Living without money.

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  • Thoughts_Arrive
    Thoughts_Arrive Melbourne, Australia Posts: 15,165
    I'd go off grid if I could. 
    Adelaide 17/11/2009, Melbourne 20/11/2009, Sydney 22/11/2009, Melbourne (Big Day Out Festival) 24/01/2014
  • mace1229
    mace1229 Posts: 9,825
    But wonder how much his royalties are for this book.
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,662
    Thoughts_Arrive said:
    I'd go off grid if I could. 
    Me too!
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,662
    edited August 2019
    mace1229 said:
    But wonder how much his royalties are for this book.
    "Penguin approached Suelo about writing an autobiography, but he said that he would not accept payment for telling his story and he would be interested to do so only if the book was given away for free. Penguin was not interested in this approach, but asked a friend of his, Mark Sundeen, about writing a biography. Sundeen wrote The Man Who Quit Money, which was published by Riverhead/Penguin in 2012, and Suelo did not accept any money from his book but requested that the publishers give away a number of copies to people for free, which they did at promotional book tours."


    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • lastexitlondon
    lastexitlondon Posts: 14,890
    Its made me think more. Which is good. I do give away most things. And i think i will more.  I don't  need any of these things i have. And as i lose my memories  whats the point of all this shit we carry around.  It has no purpose. 


    this song is meant to be called i got shit,itshould be called i got shit tickets-hartford 06 -
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,662
    lastexitlondon said:
    Its made me think more. Which is good. I do give away most things. And i think i will more.  I don't  need any of these things i have. And as i lose my memories  whats the point of all this shit we carry around.  It has no purpose. 
    I've been feeling the same way.  I went from losing almost everything I had and having to live in my vehicle for 2 or 3 years not out of choice to finding my way back into better mental and physical health, working hard, saving money and now having a house and a bunch of stuff.  I didn't like living in near poverty, but in some ways it had advantages.  Most of my stuff now is books and records but I find that the ability to amass those things does not make me happier.  I've been sloughing off stuff for the last year or two and will continue to do so.  I love  doing that.
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • pearljammr78
    pearljammr78 Posts: 1,613
    What about the good stuff that money brings, like safety, education, piece of mind. Money for the sake of stuff. Yea that’s a tough one. In one hand, it’s nice to be able to reward yourself with let’s just say a vault release for working hard all the time. But in the other hand, the necessity to have all the latest and greatest gadgets does seem a bit empty. I think a lot has to do with how you get the money. If it’s earned from hard work (as long as you are not neglecting family, mental and physical health) I see it as a good thing. 
    Peace,Love and Pearl Jam.
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,662
    Although I find the music a bit distracting, here's a video that nicely summarizes Suelo's philosophy.


    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • tempo_n_groove
    tempo_n_groove Posts: 41,359
    brianlux said:
    What a concept!  If I were younger and not happily attached, I would definitely consider trying this.  My wife read the book, The Man Who Quit Money by Mark Sundeen which she passed on to me.  It tells the story of Daniel Suelo who left his life savings of $30 in a phone booth in 2000 and has live without money since.  It's an amazing story.  There are others who have and are doing the same.  Here are some of those people:
    Daniel Suelo:

    Mark Boyle, also know as "The Moneyless Man", Irish activist and founder of Freeconomy Community, has lived without money since 2008:

    I love this concept.  Oh to me young again!
    Glasses cost something.  That necklace costs something.  His clothes cost something.

    Where does he live?  If he has property there is always a "property tax" unless he is squatting somewhere?

    You could choose to live like this as long as you don't have other people that rely on you.  A wife or kids?  Doing that with them would be a selfish act.

    I like the idea of living off grid but no money?  No thank you.
  • Meltdown99
    Meltdown99 None Of Your Business... Posts: 10,739
    brianlux said:
    Meltdown99 said:
    brianlux said:
    lastexitlondon said:
    Into the wild
    That book and McCandless' quest for a simpler life was also inspiring.  And another fine read too!
    I have actually read that Alaska Authorities said that book and the story of McCandliss have been more harmful than anything.  McCandliss was ill-prepared and had no real idea of how to live off-grid or off the land.  Every year Alaska has to do some rescue's along that trail and just a couple weeks ago a honeymooning couple from Europe had tragedy strike when the newlywed bride died crossing a fast-moving river and was swept away 1feet  downriver...

