Imagine waking up one morning in North Carolina and deciding you want to discover what life in San Francisco is like. With a tiny house, you’re able to up and move your ENTIRE sanctuary to the other side of the country.

If you’re on a tight budget and unsure of where you want to live now that you’re out in the real world you’re in luck. You don’t have to live in your parents’ basement anymore. A new craze is sweeping across our great generation that grew up on classic Nickelodeon shows. From coast to coast, more and more of our classmates are choosing to live with less and downsize into “Tiny Houses”.

Instead of paying rent every month, tiny house owners are choosing to pay a flat rate for land to plop their garage sized customized homes on. While building your own tiny house from scratch can cost you anywhere from $8,000 to $40,000 depending on how fancy your features are, this one time payment can leave you with more money in your pocket month after month.

Anywhere from 200 to 700 square feet on average, they can be moved almost anywhere. Now these might sound small, but the possibilities for the layout inside are endless. Tiny houses can be worked to include bathrooms, full working kitchens, living areas, and lofted bedrooms and offices. Storage under couches and beds and even in the floor helps to maximize space.

From old converted dumpsters, trailers, and even buses, tiny houses are great for people starting out on their own. Some are strapped to the back of pickup trucks, and some have decks and hot tubs attached. They’re also great for those with traveling occupations, such as reporters, volunteers and freelance photographers, as well as those who want to travel the country.

Need even more convincing to jump on board with the movement? You’ll get to save on heating and cooling bills. For those looking to reduce, reuse, recycle, you’ll be happy to know that less space means less clutter and a cleaner environmental footprint.

Are you ready to jump on the bandwagon?  Don’t be another millennial living in a box sized studio apartment in midtown Manhattan. Be free and independent in your very own tiny house, built just for you.

Published in the Spring 2016 issue of Adulting.