Life Without Distractions: What is left?

The pandemic has brought many changes to our day-to-day lives and most people have found this challenging in some way. What has happened and what can we learn from it? Lockdowns, restrictions, rules... No more travel (or a lot less), no more socializing (or a lot less) and no more going out / entertainment (or in a very restricted / limited way). In other words, you could say that Covid regulations have removed people's distractions, at least to some degree. With a life stripped of its distractions, what is left is the core of your life.

So this is a really good time to evaluate your life: What is left when you remove all the distractions? Are you happy with your life if there is no escape from it? Because if you can be happy with the core of your life, then not only is there no need for distractions, but it also gives you the confidence that you can be happy even in challenging times. You will have a great foundation for your life from which to create, build and expand, and this will give you the opportunity to build up reserves in good times for the more challenging times. Most people do not have these reserves, because they already live a life on the edge, where even in neutral times their life is evaluated - on balance - as just "doable". We need to aim for better than a doable or manageable life, and aim for joy instead! An abundant life filled with inspiration, freedom and peace of mind, coming from the very core of your life's setup. And yes, this is possible!

I think at this moment in time many people are finding that they are not happy: The life they were living was only manageable because of the distractions and temporary escapes that they had built into their routine. They made life manageable by implementing 'solutions' that only targeted the symptoms, but not the root cause. But now that we can no longer remedy the symptoms, we need to look at the root cause. Many people are getting divorced / breaking up, making plans to move to a different home / location / country, reconsidering their job / career options, etc, because they realize they don't feel comfortable where they are without regular and reliable escape-options.

I consider these shifts and changes that are occurring a good thing, even though it may seem drastic and radical at this time. However, it is a great way (and necessary) to find out what we really want: we can restructure our lives from the core, and see what really brings happiness. It's never distractions that bring happiness: those are just temporary forms of relief that might make life more bearable. But what is at the core? And what would you like the core of your life to consist of or bring to you in order to live a happy, free, peaceful and fulfilling life?

In this sense, Covid is a blessing for many. We get to re-evaluate our lives with a very clear understanding of what is structural and permanent, versus temporary and fleeting. We can also learn to distinguish clearly between temporary delights / excitement (diversions) and permanent happiness (joy). The latter is a more peaceful kind of joy and also more durable, lasting even in challenging times and stressful situations. This sense of peace is crucial: if you don't feel that at least in addition to the excitement, you are likely dealing with a diversion instead.

Lastly, like any other challenge in life, this pandemic can make us creative: How can we still do the things that make us happy, despite current restrictions? These are valuable questions, and they may lead you to discoveries about your life you would not have made otherwise.

So reap the rewards of this pandemic, and evaluate your life today: What is at its core? Does it bring you true, lasting happiness? And if not, or not entirely, what is it that you really need, and which steps should you take in order to bring this into your life?

Remember, it is never too late to change, and today is a great day for it.

My 3-Year Moneyless Journey In Review

It has been almost three years since I started the Stop Shopping Challenge, and since I started this blog. Also, with my PhD almost coming to an end, I feel that this is a perfect time for review.

Granted, I have not lived 100% moneyless for the entire time (only for about 2.5 years with some breaks in between), and I have not lived solely off of nature (without any help from others) for more than a few days. For example, I have still used tap water for most of the time and (public) internet connections. This is why I prefer to define the journey as a 'rewilding' experience. But what's in the name, right? For me it is the experience that counts.

The experience was about letting go of the attachment to money. The way I chose to do this was to find ways to live 100% without bills and without spending money (with just a few exceptions).  Because living moneyless took the focus off of money, it allowed me to reconnect to everything that brings real, tangible value to my life: friendships (with humans and other animals), food, nature, meditation, etc.

We all grow up with and get used to the idea that money is what gives us access to everything we need. Over the years, we start to (unconsciously) desire money and we forget our true desires. In exchange for choosing money over everything else, we lose our connection with everything that has real, inherent value. Nature, love, friendships, time (being present). It becomes an unconscious fixation and obsession for most of us that gets connected to everything we do. We start living more in the future rather than in the now; always working for a better life somewhere down the track.

We don't realize how deep this (dis-)connection goes until we start letting go of it. We long for money because we think it buys us what we really need and desire, but in fact it is a sham. Money has no value and chasing empty goals can only bring misery in the end. When we let go of this illusion, we can see clearly once again.

Here are some of the things that my moneyless journey has helped me do.

Being mindful and observant
I see more because I was not part of the system for a while. This new way of life has given me a new perspective for looking at the world. It is easier to observe the forest when you are not walking through it. It is easier to see the water when you are not submerged in it. And similarly, it is easier to observe society when you step back and cease to participate in it for a while.

