Living a Life of Minimalism

A Life We’ve Wanted for a Long Time- a Life of Minimalism

Living in an RV has helped us live the life we’ve wanted for a long time- we just didn’t know we wanted it. Especially the whole living in an RV part. What we did know is that clutter stressed us out, money was always tight and we spent our days working and being away from our son just to pay for the things we thought we needed. 

When we first downsized into the RV, we thought we knew what minimalism was. Fewer clothes, less kitchen stuff, smaller closets but as it turns out, minimalism isn’t just about getting rid of things. It’s about making space, physically, mentally, and emotionally, for what actually matters.

Learning What We Really Need

There’s something freeing about realizing how little you really need to be comfortable and content. When your home is only a few hundred square feet, every single item has to earn its place.

You start thinking about what you use daily, what brings you joy, and what’s just taking up space. Instead of a cabinet full of random coffee mugs, we each have one or two that are special to us. For Mike, it’s his dad mug that I gave him when our son was born in 2018. For me it's a mug my best friend gave me that says “Wish you lived next door.”

We no longer have a linen closet stuffed to the brim with towels, toiletries and lord knows what else. We have the exact number of those things that we actually need and use. 

It’s not to say we don’t like gifts or we don’t have anything extra, but for the most part, what we have is what we actually need. 

What’s in Storage (and What Isn’t)

We still have a small storage unit, a few bins of sentimental things, tools Mike didn’t want to replace, and some furniture that we love and didn’t want to part with- like a desk from West Elm that I got for only $50 on Facebook Marketplace back in our apartment living days. Of course we have other random items that we saved but honestly I can’t even remember exactly what’s in there- which means we probably didn't need to keep it. 

At first, we thought we’d be digging through our storage unit every couple of months for something we forgot. But in the last year, we’ve only wished we had something from there once or twice if that. That realization alone has been eye-opening. It makes you realize how much of what you hang onto is more about comfort or habit than a true need. Even our son chose to keep some toys in storage but when we went there a few months ago, he had no interest in any of them! I was truly shocked. I fully anticipated needing to make room for these ‘new’ toys in the RV.

Update- we went to our storage unit a few days ago to get some of our Christmas decor and our son loved looking through his memento bin and chose to take some of his old trains back into the RV with us. Something small and sweet that I am very happy we kept.

Breaking the Online Shopping Habit

Time to be vulnerable- the hardest habit to break wasn’t getting rid of the stuff we already owned, it was not buying more of it.

Online shopping used to be our downfall. With one click, something new could be on the way, and it gave that quick little dopamine hit that made us feel productive or happy for a minute. This was especially true when Mike and I’s mental health wasn’t the best. We accrued quite a bit of debt over the years and while it wasn’t all tied to shopping, that was definitely a huge part of it. 

But living in an RV, you really can’t afford to do that, physically or financially. Once we cut back on that “instant buy” mindset, we realized how much money we were saving and how much lighter we felt mentally. It then occurred to us how often we had been turning to shopping to make ourselves feel better. It definitely forced us to do some self reflecting. 

Finding Comfort in the Small Things

Minimal living also forced us to slow down and be more intentional. Now that we’re not buried in stuff or endless to-do lists, we enjoy the small things more, like our morning coffee outside, opening the windows on a cooler day, actually noticing the sun rise. 

Of course, minimalism in an RV doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort or wants. We still love our extra blankets, pairs of shoes and other random things. But we’ve learned that comfort doesn’t come from more things, it comes from having the right things. Mike likes to say we have “few nice things.”

The other piece is getting rid of the items that no longer serve us. So when we have a shirt that we just don’t wear anymore, instead of keeping it, we donate it. We’ve learned to make room for the things we love and need and all of the extra goes away (or at least most of the extra)

RV Life with a Kid: Keeping It Real

Now, we’d be lying if we said living minimally in an RV was always easy, especially with a seven-year-old in the mix. Our son loves his toys, schoolwork, art projects, and about 100+ “treasures” at any given time. The amount of rocks and sticks in his bed is fully ridiculous but also- they make him happy- so we keep them. 

We’ve had to get really good at organization. Every toy has a home even if we don’t always put it there. Every art project has a display spot (for at least a little while), and we’ve become pros at rotating things in and out. 

We’ve also gotten sneaky. Sometimes, when certain “treasures” have been forgotten about, they quietly disappear — usually to make room for the next masterpiece, special rock or random happy meal toy. 

It’s definitely added a layer of difficulty, but it’s also taught us a lot about balance. We want him to feel like this RV is his home too, full of the things he loves, while still keeping the clutter from taking over.

From a parent standpoint, it’s pretty cool knowing that our son is growing up learning that less is more (except when it comes to super cool rocks- you can never have too many of those)

Why We Built Cozy Camper

This lifestyle is what inspired Cozy Camper in the first place — helping other RVers make intentional, informed choices so they can enjoy the freedom and simplicity of RV life with confidence. We call it peace of mind and that’s exactly what this lifestyle has given us. 

Whether it’s through inspections, maintenance tips, or honest conversations like this one, we love helping others create the life they’ve always wanted.