    I wish the media would quit with the romance of living off the land.  Not much of society is equipped to live off the land...
    That's because many people don't read carefully.  If they did, they would not go ou into the wild unprepared.  Krakauer knows these things.  He makes it clear.   Some people just don't think critically or plan well.  That's not Krakauer's fault.   As for the romance of living off the land, that is also not Krakauer's invention.  What is made of his book is not his doing.
    You can only gain so much from a book. When it come to living off he land one should probably start off by doing a couple of overnighters while increasing the length until they feel they could survive while being out of touch.  A book can teach you to hunt but it will not harvest your prey for you...you still must do that.
    Give Peas A Chance…
  • rgambs
    rgambs Posts: 13,576
    tempo_n_groove said:
    brianlux said:
    What a concept!  If I were younger and not happily attached, I would definitely consider trying this.  My wife read the book, The Man Who Quit Money by Mark Sundeen which she passed on to me.  It tells the story of Daniel Suelo who left his life savings of $30 in a phone booth in 2000 and has live without money since.  It's an amazing story.  There are others who have and are doing the same.  Here are some of those people:
    Daniel Suelo:

    Mark Boyle, also know as "The Moneyless Man", Irish activist and founder of Freeconomy Community, has lived without money since 2008:

    I love this concept.  Oh to me young again!
    Glasses cost something.  That necklace costs something.  His clothes cost something.

    Where does he live?  If he has property there is always a "property tax" unless he is squatting somewhere?

    You could choose to live like this as long as you don't have other people that rely on you.  A wife or kids?  Doing that with them would be a selfish act.

    I like the idea of living off grid but no money?  No thank you.
    If you think further outside the box you might be able to accept it a little more...radical, yes, but selfish?  Probably not.  A strong family is a team, not a squad of cheerleaders that relies on the quarterback alone.

    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,662
    tempo_n_groove said:
    brianlux said:
    What a concept!  If I were younger and not happily attached, I would definitely consider trying this.  My wife read the book, The Man Who Quit Money by Mark Sundeen which she passed on to me.  It tells the story of Daniel Suelo who left his life savings of $30 in a phone booth in 2000 and has live without money since.  It's an amazing story.  There are others who have and are doing the same.  Here are some of those people:
    Daniel Suelo:

    Glasses cost something.  That necklace costs something.  His clothes cost something.

    Where does he live?  If he has property there is always a "property tax" unless he is squatting somewhere?

    You could choose to live like this as long as you don't have other people that rely on you.  A wife or kids?  Doing that with them would be a selfish act.

    I like the idea of living off grid but no money?  No thank you.
    It's late so I'm going to be lazy-- here's a fairly short article that explains of lot about Suelo:


    I'm not about to try to do this myself- not at 68, but Suelo's story as told by Mark Sundeen is one that gives me pause to examine my own ties with money and to think about what is important to me and what is not.  The book is a great read as well.




    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,662
    Meltdown99 said:
    brianlux said:
    Meltdown99 said:
    brianlux said:
    lastexitlondon said:
    Into the wild
    That book and McCandless' quest for a simpler life was also inspiring.  And another fine read too!
    I have actually read that Alaska Authorities said that book and the story of McCandliss have been more harmful than anything.  McCandliss was ill-prepared and had no real idea of how to live off-grid or off the land.  Every year Alaska has to do some rescue's along that trail and just a couple weeks ago a honeymooning couple from Europe had tragedy strike when the newlywed bride died crossing a fast-moving river and was swept away 1feet  downriver...