Living in the moment
Without the fear of losing a job or the pressure of having to make money to survive (knowing I can always count on nature), it is far easier to relax and enjoy the moment. Stress is a thing of the past when we can live the way nature intended: without worries about the future, in the abundance of what nature provides, flowing with the seasons. I have also learned to have more patience and to accept (or love) things as they are, which is easy to do once you see that nothing is static but rather in a constant state of change... no matter how slow. I have learned to trust life and to believe in miracles. I know everything that needs to happen will happen in due time. This doesn't mean I have become complacent. I have learned to step up to the plate when I am able to do something to help another being without causing harm. And when it is clearly not up to me, then I have learned to let go without losing sight of what part I could help with. When I feel a strong need for change, I won't assume it is beyond my control without trying first. Thinking outside the box encourages me find new ways to help.

Appreciating what I have
Gratitude is something that developed within me naturally on this journey. In my experience, money often brings a sense of entitlement, and it can result in people taking things (as well as each other) for granted. When you live in closer contact with nature and observe keenly, you realize that while everything is given freely, you are not entitled to anything and nature doesn't owe you anything. Neither do other people. Therefore everything is grace, and while I remain conscious of this I don't take anything for granted. Habit can make people unconscious, and that is when we stop appreciating things and other beings. When we get too comfortable, habit slips in. And habit destroys our consciousness. Don't let your comforts lull you to sleep.

Building character
One of the biggest benefits of this journey was that it helped me to be the best version of myself. It inspired me to look within constantly, and to look at the way I relate to other people. It inspired me to have high standards of myself in my relationships with other people, because this way of life connects me to people in a different way. This lifestyle clearly demonstrates our interdependence - with each other as well as with other species - and it motivates me to be at my best and to help others whenever I can. Also, working on myself, exploring the boundless depths of my being and uncovering all that I am is the best way I can contribute to a better world.

Currently, I am still living mostly moneyless, living mainly off of food from supermarket dumpsters, supplemented with foraged and homegrown foods. I still dive at least two times a week, and preferably daily. I still marvel at the waste of society and will never forget what I have come to understand about society and money. However, at the same time moneyless living is no longer a compulsive goal for me at this time. This doesn't mean I will give it up in the near future, even though perhaps I may become less rigid about it for a while.

Having said that, I am still aiming to set up a sustainable, self-sufficient home base somewhere. I have no desire to be part of a system that doesn't serve me (nor other people, other species or nature). I will not give up the consciousness and awareness I gained through this experience. I will stay present and remain aware and observant. I will keep my eyes open to the truth, and see what is happening around me, beyond how it is presented to us by the media or people in power who have a vested interest in certain perspectives being pushed onto the public. I will keep questioning everything so that I can keep living my own truth, and not anyone else's.

Thanks to Dörte Giebel for this picture :)

(You may also enjoy reading The Moneyless Mindset vs. the Exchange Mindset: What moneyless living has taught me)

Back To Square One: Planning The Future

As most of you already know, I have just moved back to the Netherlands after spending almost 3 years in Norway. This was probably the longest period of time I have spent in one place in a long, long time. Since I was 18 years old, I have moved 32 times between 26 different addresses, across 7 different countries (or 8 if you count Northern Ireland as separate from England) and 3 continents. It was self-imposed and I used to enjoy every move - and still do to some degree. It keeps me from accumulating too much stuff, it is exciting and brings new adventures, it allows me to start over each time and therefore live in the moment more, and it helps me to gain new perspectives and to see the world through new eyes.

Nevertheless, there are also some downsides to long-term travel and living a rootless life, and for the past five or six years these have been coming to the forefront more and more. It can be challenging to maintain close friendships, or to experience a sense of belonging. Even though I can easily feel at home anywhere in the world, I also feel like I am an alien everywhere I go. I belong everywhere and nowhere. Each time I move to a new place it is a little less exciting and more exhausting to start up my life yet again, because I know it is just temporary and I will have to start all over again after just a few years. Saying good-bye to some of the wonderful people I meet along the way and grow to love and respect also gets more difficult each time. Sometimes I feel like an outcast, even though so far it has been mostly by choice.

I feel like it is time for a new phase in my life: a phase where I start to put down some serious roots, settle down, meet people (and really get to know them) and fully commit to building up my life in one place. To me, that feels quite a way outside my comfort zone because in a world that offers no certainties, my sense of security has come from remaining unbound and free. But at the same time that also brings a constant restlessness to my life; a sense of always being on the run (even when I am not).

So the next step in my rewilding adventure will be to build my own self-sufficient home, preferably in an environment where money and ownership are entirely absent (in the wild) or where I could more easily forget about those concepts (on my 'own' piece of land - which would be the next best thing if living in the wild would somehow not be an option). Therefore, the next time I move I am intending to stay for a while; maybe even forever. I will pluck up the courage to put down some firm roots, build solid friendships, and start living my dream: creating a self-sufficient, sustainable environment where I can live in harmony with nature, possibly with room for others to join me. No more waiting for the perfect time, the perfect people to show up around me or the perfect circumstances. Life offers no guarantees. I may be uprooted once again through circumstance, but I can always re-plant myself, and it may even be easier the second time.

