RE: Could I live without money? Seeking inspiration from the moneyless men...
thanks for this @revisesociology! i thought about these questions a lot in college and share this sentiment
when he used to question why his Christian household didn't really keep to the ideals of Jesus.
from my youth. After graduating college I did live on very little money each year, perhaps under $1000, traveling and doing work exchanges on farms. I had participated in a buy nothing year ( i think i broke it one time that year to buy a pair of 5 finger shoes!) and since then my ideas around needless consumption, especially buying new things were never the same!
now that i'm in my 30s and stabilizing a bit on a homestead in the US, i do need money to build things, buy plant genetics, etc, but i also find myself increasingly being involved in trade and barter economy with local friends who are likeminded. i admire the people who go "all-in", but at this point I don't feel called to be one of them. I do feel they're very important for us to learn from however, and this post was like a breath of fresh air for me.
It is true as they always say, life is simpler without the care of money :)
Hi - thanks for the comment: sounds like you had a really good go at it. I guess the thing about money is that it is efficient... i.e. it saves you a lot of time making your own, which at times can be crucial: e.g. building your shelter before December!
As you say it's all about balance... one of the things I admire about Dan Suelo (which is why I liken him to a Zen master - NOT an analogy I use lightly) is that he 'gave up' money free living to care for his parents temporarily - now THAT's non attachment!
Were the five-finger shoes worth it?