Living in a tiny house is basically a crash course in living with less—and honestly, it’s way more eye-opening than I ever expected it to be.
Here are six frugal hacks that tiny living drilled into me, with some extra thoughts on why they work (and why you might want to steal them, even if you live in a “normal” house).
Enjoy Minimalism and Decluttering
Tiny living basically forces you to be picky about what sticks around. There’s never extra room for “just in case” junk, and I frankly kind of love that. The less you have, the less you have to clean, organize, and stress about. You end up with more time and mental space for things that actually matter, and I can’t imagine a world where I go back to the old concept of having “more.”
Feeling overwhelmed by clutter? Join the 30 Bags in 30 Days Declutter Challenge and take the first step toward a more organized home! This free printable makes it easy to stay on track with one simple goal each day—no stress, just steady progress. Download it now and start clearing space for what truly matters.
Get Smarter About Storage and Multi-Functional Furniture
Tiny homeownership makes you look for storage solutions everywhere. And in my instance, I always look up.
Shelves, hooks, baskets—if there’s a wall, there’s a way to turn it into storage. Multi-functional furniture, like a bed with drawers or a coffee table with secret compartments, also became a lifesaver when it came to storage. These hacks save space and money. Instead of splurging on more stuff to organize your stuff, you just make the most out of what’s already there.
Accept That Stuff Is Overrated
Tiny living shifts your focus from buying more things to actually living your life. Since you literally can’t fit more stuff, you start spending on experiences, like travel, concerts, enjoying a night out with friends.
I learned something that I kinda already knew: it’s life’s moments that matter, not the random knick-knacks I have lying around. This helps me be more frugal by being intentional about my spending, picking experiences that’ll mean something down the road.
Try DIY
Living in a tiny home has made more hands-on with my homeownership. I’m not entirely sure why, but I imagine its that creativity and resourcefulness is kind of a prerequisite to making something like this work.
I became a fix-it-yourself person right before my eyes, finding and using reclaimed materials to build new things I absolutely loved. This saved me money and helped me gain so much confidence in my ability to make something out of nothing.
Get Pickier About Purchases
Impulse buying doesn’t survive in a tiny home lifestyle. I have to be so much more intentional about why I’m buying something. Because frankly…where am I going to put it? This mindset doesn’t just save cash—it also cuts down on waste, which feels pretty good, honestly. It’s also made me immensely grateful for what I already have, which has been a big boost to my overall happiness.
Appreciate the Tiny Things That Save
While not a “hack” per se, the very nature of living in a tiny home has been incredible for my overall living expenses.
It makes sense: smaller life, smaller bills. This is hard to replicate outside a tiny home to some extent, but I think it just puts into perspective how much more we can do to live with less. Even small things, like unplugging your electronics at night, can lead to fantastic savings that don’t require you to move into a tiny home.
