Although it seems practically impossible, you can actually live without money. That is, living every single day without spending a dollar. This doesn’t mean you should run to the streets and live like the homeless people. Instead, living without money is simply choosing a cashless lifestyle, getting your basic needs without spending anything.
There are feasible ways you can afford your necessities such as shelter and food without pulling out your credit card or offering cash to anyone.
This post explores some of the best-known ways to live without money. Whether you intend to adjust to moneyless living or you are just curious about how it can be done, you would find the information here very insightful.
What Does It Mean To Live Without Money?
Living without money means adjusting to a lifestyle that won’t require you to spend money. Inasmuch as many people think this is not feasible, some persons in the United States have gone the extra mile to prove that moneyless living is quite possible. Although it’s difficult, a resilient mind would be able to pull through.
Is It Really Possible To Live Without Money?
It’s possible to live your life without spending any penny. The key is to find creative ways to get the things people typically pay for, for free. Besides, you must be willing to adjust to a tough lifestyle because living without money may be possible, but it’s definitely not an easy feat.
Are There People Who Live Without Money?
Some people live without money. Most of them are subjected to the lifestyle because they are broke, while some people have decided to try to live without money literally; more like an experiment to see how possible it is to survive without having money. So if you have thought it’s not possible to live without money, it’s high time you discarded that ideology.
Feasible Ways To Live Without Money
To meet your basic needs without spending money, here are 10 tips that will prove helpful:
1. Seek Shelter In A Community
If you happen to lose your home or can’t afford to pay your rent anymore, you can still avoid being homeless by moving to an eco-village.
An eco-village is a friendly community of people who come together to support each other by offering substantial living and sharing brilliant ways to survive without money. Communities like this are scattered across the world, including the United States.
Nevertheless, when choosing an eco-village, make sure you belong to a community that shares the same values and objectives with you.
2. Offer To Work For Free Lodging
Another brilliant way to find shelter when you’re homeless is by offering to work for free lodging. This is something very common in America and some Western countries.
All you have to do is look for someone who needs help domestically or otherwise. Offer your assistance but don’t receive any money. Instead, ask for free lodging.
Aside from normal individuals, several organized places offer homeless people free housing for work. Living life without money can be feasible with an opportunity like this.
3. Live In The Wild
If you are a lover of nature, moving into the wild won’t be a bad idea. This doesn’t mean you should turn into an animal or a hunter. Instead, look for a decent environment in the wild and camp for the night or for as long as you want.
To do this successfully, you would need some camping gear, especially a small tent or sleeping bag that can protect you from the atmosphere.
4. Build An Earthship
Have you ever heard of an Earthship? Building one is a creative way to provide shelter for yourself without spending any money. People who live in the wild resort to this method to keep themselves out of the cold and harsh environment.
You need simple materials like car tires, beer cans, and even earth to build an Earthship. Moreover, it doesn’t require a great level of expertise to build. If you carefully study a well-built Earthship, you will be able to figure it out.
Another thing you must consider when building this shelter is that you have to build it close to where you can easily find food and water. For instance, building it near a river is a great idea, and you can get water and even fish from the river to sustain yourself.
5. Barter For Everything
The moment you decide to start living without money, you must depend heavily on the bartering system to provide yourself with essentials such as food, supplies, transportation, and any other important thing you need for your survival.
Another good thing about bartering is that nothing goes to waste. If you are very good at negotiating for a favorable deal, you will be able to live by barter, not spending a dime. It has to be one of the best ways to live without money.
6. Travel For Free
If you need to commute from one location to another, you can still do that without spending money by hitchhiking. Although many people don’t see hitchhiking as a safe method, it’s still one of the best ways to get to where you need to be for free.
If you want to travel for free using this method, you must remember that your appearance matters a lot. You tend to get picked up quickly if you appear neat and responsible. Remember, no one wants to pick up someone who looks like trouble.
7. Repair Things For Free
Don’t always throw things away when they get broken. Instead, repair a broken item yourself or find creative ways to make another of it. You don’t need to be a professional repairman to fix some of your gadgets. You can learn almost anything these days because of the internet.
For example, on YouTube, you will find thousands of insightful videos on how to repair things without spending money. Moreover, by learning how to repair things for free, you are acquiring a skill, and you can help someone else repair something and make some extra money.