    I wish the media would quit with the romance of living off the land.  Not much of society is equipped to live off the land...
    That's because many people don't read carefully.  If they did, they would not go ou into the wild unprepared.  Krakauer knows these things.  He makes it clear.   Some people just don't think critically or plan well.  That's not Krakauer's fault.   As for the romance of living off the land, that is also not Krakauer's invention.  What is made of his book is not his doing.
    You can only gain so much from a book. When it come to living off he land one should probably start off by doing a couple of overnighters while increasing the length until they feel they could survive while being out of touch.  A book can teach you to hunt but it will not harvest your prey for you...you still must do that.
    That's true.  I've not lived like Suelo but I've spent time in the wilderness and I've been close to being homeless having lived in vehicle for a couple of years simply because at the time I had no other choice.  Suelo does what he does on purpose and with a purpose.  His story is fascinating and the book I mentioned is excellent.
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,662
    A friend brought this video to my attention.  It summarizes Suelo's story very well:

    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • tempo_n_groove
    tempo_n_groove Posts: 41,359
    rgambs said:
    tempo_n_groove said:
    brianlux said:
    What a concept!  If I were younger and not happily attached, I would definitely consider trying this.  My wife read the book, The Man Who Quit Money by Mark Sundeen which she passed on to me.  It tells the story of Daniel Suelo who left his life savings of $30 in a phone booth in 2000 and has live without money since.  It's an amazing story.  There are others who have and are doing the same.  Here are some of those people:
    Daniel Suelo:

    Mark Boyle, also know as "The Moneyless Man", Irish activist and founder of Freeconomy Community, has lived without money since 2008:

    I love this concept.  Oh to me young again!
    Glasses cost something.  That necklace costs something.  His clothes cost something.

    Where does he live?  If he has property there is always a "property tax" unless he is squatting somewhere?

    You could choose to live like this as long as you don't have other people that rely on you.  A wife or kids?  Doing that with them would be a selfish act.

    I like the idea of living off grid but no money?  No thank you.
    If you think further outside the box you might be able to accept it a little more...radical, yes, but selfish?  Probably not.  A strong family is a team, not a squad of cheerleaders that relies on the quarterback alone.

    Here is where you and I will see things very different.

    If you decide to bring kids into this lifestyle they will never have any real knowledge of "the world".  This can be said about certain religions or class structures.  If they can't live outside the box they are currently in and see what else is there to offer you are selfish and holding them back for this is all they know.

    Best thing I ever did was get out of NY and try new things, see new places.  I had opportunity to do and see other things, food, countries, lifestyles. Doing this lack of money lifestyle doesn't give you that opportunity.

    Relying on each other would make codependency a common factor too.  The team needs each other so wanting to go off and do your own thing would in turn look selfish.

    Not for me.

    So I have thought further outside the box and I see it as putting you in a box more than anything.
  • tempo_n_groove
    tempo_n_groove Posts: 41,359
    brianlux said:
    tempo_n_groove said:
    brianlux said:
    What a concept!  If I were younger and not happily attached, I would definitely consider trying this.  My wife read the book, The Man Who Quit Money by Mark Sundeen which she passed on to me.  It tells the story of Daniel Suelo who left his life savings of $30 in a phone booth in 2000 and has live without money since.  It's an amazing story.  There are others who have and are doing the same.  Here are some of those people:
    Daniel Suelo:

    Glasses cost something.  That necklace costs something.  His clothes cost something.

    Where does he live?  If he has property there is always a "property tax" unless he is squatting somewhere?

    You could choose to live like this as long as you don't have other people that rely on you.  A wife or kids?  Doing that with them would be a selfish act.

    I like the idea of living off grid but no money?  No thank you.
    It's late so I'm going to be lazy-- here's a fairly short article that explains of lot about Suelo:


    I'm not about to try to do this myself- not at 68, but Suelo's story as told by Mark Sundeen is one that gives me pause to examine my own ties with money and to think about what is important to me and what is not.  The book is a great read as well.




    I'm sure the book would be a good read but again, lifestyle without money is not for me.

    I did find this quote from him interesting.
    “When I lived with money, I was always lacking. Money represents lack. Money represents things in the past (debt) and things in the future (credit), but money never represents what is present.” 

