Living on Nothing

Over the weekend, I read an article (yes, I read Details magazine) about a man who lives without money.  He lives in a cave, scavenges for food, and writes a blog at the local public library.  You can and should read the article yourself, so I won’t summarize it here.  It’s a fascinating story of what we can live without.

Personally, I have no plans to go live in a cave.  Nor do I really want to dumpster dive for my meals.  But I am always impressed by stories of people who choose to go without in an extreme manner.  I read this article after working on my budget updates for July, and as I will discuss later this week, July was an expensive month, with vet visits for the cats and new tires for my car.  So with money on my mind, the idea of simplifying further is fascinating.

Of course, I like the idea in concept.  I think Tiny Houses are adorable, and I have a friend who lives in a gorgeous apartment that is around 300 square feet, which also seems tiny to me.  But then I think about what I would have to give up and how I’m not sure I want to do that.  First off, where would all my books go?  I’ve stopped buying books for the most part, and I’ve gotten rid of hundreds, but I still have shelves full.  Books that I love and do re-read.  Sure, I could just get them from the library, assuming the library has them.  I know I could pare down my wardrobe, and I know that I should.  I also really love my couch.  It’s nothing special, but it’s comfy at the end of the day.

And of course, if I were living in a cave, not only would I have to get rid of my couch and my books, but also the things I consider necessities – running water and indoor plumbing and a stove.  And a roof.  And four walls.  While I like camping, I can’t imagine doing it all the time.

But like I said, it puts things into perspective.