8. Freegan Lifestyle
Living without money requires a lot from you, including resorting to a freegan lifestyle. A freegan lifestyle will help you find food and other basic supplies without depending on money. This means that you must be willing to go “dumpster living” – a lifestyle that ensures nothing goes to waste.
Another cool thing about adopting a freegan lifestyle is that you may be seen as someone protecting the environment by reducing waste.
9. Bathe For Free
When you’re getting used to living without money, you should be ready to always step out of your comfort zone. For example, finding a place to bathe is one of those everyday moments when you have to be rugged.
It would help to improvise since you don’t have money to pay for a public bathroom. You can bathe in a lake, river, or stream near you. Besides, this is why it’s important to camp close to a water source when living in the wild. You can easily clean yourself up without having to walk miles or beg people to let you use their bathroom.
10. Acquire The Right Resources
Someone else’s junk can be your treasure. You need to constantly seek materials and items that people consider useless. There can still be some usefulness and value in those things that have been thrown away. Remember you are trying to adjust to moneyless living; hence, you need to make sure nothing goes to waste.
For instance, you can offer to clean someone’s basement, car garage, or yard and claim anything that the host no longer needs. Over time, these resources you acquire will prove helpful.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Living Without Money
Living without money has its merits and demerits. Even though you may not have to worry about spending money, there are certain things you should still be concerned about.
[Advantages]
Here are the advantages of knowing how to live without money:
- No Worries About Debt
When you don’t spend money at all, there’s no need to worry about credit card balances or even think about how to pay debt. People tend to incur debt when they overspend money or try to cover their plenty expenses. So once you learn to start living without spending money, you can say goodbye to debt.
- A Deeper Appreciation For Nature
Most people who live without money get to stay in the wild sometimes, especially those who move from one location to another with their caravan.
Staying in the wild will show you how wonderful nature is because you would be dependent on it most of the time. You’ll appreciate the natural calm evening wind, delicious and healthy fruits, and fascinating animals.
- Skill Development
Moneyless living will enable you to pick up skills you never thought you’d have. For example, someone who lives in the wild would surely know how to start a fire, hunt an animal, and make the most of the natural resources around him.
- You’ll Learn To Make The Most Of What You Have
To live without money means you won’t have a lot of things to bank on. As a result, you will instinctively learn to manage the little resources you have and make the most of them. You will be good at managing food and other things you need to survive.
- Assistance From Government
People without money can get some assistance from the government, especially in a country like the United States. For example, the government makes it possible for people to have access to a community shelter to stay for free.
[Disadvantages]
Here are the disadvantages of knowing how to live without money:
- Low Self-Esteem
People face low self-esteem problems when they feel they don’t have enough to offer. If you are used to living without money, you may sometimes struggle with your self-esteem, knowing that you can’t even boast of a dollar in your bank account.
- Health Issues
When you’re trying to live without money, you won’t be able to take proper care of your health. If you happen to fall sick, you may not be able to buy medications, let alone visit the hospital.
- Getting Accustomed To Poverty
Anyone who wants to learn how to live without money or a job must be accustomed to an impoverished lifestyle. This means you should be ready to get used to poverty; lacking food and other basic amenities. You would have to embrace the hard life.
- Not Every Need Is Met
Living life without money means you won’t be able to afford a lot of things. You won’t be able to afford good clothes, shelter, good food, and everything that can make you live a convenient and enjoyable lifestyle. Hence, you will have to get used to the fact that you can’t meet every one of your needs, thereby managing the little you have.
- Very Few Or No Friends
To learn how to live without money, you must also learn to live alone without friends. This is because aside from the fact that nobody would want to associate with a poor and broke person, you won’t even be able to build a social life either.
Without money, how can you attend parties, go to the club, and mingle with people who can be potential friends? Without money, you can’t wear attractive clothes to draw anyone’s attention. Apparently, you would have few or no friends when living without money.
Final Thoughts On Living Without Money
Whether you intend to learn how to live without money or not, one thing is clear – there are certain things you can do for yourself without spending money unnecessarily.
For example, learning to repair gadgets or home appliances by yourself is one of the brilliant ways to save money and avoid spending anything on a repairman.
By examining some of the tactics revealed in this post, you are open to the possibilities of living without money, or at least spending less money.
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