Ecoprincess - wow!
 

Fair play to you and thanks a million for posting up how you do it. I'm going on a career break next month so very limited funds. I'll have about €180 p.w. and I'm trying to juggle it in my head at the minute. I'm trying to come up with ways that I can exchange things I do for things I need. However, I'm thinking of maybe backpacking now (was thinkig of moving to South Africa - could happen too. It'll be one or the other). But I'll certainly be showing this to my son who isn't coming with us (sniff, sniff - I'll be lost without him - he's my right hand man). He's going back to college and will hopefully get some sort of grant but there's no jobs out there so he'll have to get his thinking cap on. It's the one good thing about the recession I suppose. A lot of us will be going back to bartering. The person that invented money shoulda been shot. The whole recession might just save the planet. Here's hoping and again Ecoprincess - well done. You're obviously extremely talented with all the things you make from your own produce. You must be very proud of yourself too.

diy
 

yes fair play to u ecoprincess.we all should try alittle of these ways! its about time we learned to share and help one onther instead of tryin to outdo the neighbors!!

living without money
 

What happens if you get sick and need medical attention? If you use a medical card or the public health system you are using money, just other people's money..... which if you don't pay taxes you haven't contributed to.

Hiya Ruthy, ecoprincess said she has a company car so obviously she works and I would presume therefore she pays taxes. And I don't think we should even go down this road. Enough politicians squandering taxpayers money but no-one says a word to them about it.

living without money
 

Ahh, had to trawl back a bit to see! I wasn't referring to Ecoprincess, who is clearly partially plugged into the money economy, I was referring to the very first post which posed the question was it possible to live without money for a year. I don't think this is possible in our modern economy to live without money as at some point you will have to make use of something for which you don't pay, like the public health system, but for which someone somewhere has paid. Even just cycling up into town you are making use of roads paid for by people's taxes.....

So unless you live on an island, and totally support yourself, including healing yourself when you get sick, its not possible to live entirely without making use of money.

This guy is kinda interesting alright, here's his blog:

http://www.justfortheloveofit.org/blog

he is founder of " The freeconomy movement"

living in a caravan for a year
 

oh how i envy him...am so planning dat sort of life....simple, pleasant and honest.

hi
 

Hi folks. Wait till the December budget and we.ll all be living with no money!! LOL??????

Was listening to the radio yesterday. Well, he did it!! He's been living for 14 months now without spending any money and says he can't imagine going back to living any other way!

live free
 

THERE was an article in the paper the other day about a girl in England who lost her job and moved into a squat in london and lived free for a year. SHe has written a book called 'adventures from the edge of a wasteful society' or sumthing like that. THey call themselves 'freegans' the ones who live out of skips at supermarkets etc. WE are a very wasteful people. Thank GOD for J.T.

I don't think this guy lives out of a skip so much. I saw a programme on C4 ( I think) about him at one stage. He lives in a caravan in a field, donated by a farmer and gathers whatever he can growing wild and cultivates crops etc.
Freegans are a whole other area altogether, ranging from those trying to make a social comment to people who do it merely to survive.

I was talking to someone about all grocery food wastage,and again through that ever popular grapevine,found out from people working in the 3 major supermarkets here, that they have their skips locked to prevent rummaging for food.On closer inspection I noticed that 1 company have a camera overlooking their skips, and that another has their skips caged.I gave up looking after that.and one girl told me where she works they dump the food if its not sold on the day it goes to the sell by date.and appently tried to have a guy done for looting from a skip,if that is true or not I do not know,But I dont think I will be doing it just to get to the truth.Not unless I get paid to go undercover...lol...

looting from skips
 

Isn't it dreadful that supermarkets would throw food away rather than give it to somebody to eat. I'm sure that wonderful Capuchin friar who has the soup kitchen in Dublin's Bow St ( can't remember his name ) would be very glad of it. They'd also be saving on the cost of dumping it.

guy going to live without money for a yr - impossible?!
 

I used to run a stall for a charity fundraiser and the supermarkets used to give them the left over bread/cakes that they couldn't sell as 'fresh' the next day. Several charities would Q late on the Friday night having made prior arrangements with the Manager. Sometimes we couldn't even sell it for 10/20 cents a loaf because there was so much. A family can only eat so much, and freeze so much, and there was feedback that the products were TOO stale! I hasten to add that the products were of the variety that went off very quickly - we never got any Brennan's bread, that's for sure. However, I don't run that stall any more so I don't know if the supermarkets are still doing it. Maybe they give it to St. V de Paul? or other charities for the poor. You can ring the supermarket manager and enquire what they do, if you are in need.

guy going to live without money for a yr - impossible?!
 

I'm full of admiration for Ecoprincess and the way she runs her life! However, I hope you don't mind me having a little fun - I've given you some marks and comments:

HRT = €360.00 Medication – no problems here - you gotta have this! 10 out of 10

ESB = €300.00 – Is this possible ‘cos you have a sold fuel cooker? Marks pending

Clothes = €260.00 – No! sorry! – far too extravagant!!!!! Ever hear of Robinson Crusoe? Wear animal skins! No marks – could do better!

Yeast – selling poitin - I’m sure you mean you sell home brewed beer or home made wine – you can’t mean poitin! Marks pending.

Seeds = selling plants to buy seed – perfect! 10 out of 10

Phone = Is this a landline, or mobile? Marks pending

Goats = selling their babies, cheese and milk to friends – Excellent!! 10 out of 10

Vehicle = company van – I have to ask the hard question – Does your employer know that you use his van, insurance, and fuel for personal use? Most employers would not be happy with that but hopefully you have a great relationship with yours. Marks pending.

ducks and bantam chickens - sell eggs and babies– Fantastic!! 10 / 10

Bees - sell honey, make beauty creams, shampoos and candles from wax – Wonderful! 10 / 10

Own turf and planted a wood for fire wood – what could be better? 10 / 10

Water - use rain water – What an eco warrior! Excellent! 10 / 10

I get a whole pig from my friends and sell half to pay the whole price for my pig – Good entrepreneurial skills - 10 / 10

I give the vet produce and help with his herb garden – Such mastery! 10 / 10

Vet gives me a whole deer/exchange for a half a sheep /pig people give me quarter of a cow - Remarkable barter system 10 / 10

I do my own fishing – makes good sense 10 / 10

Made an agreement with the hunt – Fine negotiating skills - 10 / 10

If you sit at my table and eat you do a job for it– Admirable, fair exchange is no robbery and good example for others - 10 / 10

Cat food = €150.00 – No marks! just eat the cat!

Please keep on giving us your pearls of wisdom, really impressed!