years my boats have grown, but only to a 33 footer which I hand built myself and have sailed all over the place. I have written a dozen novels and will now move into a Tiny House of my own design and construction, so I can cruise the country for a while instead of the ocean. It has been 30 years since I moved onto that little 22 footer, and I would never go back to big places and big piles of belongings. There is too much good stuff out in the world to see and do.

  • February 12, 2015, 8:57 am

    Chuck, I use a place called ‘St Brendan’s Isle’ at 411 Walnut Street in Green Cove Springs, Florida. It is a mail service which is allowed as your drivers licence home address, your passport, voter registration, vessel documentation and everything else. They also have multiple services, such as opening and scanning your mail (in case you need a document in a hurry – the scans can be downloaded and printed out) they forward your mail to anywhere you want, and it makes you a bonafide resident of the state. (You get both the good and the bad with that, but I find it perfectly tolerable)

    • Cahow
      February 12, 2015, 9:42 am

      Ben, I used to have a place as you describe but Michigan and Illinois outlawed them after 9/11. Now, in order to get your Driver’s License, Credit Cards, Debit Card and utility bills, you have to have a “hard” physical address. Now, no one will be the wiser if you’re bookmarking onto a friend’s home or not but the companies that provided “addresses” for your P.O. box can no longer do that.

      Our cottage is in a very rural area of Michigan that has never had mail delivery; we can only get our mail through general delivery at the Post Office. But still, we must have BOTH addresses listed on our License/Passport, etc., showing where we live and where we get our mail. I’m guessing that each state is different.

    • Sally
      February 12, 2015, 9:47 am

      I also live in north Florida. As I recall, “services” as you describe used to be illegal in all states, mostly because people can claim to be a resident of a State where you are not, and it gives people running under the radar from warrants a way to remain off the system. Ads for mail forwarding used to be in the back of sleazy men’s magazines. I guess it’s legal now? I agree we have way too much policing, but I was wondering if the laws have changed. It would be a shame if someone was counting on this service for their mail, and the forwarder got busted.

  • February 12, 2015, 10:51 am

    LOL!! Boy! It didn’t take long for the skeptics to assume the mail service I’m using is being run by alien slave traders! This is a registered, government authorized mail service that is coordinated with the Federal government and also acts as an agent for my vessel documentation, a federal office, and several other functions. Just because you’ve never heard of it doesn’t make it illegal. It is a popular service used by people who spend a lot of time traveling around the world.

    If YOU want to try something illegal, like maintaining a residence in Colorado and trying to set up an address in Florida, here at St Brendan’s, YOU will get caught, not the mail service. This place has been around forever and has NEVER advertised in the back of those sleazy magazines you obviously buy.

    I live in Florida, and right now in Green Cove Springs, in a marina, on my boat. This mail service has been around for 25 years or more. If YOU want to act sleazy and find a cheap, sleazy mail service, go right ahead. This is none of that. It is 100% legitimate and solid, and growing every day. Not because some losers are trying to duck warrants or child support, but because the population of the country is becoming more mobile and free. You see, there is this movement called “The Tiny House” movement, where people build Tiny Houses, most often – now, get ready for this – on WHEELS. Some of them are even touring in them. (Tiny House – Giant Journey) and they are NOT sleazy, NOT ducking warrants, Not hiding from anyone, NOT ‘running under the radar.

    One last thing: What the hell is WRONG with you? Is that your first move out of the gate? To assume, or flat lie, that “services” I described MUST be ILLEGAL in ALL states. They are NOT, and you’re an idiot.

    • Sally
      February 12, 2015, 7:01 pm

      Dear, if you hope to write for a living, you really need to learn to read first. You misquoted everything Cahow and I said. We have both been aware of mail forwarding long before Mailboxes Etc., and that it was once very illegal. Hence, our questions.
      I’m not sure how old you are, but I’m guessing about five based on your hypersensitive, self-indulgent tantrum from perceiving a question about state laws as a personal attack. Your choice of such mature insults as “idiot” and All Caps says a lot about your writing gift, too. Wow.
      You said yourself:
      “and it makes you a bonafide resident of the state.”
      Then turn around and say:
      “If YOU want to try something illegal, like maintaining a residence in Colorado and trying to set up an address in Florida, here at St Brendan’s, YOU will get caught, not the mail service.”
      You’re recommending the place to THers who may not know the law, then warn them they might get caught? I’m not the sleazebag, sport.

      • Cahow
        February 12, 2015, 9:05 pm

        ~clap-clap-clap~!