The planning phase starts now. The first step will be to decide which country is best suited for me to build an eco-home, grow foods year-round and build a small community (whether in the wilderness or not). At the moment I am considering Norway and France as viable options, or perhaps further afield…

(If you have any advice for me, please let me know!)

Much love to you all. <3

What It Means To Be Successful

Success is often described in material terms. Society seems to prescribe it in terms of whether you own your own home, have a (nice) car, have a well-paid job, etc. If you don’t have a job or one that barely pays the bills, then it seems you can’t be successful according to society’s standards.

However, what matters is not how society defines success, or how your parents or friends define it. It matters how you define it. This is the only measure of success that you need to determine whether you have succeeded in life or not. It also doesn't have to be an end goal far into the future: it can be something you can achieve in any moment, over and over.

'How do I define success?' is one of the most important questions we can ask ourselves, because it can help us remain true to ourselves and true to our path when hard times arise and we have to make tough decisions. Our definitions of success change and evolve over time, because life changes and situations change as well, and our perspectives may change as a result of that. In my experience, it usually becomes simpler as we get older and wiser. We realize that success really isn’t that complicated (which doesn't mean it is always easy), and that we really don’t need that much to live a meaningful, happy and fulfilling life. We realize that it is more (or even entirely) about what happens on the inside rather than about what happens around us. That realization is success in itself - if freedom is important to you.

For me, a definition of success is only meaningful if it is something that I can achieve at any time (no matter what happens). It is about prioritizing what matters most to me at that point in time. It is always about me, because I can’t decide for others, or dictate what situations may come my way. Defining success as a personal quality that I want to develop not only makes life simpler and more enjoyable, it also helps me to see the perfection of life because everything that happens is an opportunity for me to learn and to practice. I can start over in every moment. Sometimes I fail, sometimes I succeed. It doesn't matter. I get to practice.

Have you noticed that the challenges that come to you are always the right ones? And that the people who show up in your life (and leave again) also bring you exactly what you need?

*****

How do you measure success in your life? What does being successful mean to you?

 

Taking A Break From Moneyless Living: Why I Miss It

 

Right now I am on a trip to Australia by train, which I managed to make a part of my research project. This means that I am taking a break from living a moneyless life for the duration of this trip: I buy train tickets, overnight stays and some food.
I try to stick to minimal spending, but I am definitely using money. However, from the very first day I was missing rewilded / moneyless living  already, and here is what I miss about it.

Freedom
People usually think that money buys them freedom, but this is actually not true. There is in fact a lot more planning and scheduling involved when you are using money: You have to book tickets that are only available in limited quantities, you have to book hotels or hostels that need to be arranged beforehand (also available in limited numbers) and if you only stick to using money, your travels are restricted to touristically developed areas.
You may think this buys you security at the very least (knowing you will have a place to stay), but this is not always the case either (there are always scammers around who are ready to take your money, hotels can get fully booked, you can end up in a less-than-great location or a hotel that is infested with bedbugs, etc).

Basic Kindness
It is interesting to see how just basic human kindness quickly gets lost as soon as money is involved. There have been several times here in China that people kindly offered to give me directions, but then wanted to sell me something (a ride, a ticket (far more expensive than the usual), or whatever), and then if I decline they happily send me off in the wrong direction, or lie about certain conditions. Several times these kinds of people have told me that 'the bus won't come for another hour! You will have to wait a long time!' I have time so I wait, and then of course it arrives within five minutes. It is very frustrating and quite sad to see how basic human kindness, helpfulness and love are lost just because of money. When money is the sole requirement for survival, all people care about is how much money they can squeeze out of you. They no longer see you as a fellow human being. No. They see you as an ATM. And that feels horrid. So I really miss the basic kindness and unconditionality that comes with living the moneyless life. In fact, kindness is what makes us human. It is what living beings are. Why compromise our very being and integrity just for some external reward? That is no reward. It is a punishment.

Fulfillment
Somehow I feel less fulfilled when I am spending money. Not only is there an absence of a feeling of achievement as I take care of my needs (after all, there is not much creativity or skill required when you use money: no real survival skills are necessary, and no learning or personal growth is required to happen at all) but I also feel a sense of emptiness in my day-to-day activities. This latter part is hard to describe, but I will try. When money is involved, it seems like my actions lose meaning to some degree: there is an added sense of emptiness and that causes an additional need to create meaning; a need that would not be there in the absence of money, because then each (inter)action has meaning and purpose. I am still not entirely sure how to describe this aspect exactly, but I think it has something to do with the conditionality that money creates and how it feels fake, complicated, cumbersome and draining us of our natural qualities.

Connection
I miss the sense of connection that comes from living without money. It just naturally leads to a life that is connected to everything: my fellow beings (human and non-human), the resources I use, the ecosystem I am a part of, nature as a whole... everything! There is nothing that feels as good as being immersed in and connected to life. It brings peace of mind.

