iReporters sacrifice square footage

(CNN) -- Kate Meinhardt felt like a clown jammed into a Volkswagen bug when she lived in a 21-square-foot room aboard a circus train.

Bungee cords crisscrossed her walls once a week to prevent an avalanche of items from raining down. A microwave, mini refrigerator, her laptop and baskets of personal items lined the dorm-like room.

Showering, going to the bathroom and even doing laundry became racing contests on the train, Meinhardt said. The 13 people on board shared one shower, two toilets and one washer and dryer.

"It's a pretty tough life living in such a small space," she said. The 23-year-old spent almost a year as an animal handler for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

While most iReporters haven't run off to join the circus, some have traded in their homes for smaller digs. One iReporter even opted for a floating lifestyle, where he could sail away at a moment's notice. iReport.com: Living in tight quarters

Living on a 25-foot boat was only supposed to be temporary, but Jim Smith loved it so much he stayed there for a year.

"I have lived in a 25-foot sailboat, a 28-foot motor home, a 32-foot sailboat and now an 800 square-foot apartment," Smith said in his iReport. "I was happiest with the 25-foot sailboat."

While docked in Panama City, Florida, Smith kept his expenses to a minimum. The marina slip rent was only $200 and electricity was included in the rent, he said.

The boat did not have refrigeration so Smith kept his food inside an insulated ice box. For 79 cents at the discount grocery store, he could buy a 10-pound bag of ice that would last him several days, even during the summer.

Air conditioning wasn't a luxury Smith had either, but fans and sea breezes kept him cool.

"Sometimes the less you have, the more you like it," he said.

The portable lifestyle also charmed a father-son duo who set out on a yearlong European vacation. A camper van took them wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted.

Spencer Pearson and his 15-year-old son, Bryce, bought a 150-square-foot van in Germany for their European excursion. Living out of the van meant "no reservations, no packing and unpacking of suitcases, no strange beds," Pearson said.

Modern amenities weren't amiss on the van, which included everything from the Internet and entertainment to a complete bath and kitchen, and there were occasional hotel stays and meals out that made the trip more pleasant.

The simple life also enticed Deborah Greant and her husband to trade in their Calgary, Canada, home for an RV.

Both she and her husband have neuromuscular problems and needed extra help taking care of their large home. Since moving into a 240-square-foot RV, they can manage the house themselves.

"We didn't want to be owned by our things," Greant said. "We jettisoned pretty much everything except things from former generations."

While two people living in an RV can be tight, imagine a family of six trying to do the same.

Mounting living expenses and a job relocation prompted the Chervenkas to sell their home and move into a 32-foot RV. Two pets came along, too.

The Chervenkas weren't forced to do this. Their goal was to become debt-free and save money for their children's college educations.

When pilot Tim Chervenka got transferred to Charlotte, North Carolina, the family set up camp in a 32-foot RV. The temporary situation turned into a permanent one.

The family said goodbye to paying a first and second mortgage and pricey utilities. They now pay only $500 a month, utilities included.

"It's made such an adjustment in our personal life without the juggling," Cindy Chervenka said. "We have so much more family time. It's a good feeling."

Cindy Chervenka has some advice for others thinking of a drastic downsizing: "Step out of your comfort zone and try it. We didn't plan on doing this full-time, but once we discovered it, we thought, 'hey we can do this forever!' Until you step out and try it, you'll think it's not doable."