        I’m thinking it’s a youtuber. That’s their normal speak. 😉

      • February 13, 2015, 8:45 am

        Not good enough. Pretending you didn’t say exactly what you said is the worst kind of backpedaling and denial. You must be republican and fans of Rush Limbaugh – live by the lie. And speak about hubris and arrogance, what in God’s name makes you think you’re qualified to judge anything about me, never mind my ability to write. Cahow has been pissed at me aver since I criticized her attack on a couple of young kids in a video. Anything negative she says to me is a reflection of her sour grapes. As far as you go, Sally, you might think you’re fooling someone else by saying you didn’t say what you said, but you’re not, and my guess is, this isn’t your first waddle down this lane. It never is with people like you. Save your rapier wit and sparkling repartee for drunks in the barroom – you get no traction here.

        • Cahow
          February 13, 2015, 1:59 pm

          Dear Sweet Ben,

          I’m flattered that you think that I remember either you or a post that you responded to of mine. Your thoughtfulness made my day. 😀

          All the very best to you, Cahow

  • TinyTaj
    February 12, 2015, 3:45 pm

    Seriously – all Cahow’s posts are satire, right? She’s making some statement on how if we don’t nip judgment in the bud, it will penetrate even our most progressive communities? Genius. Someone get that woman her own blog!

  • tegmapat
    February 12, 2015, 4:04 pm

    Altho’ I couldn’t live in this full time, unless in a desparate situation, I would love this bargain for a camper. I’d attach a fold up single bed to the wall, with a nice enough top to use it for a table &/or bench. If need be, cushions could be kept in the car. I’d get a small fridge and cook stove, and make a small bath with a compost toilet & portable shower. With a screen house and a few other things, it would do me fine for camping.

  • Karen Reid
    February 12, 2015, 5:57 pm

    When my son was 2 years old we lived in a kombi VW we had everything we needed I loved those simple times, moving from beach to bush whenever we wanted! With careful planning anything can be achieved. Nice post. Kaz

  • Marsha Cowan
    February 13, 2015, 12:35 pm

    You know what, Rob? A home is where you love to be, where you feel safe, where you can rest and recoup, and where you can protect what few possessions you need or want to do well on this earth…so, yeah, you have a tiny home for sure! If you are happy there, then you are at home. Congratulations! You may find in the future that you need a little more space, especially when that special somone comes along, or you ever have children, and then you may move into something bigger, but don’t ever let any tell you that what you have now is not a home. It is all in the heart! Cudos, Rob!

  • Marsha Cowan
    February 13, 2015, 12:48 pm

    It’s not that terribly small…heck, I would put a couple of storage lofts on each end so I could use that extra floor space for something else, and maybe a few shelves over the windows? Just a thought…

    • Alex
      February 15, 2015, 10:00 am

      Good idea 😀

  • Sue
    February 15, 2015, 8:52 pm

    Personally I was depressed after seeing that video. I could imagine that being temporary until he could build another Tiny House under 200sq.

  • Carol
    February 24, 2015, 10:32 am

    I know I couldn’t go quite that small, but kudos to any that can. I am finding that living small is liberating, and that how small you can go is up to the individual. The reasons for doing it vary by person.
    Judging others for the choices they make is not helpful or caring or loving. It is spiteful and does not help anyone. Ignorance and intolerance are the reason the world is the way it is, thank you Rob Greenfield for changing the world one person at a time. That is all it takes.

  • February 28, 2015, 9:06 pm

    If your tiny teardrop camper was a 6′ x 10′. You could have a twin bed on one wall, still have floor space. They have a lot of good videos on YouTube. Solar panel power inverter will run all your lights, Laptop . Kitchen box run off of gas, even a small gen. small grill and small icebox.

  • T.A. Russell
    May 26, 2015, 12:45 am

    40 sq feet seems to be the record for livable micro houses, a record I’ve thus far been unable to beat in my own builds (44 sq feet + 29 sq foot loft). But looking at this I wonder if I shouldn’t start measuring in cubic feet.

  • LaLa
    May 17, 2017, 3:42 pm

    More power to you, Rob! It looks like you are enjoying your life and I like your enthusiasm. Peace and best wishes on your journey through life!

  • Mark Brown
    May 17, 2017, 3:50 pm

    Why not a teardrop camper instead about same size and a kitchen in back

    • Natalie C. McKee
      May 18, 2017, 4:26 pm

      Probably just because he found this one 🙂 But a teardrop is a great idea!