Interdependence
People often say that they like the independence that money gives them, but I actually enjoy and miss the interdependence that moneyless living brings. It forms bonds and relationships that are real and lasting. It brings intense gratitude, a sense of happiness and a feeling of purpose on both sides. And most of all; it demonstrates what really matters in life (relationships). Life is all about relationships and what we can give to and share with each other. This is the meaning of life. If you live without money this is just so obvious and clear. And when money enters the equation, all of this is lost. Not just this realization, but also the very meaning of life.

I still encourage everyone to try moneyless living, even if it is just for a while. You will notice the differences and you will understand what I am talking about. You will also understand most of the current problems in the world and see the connections. You will see the solutions too. There is a way for us to live awesome, connected lives and to live in harmony with nature. There is a way for us all to feel fulfilled and live happy and healthy lives. There is a way for humans to live in real freedom (not the limited, fake freedom we have created). And contrary to popular belief, the way to do this does not involve money.

The Benefits of Train Travel

I have recently started my trip to Australia by train, and so far I am loving it! Here are some of the many benefits of train travel, especially compared to flying.

No jet lag!
When traveling to Australia by plane, usually people experience jet lag because the time is shifting so rapidly. There are also other -more serious- health concerns related to traveling by plane (especially long-distance), such as the risk of developing deep-vein thrombosis. Also, if you are traveling to high-altitude regions, there is a smaller risk of getting altitude sickness when you travel by train, because your body gets more time to adjust (depending on the route you take of course: e.g. the train from Beijing to Lhasa can be an exception if you don't make a stopover in Xining).

It brings you closer to main sights

You usually arrive in or near the city/town center, or close to interesting locations that you may want to visit, so you can rely on walking most of the time to get around. Also, if you want to travel further, there are usually plenty of buses around that can take you into all directions. If you fly, you usually arrive in a very uninspiring place and it can take a while to get away from there.

Guilin sunset, as viewed from one of the mountain tops (walking distance from the train station)

You see more along the way
While traveling by train you see scenery you would not have seen otherwise. On my trip so far I have encountered so many different landscapes and it is amazing to watch the landscape change as I travel across different countries, different climates and time-zones, and through urban as well as more remote regions. I have been traveling for nearly three weeks now and it has not been boring yet.

You get time to relax / slow down
Even though train travel is far from slow (see below) it does help you to slow down and do things you never have time for, because you are usually stuck in a space without internet (and sometimes also without electricity) for quite some time. It can be a very meditative experience to just stare out the window, watching the world go by and watching the scenery change continuously.

You meet interesting people
Because you are on a train for quite a while, often in compartments you share with other people, you get a chance to talk with them and hear their interesting stories. You can ask them questions about their home country and they can learn more about yours. I met only friendly people on the way so far and many of them were very interesting.

Raushan is one of those cool people I met along the way. Definitely a highlight!

It is more enjoyable
Because travel is slower and there is so much to see (and do) along the way, you tend to enjoy the journey more: the journey is the destination. It is the same with life, but sometimes we forget because we get too efficient in our way of thinking and planning everything. If everything happens (too) fast, we don’t get time to adjust and enjoy the road. We lose our flexibility and our flow.

Freedom

The flexibility of train travel translates directly into more freedom: especially if you don’t pre-book anything. Even when I need to get visas, I try to book as little as possible in advance, because that gives me freedom to change my plans. Sometimes you may decide to take a different route, or stay somewhere longer (or shorter) than originally planned. For example, I decided to travel through China much faster than I planned originally, because I caught a severe cold and wanted to get to the warm weather as soon as possible. Right now I am in Guilin with 20C.
Every time you need to book a ticket in advance, it is restricting to some degree. Fortunately, when you travel by train it is often quite easy to get last minute tickets (which are usually the same price no matter when you buy them, unlike plane tickets which skyrocket the closer you get to your travel date).

Cost-effective

Traveling by train is not that expensive, and relatively speaking it is much cheaper than flying if you count in all the extra places you can visit (plus considering you also get accommodation on overnight trains).

More environmentally friendly

Train travel is better for the environment than flying and can still be considerably better for the environment than car travel (especially if you travel with electric trains). I am hoping that popularization of train travel will encourage the electrification of trains around the world, which will make global train travel an even more sustainable option because it would cut carbon emissions on long-distance train travel even further.

To summarize:
As with most things in life: 
Less cost + slowing down (in this case slower travel) = more enjoyment, freedom and happiness.
I would like to add that traveling with slightly less comfort (third class tickets, staying overnight in simple locations) is also more interesting, because you experience the trip more fully and get pushed to appreciate the little things more and more. Also this way of traveling helps you to stay connected to where you are and what you are doing, and the challenges that may come with it help you to become a wiser and more balanced person. Life is no fun if you don't challenge yourself!

