Living without money

I don't think I could live without money. I'm not especially materialistic, but I do my best to have a roof over my head, something to eat in the fridge, and something warm to wear during the winter, etc. But there are some folks that have made the choice to live without money. And the most interesting one (IMO) is Daniel Suelo.

Twelve years ago, he gave away his life savings and decided to live without money. Suelo does not have a job, live on welfare or receive food stamps. You won't find him on a busy street corner asking for spare change. He forages wild foods and knows which dumpsters are best for a healthy meal or two. He gets around on a humble bike, and walks more miles in a week than most folks walk in a year. And he is sheepish about sleeping at homeless shelters. In fact, Suelo's home is a small cave in Utah. And he's not insane.

Suelo woke up one day and thought to himself: Why do I live as I do? Is it really healthy to have to hold down a job I dislike, just so I can pay car insurance, rent an expensive roof over my head, and buy things which are bad for the planet? What would happen if I suddenly threw away the credit cards, learned to grow my own food, and made the choice never to own a car?

So he left his life savings in a phone booth, quit his job, moved out of his apartment, and has been living without money for more than a decade. And he seems happy with the choice he made.

I think it's awesome that he is somehow able to survive without money. It’s a difficult way to live, but he seems at peace with himself and the world. His belief is that money ultimately divides people instead of uniting them. And that's why America has become such a divided country. The solution (in his opinion) is not to make (or borrow) more money, but to learn to live without it.

This will create a society in which people no longer measure a man's wealth by what he owns. And there will no longer be a need to label someone rich or poor. There's more than enough resources for all Americans - if only we can learn to share what is already available: Instead of the few having too much, and most not having enough.

QP

 

Daniel Suelo commands my utmost respect.This is an amazing story.It's not something that I could ever do,although I'm not enthralled to money either.I'm quite frugal,but in this world the way it is I need money to survive.

 

I feel the same way. I'm also amazed that I'd not heard about Suelo until I chanced upon a book about him at my local library. Although I could not live without money, I think the concept is an interesting one. And his thoughts are actually quite insightful.

QP

 

Living without money is not that hard, I've done it. When you live without money, you are truly free. No debts, no obligations. This country throws away enough perfectly good food to feed the world every day. But society really looks down on dumpster divers. There still are communes that live without money, but there you have obligations. Then there are homeless shelters and panhandling. No room for pride in that style of living. Hook up with the Rainbow Gathering and you can find all kinds of opportunities.
http://welcomehome.org/rainbow/index.html

 

I totally agree with you. Good food is thrown away, and if somebody tries to salvage it - he/she is thought of as the lowest of the low. So there's the stigma to overcome. I find it odd that most people consider recycling bottles, paper, cans, and plastic a really good thing, but look down on dumpster divers. Is this also not a form of recycling? Why waste perfectly good food? Thanks for the really cool link.

QP

 

I am unfamiliar with Suelo, but one story that impressed me a while back was regarding McCandless. I was extremely sad at the end when he died.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_McCandless

I also could not give up money to do what either one of them have done.

 

I cheated: I saw the movie first (3 times), then read the book (once).

It is a very sad story. I hear the bus he died in is a popular tourist attraction. You can find pics online of folks standing in front of the bus. Sort of morbid (IMO).

QP

P.S. Take a long peek at Suelo's biography. Or do you prefer fiction?

 

I think it would be extremely hard to live without money. I'd love to try it one day, though. I agree that money divides people instead of uniting them. My family struggles with money problems. My brother is a heroin addict, and my dad is addicted to pain killers. They spend so much money on drugs that it has greatly affected my family and our money situation. I think the main reason my family is so divided is because of the money problem.

I think any person could live without money if they set their mind to it. I think a person who gave up money could be genuinely happy.

 

I think a simple life could be very rewarding, but some of these guys take it too far, imo.

Chris McCandless had romantic notions and had no idea how to actually survive. He starved to death. I don't consider that to be sane. His story is just plain tragic.

I don't want to live in a mansion or drive a Rolls Royce, but I do like to know where my next meal is coming from, have a warm home and other people around me.

 

You are right. He had truly romantic notions about living free. I think if he would have looked into living that way more and truly preparing himself, he would be alive today. His story is very tragic!

 

What an inspiration to read.

 

It is a great read, I loved the book and the movie.

 

I don't think I'd wan't to live with out money. It might be ok while I'm fit and healthy - but not so much fun when I'm not. It would be nice to drop out for a short period - say 3-6 months. Just to clear the mind/reboot.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/jun/02/mark-boyle-moneyless-man-food-for-free

 

It's truly strange how money can divide people on a personal and political level. I got a Christmas gift from a disabled friend that she'd bought at one of those dollar stores. It meant a lot to me, because I knew she had so little money to spare.

However, she told me that her own mother was offended when she'd given her a gift from the same store. Whatever happened to it's the thought that counts? Poor folks cannot afford to buy expensive gifts.

Then there are some people that look down on folks living in HUD housing. Would it be better if all disabled and low income people were reduced to living on the streets?

He was very young and inexperienced. Suelo was much older, so he didn't take as many risks. And that made all the difference in the world.

QP

P.S. I also don't think I could attempt to live without money. But this is due to serious health issues on my part...

 

OMG! Reading your post, I just wanted to hug you. I sincerely hope you find a happier life. I suggest you go to the Rainbow Gathering this summer. I'm sure you'll hook up with some good people that will help you get to a better place. Check out the Rainbow thread in the "hip communities" section. BTW, I'm probably pretty close to you, so if you want to go, P.M. me and maybe we can go together. It's in Montana this year.

 

It made me see that connecting with other people is really what matters most in life.

I got the book from the library, but I bought the DVD. And I only do this when a movie is especially good.

QP

 

I agree. In fact, Suelo is fiftysomething now, so one wonders how much longer he can live without money. When his vision became really poor a few years ago, he got a free pair of glasses from a woman that owned a thrift store. He does his part by volunteering at homeless shelters. This is what he means by sharing our abilities/goods - instead of using money to pay for everything.

QP

 

I just wish it would be like in the past when society was smaller, people traded for things they needed, having to hunt your own food. Would be nice to have more nature

 

Suelo believes this is still possible. He's been living this way for over a decade. I like the idea of trading for things. There's less waste that way, and no money is required.

QP

 

What about dependents? These guys only have themselves to provide for, once you have a family in the picture, you have a duty to take care of them and give them some kind of security...