  • Michael L
    May 17, 2017, 3:59 pm

    Rob… I have to congratulate you on going for your dream. Some people have big dreams and some… going for tiny ones like this house! I’m so anxious to see it when you’re done. Best of luck!

  • Bruce Pritchett
    May 17, 2017, 5:22 pm

    Seems to me like this is basically a teardrop camper that isn’t teardrop shaped (or a “hard shell tent”). I am cool with that. My suspicion is that he will live like this for awhile and then decide to do something different (and I’m cool with that as well). I suspect that many people at some point in their lives will go through a “tiny house season” where they downsize and go tiny. I suspect most won’t stay there permanently, but again that’s okay.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      May 18, 2017, 4:23 pm

      Yes this was just a season for him, but I think that at certain seasons in life we “need” more or less space. As long as we are really reevaluating how much is necessary and not just having more to have more, I think we are “living tiny.”

  • Amir Fazadh
    May 17, 2017, 6:14 pm

    While I wouldn’t be able to live in that cute little camper for too long, I think the point of the whole TH movement is to learn to use want you need, not need what you want. It seems to be a commentary on the common illness that has taken over much of society these days, “biggerbetterfasteritis”, also known as “Keeping up with the Joneses Syndrome”. “Taking what you NEED” is a much different thing than “Taking what you WANT”, or even “Taking what you think the world owes you”…just sayin’… Living large is falling out of favor again, and it’s high time a little sensibility gained traction. I have seen many tiny houses that would do me just fine, were it not for my 4 dogs and 6 cats, and wife. We experience a degree of friction when we camp in our 20-foot camper of 160 sq ft!

    • Natalie C. McKee
      May 18, 2017, 4:19 pm

      Exactly! What’s important is figuring out what we really need and living with that. And sometimes it’s different for everyone and different at certain stages of life 🙂

  • Daniel
    May 17, 2017, 8:25 pm

    I wanna live in SD. Need a roommate?

  • Canyon Man
    May 17, 2017, 10:04 pm

    I think this is great. I wish I had done something like this back when I was young and wanted to travel more. Is it the Hilton, no. Beats sleeping on the ground though and very simple. Kudos.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      May 18, 2017, 4:11 pm

      Exactly! And you get great life experiences!

  • keepyourpower
    May 17, 2017, 10:09 pm

    Obviously not date material.
    He was lucky to find someone to let him use their back yard. I once lived in SD…actually on Coronado Island. The lots were very tiny, and cost a million dollars up. Our house was just a cottage…the rent was steep.
    Wonderful weather though. It drizzled on Christmas day, and we only had to put on sweaters. Most of the time it was sunny. We only lived there 9 months before being stationed back in my hometown of Charleston, SC.

  • Joni
    May 18, 2017, 12:36 am

    I just sold my handmade 150 sq ft tiny house on wheels to build a 72 sq ft tinier house because I had so much wasted un-needed space. Im 64 and have been downsizing for many many yrs. I will be able to jump up and down in mine and it will have a shower and composting toilet, but after 7 yrs. in a tiny house Ive learned to make small spaces feel spacious. Good job Rob cant wait to hear more of your journey.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      May 18, 2017, 3:41 pm

      Wow that’s amazing Joni! Thank you for sharing 🙂

  • craig
    May 18, 2017, 10:18 am

    The less you have the less can be taken from you. I would bet there are millions of people, if not billions, that would love to have a nice tiny house like this one. Beats the little area of sidewalk that has been the family “home” for 3 generations.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      May 18, 2017, 3:38 pm

      It’s a great space!

  • Joyce
    May 23, 2017, 8:57 am

    Each person decides what is right for him/her space wise based on your basic wants or needs. I found a teardrop trailer and tried it only to learn it wasn’t just a matter of figuring out how to get safely in and out through the rear door but how to avoid certain health issues. I had to upgrade to a taller unit to reduce the many leg cramps, avoid falls or bumps ‘rushing outside’ for the toilet, and reduce the risk of choking with my reflux disorder. Sleep for one was fine but then I had to find a really small heat unit to be comfortable in colder weather. I also had a small camping trailer and an RV unit that were less than 15 feet length of living space I used for 2 years or more each and felt quite comfortable ‘space wise’. Keep in mind how you plan to use the unit you choose, how often you plan to sleep in it, and where you can legally park for any longevity. This will help you decide how ‘compact’ or how ‘spacious’ you may choose to buy/build.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      May 23, 2017, 1:09 pm

      Very true, Joyce! I think it’s different for everyone!

  • Betty
    October 31, 2017, 7:40 pm

    Great for him, but not for me.☺

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