Thanksgiving has come to be known as the great American day of indulgence: a day of over-eating, over-sharing and over-spending on Black Friday deals- like that shockingly discounted cooler or that 72-inch flat-screen TV complete with a mail-in rebate. We, the people, have taken our constitutionally granted liberty to take Thanksgiving as the seminal day to relax, spend time with family, and be grateful for all of the excess and privilege we have in our lives. Being grateful is undoubtedly a good thing for our mental and emotional well-being and so is having a holiday that gives us an excuse to appreciate our friends, family, and freedom. However, a growing cohort of Boulder-based companies, are proving that, despite the glut of this Thanksgiving holiday, less can definitely be more and bigger is not always better.

Local companies like Wee Casa have been on the forefront of the Tiny Home Movement. Tiny Homes are dwellings that are less than 1,000 square feet and they typically cost between $20,000 and $80,000, around a quarter of the cost of the average home price in America. Proponents of the Tiny Home movement argue that, with proper design and an efficient use of space, families can have comfortable living quarters in homes that are more environmentally and economically sustainable than the average home. As many of us sit on our couches on this Thanksgiving day in suburban houses, on sprawling lots, with SUVs in our garages, this movement may seem like it runs contrary to many American ideals. However, in cities like Boulder, where home prices continue to rise, and many have lingering loads of school or mortgage debt, a tiny home is an attractive proposition.

Further, as concerns about climate change, the global economy, and population growth continue to intensify, it’s important for us, citizens of the world, to evaluate how our everyday living conditions will affect the future. By reducing the amount of space that we need, and the amount of land that we utilize, we can reduce our impact on the environment. Living smaller, living cheaper, and valuing moderation and frugality over surplus and waste, will likely prove to be a worthwhile effort in the long run. So, as we eat our heaps of turkey and drink our batches of wine, let’s have a little food for thought and think about the mission of companies like Rhino Cubed and Wee Casa and see if we can wrap our head around the Tiny Home Movement and what it could mean for the future.

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