The details of my trip so far:

* I covered 6461 km in the first week (Helsinki - St Petersburg - Moscow - Astana - Almaty - Urumqi). I spent 356,22 Euros on train tickets for this part of the trip.
* I covered another 3793,1 km in the second week to get from Urumqi to Guilin (via Tianshui, Baoji, Chongqing and Guiyang). Tickets totaled 144,97 Euros for this part of the journey.
* That is a total of 501,19 euro so far, for 10.254,1 km, visiting 10 cities along the way.

Starving The System

 

I often hear people say that we should create a new system that makes the old one obsolete. Of course this is true. However.... this phrase is often used as an explanation of why many people - even though they are opposed to the economic system and the destruction it causes to our fellow earthlings and ecosystems every day - still keep shopping and using money as a tool for fulfilling their needs (or keep doing other things that contradict their own values).

I find this decision remarkable and anything but rational, because while I fully agree that we should create a new system to make the old one obsolete, I also feel strongly that the people that have the power to change this (i.e. the people who have the most money) are unlikely to be willing to do so unless they are forced. And what better way to force them than to 'starve the system' as I like to call it: We need to stop feeding it from the bottom up.
 
So why not do both: create a new system and stop feeding into the old one.... starve it to death. That means stop using money to pay for the structures that are in place, as much as we can.

Maybe we fear that life will get uncomfortable... because life without money may be really uncomfortable.

Yes, we may need to change our lifestyles temporarily until the changes are complete. Yes we may need to let go of some comfort and embrace some much needed personal growth instead. Yes, we may lose some of the 'privileges' we have gotten used to, which -by the way- we can only keep getting with a very severe price-tag to the environment and our fellow beings.

On the other hand, if we keep consuming like it's no big deal, then nothing is going to change and we can come up with the most brilliant alternatives to our economic system that we can think of, but the people who benefit from keeping things the way they are (which also happen to be the people who have the most power) will do everything in their power (which is a lot) to stop any efforts of change.

In the meantime, there ARE alternatives to money. Which ones there are depends on your needs and your location. You will need to get creative. You can start small and increase your freedom from money step by step. You may need to resort to illegalities at times, but remember that it is okay to cheat or exploit the system, but never your fellow man. The system as it is right now exploits our fellow beings in every step of the way and it's legal, so 'legal' obviously doesn't equal 'right'. We all know that. Now let's act on it.

Life may temporarily become a little bit more uncomfortable than you were used to, but this will change very quickly. First of all on an individual level because you will soon find alternatives that are just as comfortable, more rewarding and more in line with your values than the way you were doing things before. It can be challenging but this is also exciting and fun. Secondly, things will soon get easier on a structural level if everyone chooses to follow this path in some way or other, because then the system will have to change. People in power will lose their power; it will be pulled from underneath them. We are the ones upholding their status. Once we all realize this and stop contributing, the system will be forced out of existence and a new one has to be put in place.

Also, this type of revolution is most of all needed in the 'materialistic societies'; mostly Western (or Westernized) countries, because they are doing most of the damage to our planet AND they generally also make it easiest to live without money. If you are living in one of those countries, you have a very important decision to make. It is really not even a decision: it's either changing or perishing. We, the people, have the same powers as the governments that claim to lead us and the companies that supply our needs and greeds: when we stop supporting those 'leaders', their power falls back onto us.

What are you waiting for? Find a way to oppose the system... and not just any system of course. Only the dysfunctional ones... until they function once again.

Peace out :)

Interviewed By Maaike Wijnstra (Dutchies)

Link to the original full interview text (in Dutch).

Name: Liselotte Roosen
Age: 34
Living in: Trondheim, Norway
Since: 28 September 2014

Personal life

How did you end up in Norway?
At the beginning of 2014 I lost my job as a psychologist due to pneumonia (caused by burnout) and I decided it was time for something new; I didn't want to work as a psychologist anymore. In August 2014 I got two job offers at once: one as a teacher of psychology at a women's university in Riyadh and the other as a PhD candidate in environmental psychology (climate change and art) at Trondheim's university in Norway. After much deliberation (it was a difficult decision), eventually I opted for Norway, because I was hoping that having a PhD would lead to even more job opportunities in the future.

Why did you decide to move to Norway? (and what was the deciding factor)
I knew for a fact that I didn't want to stay in The Netherlands... ever. The Netherlands lacks space, nature and mountains. I never really felt at home there. There are too many people, too much red tape (due to the multitude of rules and regulations) and there is too much pollution. The weather in the Netherlands is also not that great, although Norway is not much better in that respect. The winters here are very long, cold and dark. This was the main reason I was not sure about the move at first. But eventually I decided to go, mainly because temporary nature of the job, which can also result in a PhD. The contract was for three years. This suits me quite well because I like change (and after this I can always decide to go to Riyadh if I would really want to). So I went mainly for the job and not so much for the country, even though almost everything here is better than in the Netherlands, but that is true for almost every other country in my view.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Norway compared to The Netherlands?
The advantages are that there is plenty of space due to the low population density, the mountains and the (relatively clean and abundant) nature. The disadvantages are the long, cold, dark winters, but that is not just compared to the Netherlands, but compared to all the countries I lived in. Also I find it relatively difficult to make friends here and to find like-minded people. That is tough, because now more than ever I feel a strong need to connect with others who have similar views, although the blog helps a bit in that respect.

