....
685 sq ft /4
people = 171.25 sq ft per person. This is the equation of our life. My wife,
Jamie and I started medical school almost 2 years ago with 2 little girls in a
685 sq foot apartment. We decided to go through medical school as frugally as
possible to minimize our debt. This
hasn’t been the easiest most comfortable way to go and believe me the home
seems to get smaller as the summers get hotter.
But we can’t complain about the backyard, which has pool, gym, lemon
orchard, reflecting pools, volleyball and basketball courts. Sounds like a
retreat, right? Well, it is home and it happens to be Midwestern University’s
campus. Living on campus in the “non-luxury apartment” was one of the hardest
decisions we have made but we wanted to stick to our goal of minimizing debt
and living close to campus to spend as much time together as possible. Making that decision 2 years ago has been one
of the best sacrifices we have made during this journey of medical school.
Yes the
rumors are true our humble abode has no dishwasher, garbage disposal, washer
and dryer or even a TV (the last one is by choice). My poor wife has done coin
laundry for a family of four for the past 2 years. And yes having to stand on your tip toes to
get things in and out of a microwave that is stacked on a refrigerator is a
little dangerous and inconvenient at times but we make it work. One huge bonus
though is who else can have their home perfectly clean in fifteen minutes? And
who else gets half rent in the summers? This has been a financially wise
decision for our family but more importantly this has allowed our family to be
together almost every single day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I cannot
express how invaluable this time is with my wife and 2 daughters. My wife is
has been a great asset to Midwestern housing. When we moved in here, there were
5 other mothers that had her come into their homes to have her teach them how
to better organize their space. She has also helped organize a small preschool
for our oldest daughter, where the mothers teach in their homes. We have loved
raising our children here in Arizona and plan to stay in Arizona, we just hope
we don’t have to raise all of our children in 685 sq ft.. But we are happy to announce that on April 23,
2012 the equation will change to this: 685 sq ft / 5 people= 137 sq ft. And we can’t wait!
.....We will miss our tiny abode and all the great amenities! Namley, the parking garage where Kylie is a pro with her bike!
