On Monday night I watched Living Without Money on ITV where reporter Jonathan Maitland tried to live without any money for two weeks.
This task is not about living rough on the streets – although he does spend one night sleeping in a park – but rather tapping into the community spirit of a growing movement of people who happily manage to live on very little.
So off he went (with just a toothbrush, toothpaste, a sleeping bag and pyjamas) and met up couchsurfers, Freegans, amongst many others who were choosing the less materialistic way of life and getting by on less. I could get by on less, I should get by on less, but society always tells me what I should own and what I should aspire to own, all contributing to some serious cases of Affluenza.
I was out looking around the shops over the Christmas period and there was absolutely nothing in the shops that I wanted. I had money, I WANTED to buy things, any things, but I couldn’t even do that, nothing even gave me an urge to splash out, consume, and spend. Is it to do with the credit crunch, am I being good with money, or is it just a case that I more than likely have everything I possibly need to get by in my life?
Imaged Used Under CC by What What
Some have been effected seriously by the credit crunch, losing jobs, losing homes, etc but for the vast majority it will mean a simple tightening of belts and being a little more careful with money. You may argue with this but that’s my view and I don’t think it’s a bad thing. There are those that are homeless or living on the breadline, and I couldn’t for a second start to understand how that feels, but for those of us who get by then I think it’s great that we are now less inclined to get into debt or take out loans just because we can and just because they are offered to us.
As a society we waste so much, and if this can make us a little more careful, then I’m all for it. I freecycle, I always have a quick look in skips, and I’m to first to have a look in the reduced aisle or comparing prices between two products (usually on price to weight). It all sounds a little middleclass doesn’t it? Changing the world one item at a time, but that’s the way we can start and if it leads to growing your own vegetables, dumping the car, or swapping old clothes, then it can’t be bad, and maybe it will lead onto more? Can you go by a day without spending any money?
“You’re not your job. You’re not how much money you have in the bank. You’re not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet. You’re not your fucking khakis. You’re the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.” – Tyler Durden, Fight Club
Update 9/1/09: You can catch up with the 2nd episode here.
I regularly go many days without spending any money but that’s more because I find it a dull task and have things I’d rather be doing (like spending time with people on line and off).
I spend way too much money, but have been forced to cut back substantially due to my student loans. They were much more fun when they were giving me money, rather than the other way around.
I go without spending money often. On the other hand, I can spend money like I actually had it, too. Lately that money’s been spent on other people instead of myself, but it’s still not money I could afford. So now I’m back on lockdown, the goal being wisdom, balance and moderation in all things.
I’ve just completed Day Three of not spending any money…
Has anyone tried to spend no money though? i.e no money on electricity, gas, phones, or the interent? The programme was about that too. He was shipped off to a distant town pennyless and had to find a place to sleep, try and find food (at one point picking a biscuit off the street for his only meal of the day), and generally get by.
My mum was telling me about a show she watched on TV recently where a woman lived on a tiny amount of money every day (I think it might have been £1 a day).
The interesting point was that over the course of one year she had “found” something like £115 in change, coins etc on the pavement. £115!!!! I have been scouring the pavement for copper ever since…..
An elderly couple did that in this programme:
“pensioners Bette and Peter Pickstock, from Gloucestershire, along with family and friends, have collected £369,843.31 over the last 22 years for their local cancer hospital by picking up discarded coins and collecting lose change. “
“Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves” is really quite true. Many people can’t be bothered with saving a few pence but it soon adds up.
We are in part two on Friday 9th Jan at 8pm Living without money. We have lived for three years by swapping and giving up retail. Now we have a blog with top Hollywood tips on how to be poor instyle. The Hollywood Look For Less.
If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change.
Shirley and Holly
Hey Shirley and Holly. I did see your blog on the ITV page and had a look around. Saving money doesn’t mean not having fun eh?
Good luck with it all and I’ll be tuning in on Friday to see you both and your tips.
Hi there
You are so right. We have all bought into celebrity and money but the best thinbgs in life are free! Thanks for checking it out and nice to meet you.
S and H
Firstly thank you Johnathan Maitland and ITV for two interesting programmes. You seem like a very sound sort of bloke Johnathan because your investigative journalism is undertaken through direct experience.
I manage Colchester’s Volunteer Centre where we also have the only Time Bank in Essex (as far as I am aware). Time Banking and LETS schemes have such a lot to offer everyone, if they buy into the ethos behind both. Time Credits are an hour for hour exchange and LETS generally have a variable rate of exchnage. What they encourage is thrift,caring,neighbourliness,creativity,trust and overall inclusion and well being.
I spend a long time when promoting time banking emphasising that time credits are not “quite nice” as the poor mans currency. Quite the reverse they are a great leveller. We strive to have members from a variety of age groups and backgrounds.
The second programme was the first time I have heard Time Banks mentioned on prime time television. Thank you
Why can’t TIME be a complimentary currency, we use the word in different contexts so often. Time is money but with added value.
I am passionate about the value of all kinds of community involvement and exchange. In the coming months it may be the shock of the change in peoples income that will encourage them to explore alternatives to the monetary economy. I do hope so.
I have, so far, lived since 2000 in the USA without a cent to my name. I don’t take money or use money, I don’t take foodstamps or other government assistance, and I don’t do conscious barter (which is just money in bulk)
http://www.zerocurrency.blogspot.com
Also, there is a woman in Germany, Heidemarie Schweimer, who has lived without money since 1996 without money: http://projekte.free.de/gibundnimm/ (in German, but you can plug it into Babel Fish to get the gist of it)