Let´s talk about Moneyless Living!

[Doris Neubauer]

Another one of these crazy people! He´s out of the world! It never works! These are only the most harmless thoughts I had when reading the headline of the BBC: “The American who quit money to live in a cave” talks about Daniel Suelo, who dedicated his existence to an especially alternative lifestyle. He lives in a cave in Utah, harvesting wild foods and eating roadkill. He is not a reclose though: The former cooks blogs and shares his experiences. A life without money. For the last 12 years.*

And Daniel is not the only one. 10 further persons are listed on the website http://moneyless.info. 10 people who do live without money as well – and this are only those who are knowns. One of them is Tomi Astikainen, whose home is not a cave but the road. Starting as a low-budget-traveller, he became a no-budget-traveller in 2010 – and told me, how and why he is doing it moneyless.

More: http://www.littlemissitchyfeet.com/let%C2%B4s-talk-about-moneyless-...

[Sarah Thorne]

Thanks for sharing this Doris. I am particularly interested in the ideas around basic income and a gift economy, all new ways of thinking about money, so these links and stories are very inspiring.

It made me think of a few initiatives that have been set up on these grounds. Although a lot of them still work with money, they all work with it in very new and transformative ways.

A friend of mine from LA is a musician and social poet, who has been giving away all his music, rather than selling it. However, his music isn't for free, but given on the basis of donation; you can give as much as you want or can in exchange for a CD or downloads. As we are so used to having set prices, it is hard to know how to appreciate or give a financial value to something on our own terms - or even without money. These are also the issues that he raps and writes about, so he makes the gift into an integral part of his work. 

You can find out more here:http://mcmatre.com/

Another amazing initiative is the project Karma Kitchen: http://www.globalonenessproject.org/videos/karma_kitchen, a volunteer run restaurant based on a gifting experiment in which each guest is presented with a $0 bill at the end of the meal. this project shows how the opportunity to pay it forward for the next person opens our innate compassion and builds true community!

Really worth watching. 

In case you, or anyone else knows of more initiatives like this, please share :-)

[Doris Neubauer]

Hi Sarah, I know KarmaKitchen and some other smaller and regional projects based on donations or completely for free. I am glad they are becoming more and more.

On my website littlemissitchyfeet.com I regularly present some alternative ways of traveling, as this is my focus. 

[Sarah Thorne]

Great that you know KarmaKitchen. have you been there?

Thanks for the tip and link to your blog too :-) There are such great things on it! Really inspiring, and it makes me want to pack my bags and head off on an adventure again!

Hopefully I can soon...

[Doris Neubauer]

Hi, no I have never been to KarmaKitchen, do you know Conflict Kitchen (www.conflictkitchen.org), very interesting concept as well. 

If you like what you read on my blog, you´re welcome to join on FB http://www.facebook.com/Littlemissitchyfeet.

Be well and good luck for your adventure plans

[Sarah Thorne]

For all those interested in moneyless living:

Here is a great radio show about a very active and important way of community building without money, through 'horizontal giving'.

http://www.radioproject.org/2010/01/currency-of-giving/