How To Live Without Money Or A Job: 10 Tips For A Cash-Less Life
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Would you believe it if I told you that you could live a life without money? Believe it or not, it’s possible.
No, I’m not talking about walking away from everything and sleeping out in the streets at night.
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There are hundreds of stories of people who have discovered the freedom that only comes by choosing to live a cashless lifestyle.
More likely than not, in your present situation, there’s a pretty good chance you’re not ready to make that kind of lifestyle adjustment, but don’t go anywhere just yet.
How To Live Comfortably Without Money And Survive
At the very least, there are ways that you could stop wasting money and where you can find ways of doing them for free. Here are several important bits of information on how to live without money.
How To Meet Living Needs With No Money
One of your most basic needs that need to be met, is where you will find shelter and escape from the elements. Several of the following are ways in which you can meet that need without having to pay for rent or utilities.
1) Seek Shelter in a Community Sharing Similar Values
Have you ever heard of an Ecovillage? They’re communities that offer substantial living, or ways of surviving, where many of them choose to go without using money as the main method to meet their needs.
There are hundreds of these villages scattered across the globe where people depend upon one another, as well as using nature and their surrounding environment to meet these needs.
2) Offer to Work for Free Lodging
You can also seek out work in exchange for free lodging. This is another example of how to live without money that could actually work for you.
There are a handful of places around the world that offer accommodations in exchange for the work that you do.
3) Head Out Into the Wild
When the weather is decent, camping out underneath the stars is a great way in which you can crash for the night. Getting closer to nature and further away from a society that’s controlled by money is what it’s about anyway.
4) Build an Earthship or Go Couchsurfing
You may have never heard of an Earthship, but building one is a way that you can live without having to make monthly payments. This is one method that provides you with not only shelter but ways to use clean water, as well as solar energy.
Building supplies can range from beer bottles, car tires, and even earth. However, it will require money upfront in order to get started with building supplies.
Couchsurfing is another way of finding lodging while meeting some incredibly hospitable people in the process. They’ll usually provide you with a spare couch, or even a spare bedroom for a certain period of time.
Sometimes they’ll provide a meal, as well as any traveling information you may need while you’re visiting. This may prove to be a stretch for some people, taking them way outside their comfort level.
5) Barter for Everything
People that choose to live without money, heavily rely upon the bartering system in exchange for their everyday needs. This includes food, supplies, modes of transportation, and many other things.
This is also one way of ensuring that nothing is wasted and people can afford what they need. To save on utilities, you can barter with neighbors to get internet for free at home.
6) Traveling for Free
Though most people view hitchhiking in a negative light, it’s one method of getting to where you need to get to for free. Keep in mind that your appearance certainly matters on how quickly you get picked up. There are around 100 cities around the world that provide free public transportation. Do you live near one of them?
7) Repair Things for Free
Instead of throwing things away after they become broken, make it a habit to find another use for it, or find ways of repairing them for free. The internet, especially YouTube, has several videos on ways to fix stuff. You may even find the tools and supplies to fix them for nothing.
8) Go Freegan
If you’re looking to find food and other basic supplies without relying solely on money or a local food pantry, a freegan lifestyle is one option. This means that you’re willing to go “dumpster diving”, a type of lifestyle that makes sure that nothing is being wasted.
9) Bathing for Free
Living life without any money requires you to step outside your comfort zone in several circumstances. Finding a place to bathe or shower may prove to be one of them.
You have the option to bathe in a river, lake, or stream to add to that adventure. A wood-burning shower or a truck stop are several other alternatives to maintain good hygiene.
It’s also worth noting that our bodies are made up of organic material, so it’s interesting that we think we need to use expensive chemicals and soaps to keep our bodies clean.
All you really need is hot water and not all those cleaning agents that have ingredients that prove to be harmful to your skin and health over time.
10) Find the Right Resources
You’ve undoubtedly heard the phrase, “another man’s junk, is another man’s treasure,” but have you ever heard of freegle or freecycle? The whole purpose of their sites is to see to it that nothing is wasted and thrown away.
Everything can be reused, and many people are able to use these resources to meet their needs. There are stories where people were able to snag a car, boats, refrigerators, and furniture.
Surviving On A Cash-Free Life – Conclusion
Whether or not you are seeking to live a life completely without money, one thing is certain. There are several tasks that you do on a daily basis, that don’t have to cost you money.
By using several of these methods and tactics, it opens you up to more possibilities of how to live without money. What are some other examples you’ve discovered, where you didn’t need to spend money to meet one of your basic needs? How do you plan on living without money?
Related Articles:
- Extreme Budgeting Tips & Tricks
- Easy No Spend Challenge Guidelines
- How to Live Below Your Means and Stick With It
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Bartering is taxable, at least in the US. So, no win on the “life without money” there.
For a period, it’s possible. Extending the thought of “without money” where money = currency we use to trade a service, our passion, job to a paper, coins or number (virtual). Then we trade that money to another service. Leaving out that paper, there are ways to still trade, a service to another, and so on. Whether short-term or long-term, it´s enriching to even think- what would I do without money, in case it wasn´t a problem. One hitchhiker I met had savings and calculated days for how long he could continue his travels- one day without spending meant an extra day. Cheers!
It’s easy to think but difficult to do.