We’ve spent enough time in our tiny home to settle in and return to our normal routine, but normal has changed. How we cook, shop, and even entertain has changed to adapt to our smaller domicile. We’re learning the constraints of our smaller space and adjusting to the pros and cons.
Cooking
We knew there would be limits to what could be accomplished in a smaller kitchen. Large baking sheets, cookie cutters, lasagna trays, and extra utensils all went into storage. We opted to move only small baking dishes and essential utensils into our tiny space. Cooking for a small number of people has been working, but it’s a little crowded making multiple dishes at the same time. One pot/skillet meals are a good goal in a small kitchen and an outdoor barbecue grill adds more options. Cooking for a large group is definitely out, but take-out and pot-luck still make a terrific gathering.
Shopping
Well, buying in bulk to save money is definitely out. In addtion, buying a horde of food to last as long as possible is out as well. Our tiny home only has enough room to store back-up essentials (ie; toilet paper, an extra roll of paper towels, boxed and packaged non perishable food, etc.). The refrigerator is also smaller so more frequent shopping trips are needed for fresh food. Stopping by our local market every couple of days is essential. On the upside, meals and produce are more fresh. Con— if we don’t make the time to stop at the store, we become grazers on snack food. A little more space in the kitchen would be nice.
Entertaining
Since most of our entertainment space is outside, we really have to plan having people over. It would be difficult to fit a large party into our tiny home if it suddenly started to rain. Overnight guests have to be limited as well. There’s only so much bed, sofa, and floor space for sleeping no matter how creative you get. A good host wants to be accommodating, so planning is super important. We don’t want to put ourselves in a bad position and have our guests be uncomfortable.
Pro or Con?
We definitely still think living in a Tiny Home has more pros than cons, but lifestyle changes are definitely needed to make it work. Our relaxation and happiness has been worth the change in menu and all of our friends have been amenable to our new kind of hospitality.
Have a great one-pot meal to share? Comment below!