HomeStyle: When bigger isn't better

Living large. For decades, it has been the goal of many Americans; built on the belief that bigger is better, writes Linda S. Haymes in HomeStyle.

Young couples begin with “starter homes” and work their square footage up from there. As the family grows, the small car driven as a college student gets traded in for an SUV to tote the kids to all those activities. And while a pickup is great; one with an extended cab is better.

Restaurants offer all-you-can-eat buffets, fast-food chains offer oversize burgers, and convenience stores serve up 64-ounce soft drinks.

But the tide of consumerism appears to be turning. With the rise of environmental consciousness emphasis seems to be shifting to recycling and reusing what we already have instead of making more. See Saturday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette to meet some people who are thinking smaller.

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