    It would seem that he was always lacking considering his life savings was a mere $30 when he decided to quit money, lol.
  • PJPOWER
    PJPOWER Posts: 6,499
    I can get living without debt, but I am with Tempo when it comes to completely trying to live without any money at all.  
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,662
    tempo_n_groove said:
    brianlux said:
    tempo_n_groove said:
    brianlux said:
    What a concept!  If I were younger and not happily attached, I would definitely consider trying this.  My wife read the book, The Man Who Quit Money by Mark Sundeen which she passed on to me.  It tells the story of Daniel Suelo who left his life savings of $30 in a phone booth in 2000 and has live without money since.  It's an amazing story.  There are others who have and are doing the same.  Here are some of those people:
    Daniel Suelo:

    Glasses cost something.  That necklace costs something.  His clothes cost something.

    Where does he live?  If he has property there is always a "property tax" unless he is squatting somewhere?

    You could choose to live like this as long as you don't have other people that rely on you.  A wife or kids?  Doing that with them would be a selfish act.

    I like the idea of living off grid but no money?  No thank you.
    It's late so I'm going to be lazy-- here's a fairly short article that explains of lot about Suelo:


    I'm not about to try to do this myself- not at 68, but Suelo's story as told by Mark Sundeen is one that gives me pause to examine my own ties with money and to think about what is important to me and what is not.  The book is a great read as well.




    I'm sure the book would be a good read but again, lifestyle without money is not for me.

    I did find this quote from him interesting.
    “When I lived with money, I was always lacking. Money represents lack. Money represents things in the past (debt) and things in the future (credit), but money never represents what is present.” 

    It would seem that he was always lacking considering his life savings was a mere $30 when he decided to quit money, lol.
    I would find this very difficult to do at this point in my life, but if I were a young man now and had read this book and learned more about this way of living, I'm not sure how well or how long I could do it, but I think I might give it a try at least. 

    Beyond the fact the book is very well written and engaging, it also led me to re-evaluate by ties with money and to consider what matters to me and doesn't matter.  I may not change my way of living greatly but I very much appreciate something that challenges my thinking and affects my outlook on life in ways that are meaningful. 

    The only times I really bought into the trappings of consumer were the years when I moved back to the Bay Area from about 1979 though 1989 and tried to live like a consuming little silicon valley man, trying to blend with the crowd my then wife had fallen in with.  I hated it.  I hated the quest for more money, more stuff, more status.  She left me and I left that god-awful lifestyle but then later ended up in a bad situation when my hearing was damaged such that I could no longer teach and ended up living in my van for a few years.  Those were bad times but having little money and few possessions was the least of my problems. 

    I do pretty well these day but kind of miss the simplicity of my semi-homeless days.  But after getting back on my feet, I did, for awhile begin pursuing the desire to have more things once again.  There is no freedom or joy in that.  I'm scaling back again and getting ready for soon to be living on a fixed income.  I think Suelo's influences will help me a lot through this last phase of my life.
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    It's not about money; money itself isn't evil - no more than anyone else of wealth, average or not, who's earned it.

    It's what we choose to do with it, how we acquire it, save it (wanderlust is wonderful but reality is a hard-hitter), even - gasp! - treat ourselves to some things.  Help out a fellow man if able.

    I get the sense some feel this guy is noble in his quest, and maybe he is.  Regardless, it's great that it seems to work for him.
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,662
    hedonist said:
    It's not about money; money itself isn't evil - no more than anyone else of wealth, average or not, who's earned it.

    It's what we choose to do with it, how we acquire it, save it (wanderlust is wonderful but reality is a hard-hitter), even - gasp! - treat ourselves to some things.  Help out a fellow man if able.

    I get the sense some feel this guy is noble in his quest, and maybe he is.  Regardless, it's great that it seems to work for him.
    That's about how I see it.  I try to keep a positive perspective on money, generally use it as wisely as possible, give a percentage of what I have, and be thankful for how much I have rather than get in a knot about how much I don't have.

    I do see Suelo  as being a noble and good person in the way he sets a fine example by staying true to his convictions and showing us that there are ways to live well (that being a relative term) beyond simply being well-off.  But I try to avoid hero worship and focus more on seeing what I can learn from someone's good example.
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

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