Do you feel like there is more understanding for your lifestyle in Norway than in the Netherlands?
Not necessarily... although it is difficult to compare because I mostly got serious with moneyless living after I moved to Norway. However, it does seem to me that people in the Netherlands are generally more aware of environmental issues than the people here. Maybe that's because there is so little nature left in the Netherlands (less than 12%) and therefore people might feel more inclined to protect what is left and to get environmentally engaged. Of course it also helps if you have traveled somewhat to other places. Otherwise you may not realize that anything is missing.

Life without money

How did you come across the no-money lifestyle?
I came up with the idea after I had started dumpster diving almost daily, before I came to Norway. I liked it so much that I kept going after I moved here and got a little bit obsessed with it, because I saw so much good food being thrown away daily. Next I started to apply the idea of 'living on leftovers' to more and more aspects of my life. This is how eventually I ended up living 100% moneyless (=without spending anything). It wasn't until I started my blog that I heard about others who were also living the moneyless lifestyle; most notably Daniel Suelo and Mark Boyle. I hope to meet them someday.

How did you get started living moneyless? What are the first practical changes you made?
The first step on my journey was dumpster diving and it was inspired by environmental activist Rob Greenfield. I had been following him for about two years via Facebook and I was very inspired by his lifestyle, because he is always following his passions in everything he does and that makes him free, in contrast to most people, who believe they have to work to make a living and they have to own a home. This idea more or less gets spoon-fed to us from an early age and I think that that (in part) leads many people to give up on their dreams and even forget about them altogether.

When did you decide to take it to the next level and really want to live without money?
At the end of November 2014 I decided to take up the challenge to live entirely without spending money (other than rent), because I saw that it was possible. Shortly after that (at the start of the summer in 2015) I figured I could also try to find free housing, Around August 2015 I found a family who kindly offered me their spare room. I lived there for a few months and after about three months I moved to a farm where I got my own little cabin, with a bathroom and kitchen in the nearby barn.

What are some of the first things you realized you did not really need?
It started with the realization that I did not need to buy anything, because everything that is sold in supermarkets can also be found in the dumpsters. I have found absolutely everything there, including cleaning products and hygiene products. Even (functioning) rechargeable batteries and a charger! But the challenge has also made me question my need for all of these products. It made me ask myself the question whether I could live without, or what I would do if I would somehow run out or no longer have access to certain things. And then it turns out that most of us really don't need so much. For example, I discovered that we don't really need laundry detergent to wash our clothes. Also most hygiene products are completely unnecessary and even harmful for the body and for the environment. And recently I also came to the conclusion that we don't really need the food that is sold in supermarkets, because much more nutritious foods can be found in nature. And of course the process of finding out we don't need as much as we think we do doesn't limit itself to products: for example I also know now that I don't really need a job - and perhaps that is the most liberating discovery of all.

Can you describe what the core of moneyless living is to you?
In the beginning it was mostly about no longer wanting to contribute to the destruction of the earth via the products that I was buying. For example, if I buy a pineapple in Norway, then I know that it had to travel a long way and that I am therefore contributing to the pollution that comes with that.Or if I buy new clothes, then I know that I probably indirectly support the exploitation of workers, perhaps even child labor, and again a lot of pollution. If I buy non-organic produce I am contributing to the extinction of bees, which would mean that many plant species would disappear. I no longer wanted to carry that heavy burden and I also no longer wanted to do so much research every time I wanted to buy something to make sure that it was a sustainable choice. So when I saw that there was a way out of this destructive cycle, because so much food (and other products) gets wasted on a daily basis, I went for it. And of course another great benefit was that I could save 100% of my income to build an eco-home or to start an eco-village in the future.
While I was living moneyless I discovered that there are many more advantages to this lifestyle, which are all the result of developing a new perspective on the world. Money promotes an exchange mentality (a calculated mindset of doing each other favors to get something in return). If you live moneyless then you can slowly let go of that mindset and then you notice how much impact it has on everything you do. That mindset has made its way into almost everything now with most people.

What is your ultimate goal?
For me the goal is total freedom and my mission on a larger scale is bringing awareness to the destruction that we are all contributing to. I hope that I can inspire people to consider making changes in their lifestyle, or at least show them that it is possible to choose another way. Many people consider the status quo as their only option. Before I got started on my journey, I also thought there was no way out. And that is a very depressing and discouraging view of life, especially if you want to give your life meaning and contribute something of value to the earth (instead of just the economy).

