{"id":22271,"date":"2022-07-22T12:49:51","date_gmt":"2022-07-22T12:49:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/we-moved-our-family-of-six-into-a-shed-after-we-lost-our-jobs\/"},"modified":"2022-07-22T12:49:51","modified_gmt":"2022-07-22T12:49:51","slug":"we-moved-our-family-of-six-into-a-shed-after-we-lost-our-jobs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/we-moved-our-family-of-six-into-a-shed-after-we-lost-our-jobs\/","title":{"rendered":"We moved our family of six into a shed after we lost our jobs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>it&#8217;s a <em>sheddy<\/em> life \u2014 but mom-of-four Jessica Taylor wouldn&#8217;t have it any other way. <\/p>\n<p>In June 2020, after facing financial difficulties due to the pandemic, she and her husband, Lath, decided to shed the comforts of their three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in northwest Arkansas.  The family of six moved into a 500-square-foot toolshed.  Friends thought it was a very bizarre way to downsize.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the things people find really weird about us living in a shed is that we use a composting bathroom rather than a traditional toilet,\u201d Taylor, 30, who now resides in a lofted shed in western Tennessee, told The Post. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s a bucket system,\u201d the former bartender-turned-home-schooler (or shed-schooler) explained of her hut&#8217;s outhouse.  \u201cAnd [when] you [urinate or defecate], you cover it with wood chips each time.  After two days, whether the bucket is full or not, we dump [the waste] into a composting bin in the woods, and then after a couple of years, [the waste] turns into soil for ornamental plants.\u201c<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption>In the face of money problems brought on by the pandemic, Taylor and her husband moved their family of six into a toolshed. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Jessica Taylor<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n\t<\/aside>\n<p>But indoor plumbing is one of the very few amenities the family&#8217;s lodge is missing. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe shed is two stories and has electricity, running water, a heat\/cooling system, a 65-inch flat-screen television, a stainless steel refrigerator, an electric stove and foldout futons that we use as beds,\u201d said Taylor, who&#8217;s Shared clips of the chic shack with her more than 66,700 social media followers. <\/p>\n<p>After buying the wooden workshop for $6,000 at a roadside hardware stand, she and Lath, 42, invested another $7,000 in renovations, which included adding a staircase that leads to its lofted area, privacy walls and an outdoor porch. <\/p>\n<p>The parents used monies from their tax returns, stimulus checks and unemployment to fund their housing project. <\/p>\n<p>They also invested in a $4,000 well, which supplies them with water for drinking, cleaning and showering.  (The family uses a long, retractable faucet that extends from their kitchenette to outside the shed, where they shower under the cover of trees.) <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed-House_7-copy.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Taylor's husband added a staircase, privacy walls, an outdoor porch and a second shed to their tiny home, which is station on an acre of her mom's west Tennessee property. \" class=\"wp-image-23152553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed-House_7-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed-House_7-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed-House_7-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption>Taylor&#8217;s husband added a staircase, privacy walls, an outdoor porch and a second shed to their tiny home, which is stationed on an acre of her mom&#8217;s west Tennessee property. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Jessica Taylor<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Their brood, with kids ranging in age from 3 to 9, is part of the growing number of folks ditching their sprawling, oft-expensive digs to live in outdoor storage units that typically house gardening equipment or sporting goods.  It&#8217;s a no-frills take on the tiny house movement, with a dash of #VanLife for those looking for cozy, economical simplicity.  On TikTok, shed dwellers have stamped videos of their hovels-turned-homes with the hashtag #ShedLife over 22.2 million times. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMore and more people are breaking free from the mindset that you have to have the big expensive, fancy house to feel like they&#8217;re making it,\u201d said Taylor of the allure of shed life.  \u201cThere&#8217;s value in living modestly.  We&#8217;re able to spend more time together gardening and enjoying nature rather than working to afford lavish accommodations.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"769\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed_House_005-copy.jpg?resize=769%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The Taylors spent $6,000 on the shed, and another $11,000 renovating the space to make it comfortable for six people. \" class=\"wp-image-23152460\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed_House_005-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1538 1538w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed_House_005-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1153 1153w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed_House_005-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=769 769w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed_House_005-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=384 384w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed_House_005-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 769px) 100vw, 769px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption>The Taylors spent $6,000 on the shed and another $11,000 renovating the space to make it comfortable for six people. