How One Family Lives Large in 200 Square Feet

Jacqueline Zeolla lives with her entire family (including her husband, toddler and a new baby on the way) in a 200 square foot RV.

Although most can't conceive of living in such a small space, Jacqueline and her family embrace it. It's taught them the value of living with less.

What made you decide to move your family into an RV?

My husband brought up the idea one night and I was immediately sold! We were living with my father and didn’t want to over extend our stay, and the apartments in our area were excessively priced. 

What is your favorite part of your home?

My favorite part is my son Brayden’s bunk room. Initially the RV came with two bunk beds, but we wanted Brayden to have his own space instead of just piling all of his stuff on the bottom bunk. My husband ripped out the bottom bunk and it created a little room for him and all his things.

What are the ways you’ve minimized your things to be able to accommodate a child in such a small space?

We go through our things weekly. I set a date to do a purge of things that haven't been used or that we no longer need. I go through Brayden’s toys weekly as well and anything that has been brought in, like little trinkets, I toss so it doesn’t pile up.

I think toys tends to be something that quickly leads to clutter in a home. What's your approach to keeping it streamlined?

I make sure everything that is brought into the space makes sense. Not only if the particular toy is going to get played with, but I also ask myself questions like, "Will it fit? Where will it be stored? What toy will we replace it with?" If I don't have a good answer, I don't bring it home.

For families looking to downsize, what advice would you give them?

You actually need far less than what you think. A lot of times we hold onto stuff because it reminds us of something, but it doesn’t bring value to our lives. The biggest thing is recognizing what those things are and getting rid of them.

A big thanks to Jacqueline for taking the time to chat with us. You can follow along with her and her family on her Instagram account @jacquelinesarahh