You get a lot of questions about how you are living without money, but you are still using facilities that other people pay for. What is your opinion on this?
It is true that I am still using certain facilities that have been paid for by others. For example, I am still using internet and water/electricity, which is paid for by the owners of the farm where I live. In addition I make use of roads and other public structures. However, for me it is irrelevant that these were paid for; it does not make my moneyless life somehow less moneyless. The reason is that when people make this comment, they often mean that they think you are some kind of parasite: leaning on others for support without really contributing anything of your own.
But the purpose of my lifestyle is not to get everything for free and make my life easier. The purpose is also not to do everything by myself without the help of others and be completely independent (although I would probably have the knowledge to survive without anyone’s help for quite a while). The goal and purpose of my lifestyle is to free myself from the structures and constructs that are destructive to the earth – and unfortunately it appears that money is one of those.
If everyone would live the way I do, then of course these comments would not matter anymore, because then everybody would live for free. People would contribute to society because they believe what they are doing to be important, instead of just to make money. Unfortunately my lifestyle is not that common yet that people instantly know what it is like and what it entails. Many people also have wrong assumptions about it and incorrect associations with it.
People often seem to fear that if there would be no money, there would be more people who will no longer contribute to society in any way and therefore take advantage of other people’s hard work. I think this will not be the case. Of course there are always people who will want to lean on others and abuse the system, with or without money. But I think that in a moneyless society this will happen less. That’s because in a world without money, there are a lot more natural (and direct) consequences for inefficient behavior. For example, if your community is in a potential flooding area because it lies below sea level (such as parts of the Netherlands), then it is important for the group to make sure that the dikes and dams remain strong enough. Everyone will be motivated to contribute to this, because it is a common interest and everyone will be equally affected when things go wrong. If everyone would just rely on others to do the work, and there were only a few people left doing everything, then eventually they would get fed up and start a community elsewhere, leaving those lazy people to fend for themselves. It is the same with food: everyone will need to go get their own food and look after the food forests, because that is what sustains you. The links between between actions and consequences are much more straightforward and it is much more likely that there are natural consequences for unhelpful or selfish behavior. It is much fairer that way. In a society that uses money there is also a lot of hidden laziness: people who simply pay others so that they don’t have to do anything constructive, and even people who do have a job, but a job that only causes damage.

At the moment you have a job and you are saving all your money. You want to quit working towards the end of 2017. I am curious:
1. What will you do with the money? Three years of salary is quite a lot of money.
Yes, that is correct :)  I am not sure what I will do yet exactly... Originally I wanted to save up so that I would be able to buy a block of land and start an eco-community, but because of my new lifestyle and new perspectives on life I am not so sure now. If I buy something, then I will be locked into costs again (and once again connected to money) and that is the very thing I wanted to give up and get rid of. So probably I will keep it available as a plan B, but first I will see what life will be like living the nomadic lifestyle, living completely on what nature provides.

2. What will you do with your time?
I would love to take up a nomadic lifestyle for a while, traveling to many different places and learning all about plants along the way (living off the land). For my next project (hopefully starting next year) I am planning to travel from Norway to Spain, either on foot or on horseback. I am already searching for a suitable (free) horse. Horses are given away here on a regular basis, because it is very expensive to keep them. Most of the ones that are given away are retired horses from the sport's industry, or very young and inexperienced horses. I can keep a horse for free at the farm where I live if I find a suitable horse.
I may travel to more countries as well. I would love to complete the silk route one day, also preferably on horseback. It seems like an epic journey! And while traveling I can give (free) workshops and lectures to further spread the word about alternative lifestyles and moneyless living. This is what I would like to devote the rest of my life to: to the well-being of the earth and to promoting and inspiring a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

What is most difficult about your lifestyle at the moment? Are there any issues, concerns or obstacles you've come across?
Strangely enough I can't really think of any difficulties of this lifestyle, other than the growing fear that humanity is destroying too much nature (and will continue to do so), which threatens my way of life and that of many other life forms (including the lives of everyone who is contributing to it)... I think many other beings must be feeling this also. There is less and less undisturbed space and increasingly less room for nature to thrive and flourish. Yet it is nature that gives life to us all. Not the supermarket, not the companies and certainly not the state or government.
But that is the global perspective. Personally I have especially noticed that my life has become a lot simpler and easier and that I am a happier person and feel free. However, I can imagine that if I would get very sick (or if I would already have some serious disease) it could get a little more difficult. Therefore I am learning about natural and herbal medicine and I am trying to look after myself as best as I can. Also, I think that the average lifestyle is much more devastating to health than mine, so even that would not be a reason to give up on my dream. In any case I would do all I can to continue living this way, no matter what happens.

Our discussion on Facebook triggered quite a few reactions when you say you live your life in this way. What are the reactions of the people around you? And in the beginning?
At first most people around me thought I had lost my mind :) but fortunately this changed very quickly. When it turned out that everything I planned to do was possible, my friends and family were very pleasantly surprised and also proud of me that I made it happen (they didn't believe it was possible). On Facebook there are fortunately also a lot of positive responses, but for some people living moneyless is still too big a step. I do empathize with those people on some level, because for me the process was also gradual, so it is understandable when other people (especially if they haven't followed the blog from the beginning) don't always understand how you could do and see things differently than the usual way.

