Sunday, October 4, 2009

Daniel Suelo- 48 Year-Old Guy Lives in a Cave with NO Money


Greener Future
:

A 48 year old man, no money, living in a cave for 9 years; most people, including myself, would think this is the life description of someone who is crazy. But, contrary to what his lifestyle may lead you to believe, Daniel Suelo is not crazy, he just doesn't like money.

Daniel Suelo gave up consumer culture altogether, and for the last 9 years, he's survived by living in a cave in Utah, and dumpster diving, foraging, fishing, and occasionally hunting for food. He spends his time in the great outdoors--and in the public library, where he blogs about it all. Daniel Suelo must have the lowest carbon footprint of any blogger in the United States. And he's never taken food stamps or any other type of government assistance.

According to MatadorChange, he was working in South America when he was first moved to consider a money-free, zero impact lifestyle:

While in Ecuador on a Peace Corps mission, he witnessed a rural community acquire increased monetary wealth through farming and shift their traditional lifestyle towards a diet of unhealthy, processed food and a newfound addiction to television ... He made the conscious decision to return home, quit his job, and carve out a life without money.
Suelo himself writes "I've been living without a cent to my name since the autumn of 2000 (with a month's exception during my first year)" on the front page of the website he runs from the public library.

Although many of us would not dare to dive into such a "moneyless" lifestyle, it does really make us think a long hard minute about all the stuff we heedlessly buy.

3 comments:

  1. Interesting article. Living in a materialistic world, it's really a rare sight theses days.....

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  2. Great article, I believe it will become a way of life for us all, to save our world, we are all aware of how important recycling is.

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  3. Fascinating article. We tend to think of people who decline to share in our values as abnormal and perhaps they are (as in against the norm) but I'm impressed with his resolve to live a truly simple life. It does make me question what I really need as opposed to what makes my life more convenient.

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