Living

For almost a decade I lived in one of the most expensive cities in the world, Vancouver, BC, where average home prices hover around $600,000 (CAD) for a one-bedroom condo and over $2 million for a three-bedroom detached home. Unsurprisingly, there’s a housing crisis in that city, and yet the container housing project just down the street from my own tiny apartment was the lone … [Read more...] about Are Tiny Homes Really All That Eco-Friendly? 10 Key Benefits of Prefabricated Homes

As someone who has lived in the city and now lives somewhere fairly rural, I can say with certainty that there are huge benefits to not being in a busy urban center, whether you live in a tiny home or not. Being intrinsically more eco-friendly is not one of them, however.  Sure, I regularly eye up plots of land and muse about building a prefabricated tiny home, cob … [Read more...] about The Downside of the Tiny Home and Prefab Movement

I live in the Pacific Northwest, right by a ‘nest’ of seismic activity. It shouldn’t surprise you, then, that I’ve got two well-provisioned earthquake kits: one at home and one in the car. If you’ve yet to get organized, now’s the time to learn how to build an earthquake kit. Even if you don’t live near a fault line, an earthquake kit is a great place to start to prepare for … [Read more...] about How to Build an Earthquake Survival Kit

Let's face it, air conditioning is expensive, both in buying the unit and in keeping it running. Some of you in more northern climates (hello Duluth and the northern Great Lakes) or near the coast (we see you La Jolla) may be able to get away with natural ways to cool your home in the summer rather than resorting to A/C. If you're looking to bypass the A/C unit and go back … [Read more...] about Can’t Afford A/C? Try These Natural Alternatives

Air conditioners may be considered a luxury in some places, but in others they’re pretty much essential to keep your cool as the weather and the climate warm. Window air conditioners, portable air conditioners, and central air conditioning systems are more affordable than ever and, thankfully, have vastly improved in energy efficiency. But, while A/C isn’t the energy hog it … [Read more...] about How to Find the Best Energy Efficient Air Conditioner at Every Price Point