What would you like to offer the world? What changes would you like to manifest?
I would like to see us (humanity) interact with nature in a different way. That we once again consider ourselves to be one with the ecosystem we live in and that we become more aware of the resources we are using. And that once again we start to take responsibility again for the consequences of our choices for example with the kinds of purchases we make and the companies we support. I would like to see humans regain some of their self-sustainability, because that will make the world more sustainable as well. I'd like to see humanity focus more on long-term effects and solutions, instead of clutching onto the usual "throw-away" mentality. That we will once again explore how each of us can add real value to the earth, instead of just in terms of financial contributions. And that the interest of the earth is once again our main concern instead of just self-interest.
I think that moneyless living is a very suitable way to achieve all of these effects, because if you see nature as your most important and primary resource (which of course it is), then you will automatically appreciate it more and be driven to protect it.

For you, living moneyless equals freedom. But isn't it true that many people believe that the exact opposite is true? That they can use money to 'buy' their freedom, so that they can afford doing the things they really want to do or so that they can retire early?
That is true; that is the current trend and belief. And I used to believe this too. But now I see that it is actually a trap; a trap to keep people in the system. Of course there is a lot you can do if you have money, but I can do the same things without money (especially if you value experiences rather than things). And also: what is the price? If I do the things I want to do without spending money, then I don't need to earn money first and so I actually have the time to do those things. With a full-time job and high costs of living you may have money to spend, but you don't have the time anymore to do all the things you may want to do. Then you can only do things that really matter to you in weekends and during holidays. That means your life is suddenly substantially shorter! Now I can do the things that matter to me whenever I want to. Not just at some time in the future when I am retired, but now! I can even dedicate my life to a cause of my choosing.
Also, I can retire right now if I wanted to. I don't have to save up money for years, because money is not a necessity for me anymore. I don't need to stay in a job that doesn't really give me a sense of fulfillment and that doesn't give me the feeling I am contributing anything valuable. Without the need for money, nobody would do those jobs anymore. The world would be a very different place. We wouldn't have to do work that pollutes the earth. Instead we could quit working and dedicate our lives to looking after the planet and do all other things that really matter.

Working hard to eventually retire is not freedom. It is delayed freedom. You never know when it will happen. If the rules change (for example if the state pension age goes up), then it may take longer than expected, and it's not even in your hands. Someone who is free, is not bound by rules. Whatever the rules may be, I can always retire whenever I want.

That is freedom.

You point out that living without money to you means living without stress. How does that work? Because I personally (and I think many others also) feel a lot of stress when I have no money. When I don't know what I will be eating tomorrow and when I have no money to buy anything, then the pressure is very high to find a way to make money. Then it would be really comforting to be able to go to the shop to buy something.
Yes! You hit the nail on the head :) If you don't have any money, it gives you stress because we have not learned to take care of ourselves. This also makes it very stressful if you lose your job (or if the possibility exists). But what if you can just take care of yourself and you know where you can get food? What if you know that you can always rely on nature for your next meal? Then you don't have stress anymore, because you know you are always safe. You can always take care of yourself, also when the government or the system lets you down. And the system lets people down all the time. It happens every day.
If you know how to live without money, then it won't matter if you lose your job. If the supermarkets don't have any food in stock because of some environmental or political crisis, it also doesn't matter. You no longer depend on the supermarket.

Do you still visit the Netherlands sometimes? And how do you travel without money?
I have visited the Netherlands briefly last year to attend a conference (it was a work visit so the university covered the travel costs), but I was glad it was only for a few days. I noticed that the air pollution was bothering me a lot, especially on the first day. I think that happened because I was no longer used to it. When we are exposed to it all the time, we don't notice it so much anymore. This is another danger of what is happening to the earth right now: changes are gradual and so we get used to it and that makes it seem less bad than it actually is.
By the way, after I complete my job next year I will aim to travel solely by bike, (hitch)hiking, or on horseback.

Tips

Can you write a short step-by-step guide for the average consumer like me, to save money and to spend less?
1. Dumpster diving is a very good start. This is how I got started as well. (Foraging is an alternative if you don't have dumpsters nearby).
2. After this you can work on finding free alternatives for all your expenses, step by step. Every time you spend money, you can ask yourself: Do I really need this? And if so: How can I fulfill this need without spending money? And then it is a matter of trial and error; experimenting; getting creative.
3. Every alternative you come up with can also be tested for the sustainability factor. If it is not more sustainable than the ordinary way of doing things, then it may not be very valuable. It may not give you that lasting sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. You will see that if you choose to do things that are really good for the earth, they will also be good for you!

Finally, here are some links with more information, with practical tips to get started with the moneyless lifestyle:
More about the Stop-Shopping-Challenge, which started everything
More about Dumpster diving
More about Free Housing
More about the Moneyless Mindset
More about freedom (living free)