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Jessica Taylor<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Fellow shed-living trendsetters Nick and Meghan Lucid recently went viral for sharing how they converted an 860-square-foot Tuff shed from Home Depot into a lavish two-level estate, complete with one bedroom, a finished bathroom, a laundry room and a walk-in closet.  Footage of their revamped cottage has scored over 2 million views. <\/p>\n<p>Like the Taylors, the couple downsized for financial reasons brought on by COVID.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRight after the pandemic hit, me and Lath lost our jobs at a restaurant where we&#8217;d worked for years,\u201d Taylor explained to The Post.  \u201cBefore that, we were renting a big $1,100 brick house in Arkansas, but we just couldn&#8217;t afford it and our other household bills anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"577\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed_House_003-copy.jpg?resize=577%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Taylor credit #ShedLife with helping her family get out of debt, and granting her the opportunity of becoming a stay-at-home mom. \" class=\"wp-image-23152625\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed_House_003-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1154 1154w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed_House_003-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=865 865w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed_House_003-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=577 577w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed_House_003-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=288 288w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed_House_003-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 577px) 100vw, 577px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption>Taylor credits #ShedLife with helping her family get out of debt and granting her the opportunity of becoming a stay-at-home mom. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Jessica Taylor<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After moving eight hours away and relocating onto her mom&#8217;s 6-acre property, where they&#8217;ve stationed their shed rent-free, the family&#8217;s monthly overhead has been reduced from more than $2,000 to a measly $400. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSince we moved into the shed, we&#8217;ve become really financially stable, and we&#8217;re getting close to being debt-free,\u201d said Taylor, adding that the cost-effective move has also allowed her to become a stay-at- home mom.  Reducing their monthly expenses even allowed them to buy an $11,000 garden shed to use as a second home. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe kids love [our new lifestyle] because we&#8217;re able to spend more quality time together than when I was working,\u201d said Taylor.  \u201cIt&#8217;s been really great.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And #ShedLife isn&#8217;t just for families. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"612\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed-House_14.jpg?resize=612%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Millennial and Gen-Z economists are now investing in sheds rather than apartments in order to save money and live close to home. \" class=\"wp-image-23152456\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed-House_14.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=612 612w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed-House_14.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=306 306w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Shed-House_14.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption>Millennial and Gen Z economists are now investing in sheds rather than apartments in order to save money and live close to home. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Mia Puhakka<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Mia Puhakka, 17, bypassed the stress of first-time apartment-hunting by setting up camp in her parents&#8217; backyards. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy mom and dad like having me at home, so I don&#8217;t pay rent [while I\u2019m living in the shed],\u201d Puhakka, a part-time office assistant from Ontario, Canada, told The Post.  Clips of her humble abode have garnered upward of 1.3 million views.  <\/p>\n<p>Her family purchased and renovated the 12-foot-by-24-foot structure for about $9,300 from shed-dealers Old Hickory Buildings in 2019. Puhakka has since decked out the space with finished cedar and birch floors and walls, a mounted flat-screen television and a working fireplace. <\/p>\n<p>And when she needs to use the restroom, she commutes a few feet to mom and dad&#8217;s.  It&#8217;s a perfect setup for someone on the verge of adulthood. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI get my own space without having to pay for an apartment or a house, and I don&#8217;t pay for Wi-Fi or electricity because my shed is just connected to my [parents\u2019] house,\u201d said Puhakka. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>it&#8217;s a sheddy life \u2014 but mom-of-four Jessica Taylor wouldn&#8217;t have it any other way. In June 2020, after facing financial difficulties due to the pandemic, she and her husband, Lath, decided to shed the comforts of their three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in northwest Arkansas. The family of six moved into a 500-square-foot toolshed. Friends thought &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/we-moved-our-family-of-six-into-a-shed-after-we-lost-our-jobs\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">We moved our family of six into a shed after we lost our jobs<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[4],"tags":[8807,52,10096,1755,2603,1041],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":21765,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/funky-sculpture-home-with-bizarre-driveway-lists-for-629k\/","url_meta":{"origin":22271,"position":0},"title":"Funky &#8216;sculpture&#8217; home with bizarre driveway lists for $629K","date":"July 22, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"This bespoke home is much more than four walls. 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