E196: Survival Punk on Ways to Double Your Life in a Tiny House

In this episode, we sit down with James of Survival Punk. He’s going to share with us the benefits of life in a tiny house, the downsides, and the pitfalls.

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Tiny houses are all the rage these days. They even have their own reality TV shows. And there’s a big industry cropping up around them.

For some, tiny houses make a lot of sense: They can force you to declutter your life, push you out into the world and get outdoors, save money, and a host of other benefits. And some tiny houses have the added benefit of being mobile — an attractor for many preppers and modern nomads.

But there can be downsides to tiny houses too. If you’re not an experienced DYI’r, you’ll need to find a contractor or builder. If you’re a pack rat, these aren’t for you. Some cities and municipalities are making new laws to keep out tiny houses and new tax laws specific to these smaller dwellings.

However, the Survival Punk finds more benefits than detractors. And we discuss…

Tiny House Topics Discussed:

• Why may preppers find these appealing?
• Dating as a single tiny house owner?
• How do you store food in a tiny house?
• Can they help you get out of or avoid debt?
• How realistic is bugging out in one of these?
• How do you move a tiny house?
• What are the construction methods (and hacks)?
• How do you pick appliances?
• Does solar work well for tiny house owners?
• Building codes and laws impacting the movement and owners.

What is a tiny house?

They are often defined as small dwellings between 100 and 400 square feet. By comparison, the average US home is approximately 2,000 square feet.

These minuscule abodes are considered both a social movement and a lifestyle. They’re for people who want to downsize their life, travel more, reduce their “environmental footprint”, and avoid what for most is the largest purchase they’ll make in the lives.

Episode Resources:

• Survival Punk
  • Website
  • Podcast on iTunes
  • YouTube
• The Kimberly Wood Stove
• Mr Heater Buddy propane heater
• Tiny Window Unit
• Jay Shaffer
• Paul Wheaton’s Wofati building