A Debt-Free Young Couple’s Cozy 200-Square-Foot Tiny House Is an Inspiration to Everyone

Name: Kothney-Issa and Marek Bush
Location: Dallas, Texas
Type of home: Tiny House
Size: 200 square feet
Years lived in:  Over 2 years, owned

For those who take the leap into living a tiny lifestyle—from converted buses, to van life, to tiny houses—the reasons behind the life change are as diverse as the people making the jump. Some want to travel more. Others desire a move to minimalism. And still others—like Kothney-Issa and Marek Bush, do it to meet their financial goals. In their case, they were able to pay off $125,000 worth of debt in just 24 months. We’re talking about all their credit cards, both cars, student loans, and yes, a tiny house, which they bought at the age of 25 for $55,000.

The Bushes, who run the popular Youtube channel “Living Tiny With the Bushes,” are completely transparent about how they were able to pay down so much debt quickly in a series of videos (spoiler alert: There’s no quick solution; it just involved a lot of work). In other videos on their channel, they share the main reasons the couple decided to go tiny (geographic flexibility and homeownership among them). And they speak frankly about what it’s really like living in a tiny house—and whether they still love it after living in it for years.

Lest you think all their financial planning means they find tiny living a sacrifice, think again. Their house is small, but it has a spacious living room (with a large enough couch to cuddle on while watching television on a big TV they splurged on), a cozy and lofted bedroom, a cute reading nook, a nice-sized closet, and the most important spot: a fully equipped kitchen that gets used for both cooking and content creating.

But along with their refreshing honesty about finances and the tiny living lifestyle, their loving and hilarious rapport (they are former middle school sweethearts who have been married for over six years now) makes them the perfect tiny house living tutors to those curious about taking the plunge themselves.

Thanks Marek and Ko!