FTFA:"He cycles everywhere, his phone only takes incoming calls, he has solar-powered showers and cleans his teeth with toothpaste made from washed-up cuttlefish bones.

He grows or forages for his food and gets his clothes from bins or from the Freecycle website."

So in other words, he's a bum. No thx.

If I had a choice between being a poor liberal arts major and an MBA I'd rather be poor.

At least a philosophy major has a basic understanding of the world instead of being a corporate whore.

Mark Boyle, 30, has lived for the past 12 months as a true 'freeconomist'...

I shall now hate you to death, ITN, for making that word up.

... and he pays for his phone with what?

/friggin' freeloadin' hippies

BunkyBrewman: ... and he pays for his phone with what?

/friggin' freeloadin' hippies

washed up cuttlefish bones silly!

You can only be happy doing something like this if you convince yourself that scraping by makes you happy.

eddyatwork: If I had a choice between being a poor liberal arts major and an MBA, I'd rather be poor.

At least a philosophy major has a basic understanding of the world instead of being a corporate whore.

great justification. one understands how the world works, but not enough to avoid being poor?

It's the 'happiest time of your life" dude because at any point you could walk away from it.

As for living without money, nobody here is stupid enough to believe you didn't do it FOR money in the first place.

Whaddaya want? A book deal? Reality Dumpster TV show?

gets his clothes from bins or from the Freecycle website.

OK, so he can live without money, but he still relies on other people who have money to first buy clothes and then ditch them.

fail.

He grows or forages for his food

What a food forager may look like

UNC_Samurai: Mark Boyle, 30, has lived for the past 12 months as a true 'freeconomist'...

I shall now hate you to death, ITN, for making that word up.

Wait until you hear about freegans. It's like dumpster diving and eating rancid pizza brings them closer to enlightenment. I'm all for saving money but fark man, I'm not going to eat stuff rats have been picking over.

eddyatwork: If I had a choice between being a poor liberal arts major and an MBA I'd rather be poor.

At least a philosophy major has a basic understanding of the world instead of being a corporate whore.

2/10

/You do have a choice
//How's that cuttlefish bone toothpaste taste?

Phaid: Well, you don't need a million dollars to do nothing, man. Take a look at my cousin: he's broke, don't do shiat.

Farkin' A, man.

Yea, we all should stop spending money to save our Economy.

No Jules, without a job, residence, or legal tender you're gonna be a bum.

BunkyBrewman: ... and he pays for his phone with what?

/friggin' freeloadin' hippies

They mention the phone only takes incoming calls. In Europe, a lot of plans only charge the outgoing caller. So, if you already have a phone and don't need to make any calls (and you can keep the thing charged), you can usually get by without paying a cellphone bill

Whatever makes him happy. Personally, I like the finer things in life, like toothpaste.

gopher321: So in other words, he's a bum.

Like Caine in Kung Fu.

i thought this would be about a guy who lived on a self sustaining plot of land, or something.

instead, he's sort of a leech

Show_The_O_Face: Whatever makes him happy. Personally, I like the finer things in life, like toothpaste.

The dude is British, toothpaste isn't a factor either way.

generaltimmy: eddyatwork: If I had a choice between being a poor liberal arts major and an MBA, I'd rather be poor.

At least a philosophy major has a basic understanding of the world instead of being a corporate whore.

great justification. one understands how the world works, but not enough to avoid being poor?

You have a very attenuated understanding of poverty.

generaltimmy: eddyatwork: If I had a choice between being a poor liberal arts major and an MBA, I'd rather be poor.

At least a philosophy major has a basic understanding of the world instead of being a corporate whore.

great justification. one understands how the world works, but not enough to avoid being poor?

Working "for the man" sucks, but I'd rather work than be broke or homeless...

/ trying to find work that doesn't suck.

MARIAN (drawing bow).
"Back! how much money hast thou in thy purse?"

FIRST FRIAR.
"Thou art playing with us. How should poor friars have money?"

- 'The Foresters Robin Hood and Maid Marian' by Lord Alfred Tennyson

This month I'm sending Wells Fargo Home Mortgage a book of coupons good for free hugs, good karma and positive thoughts.

zez: He grows or forages for his food

What a food forager freeconomist may look like

eddyatwork: If I had a choice between being a poor liberal arts major and an MBA I'd rather be poor.

At least a philosophy major has a basic understanding of the world instead of being a corporate whore.

hey wait, I can be both!

/sucks some major corporate dick

But Charlie, remember what happened to the little boy who got everything he ever wanted:

What?

He lived happily ever after.

eddyatwork: If I had a choice between being a poor liberal arts major and an MBA I'd rather be poor.

At least a philosophy major has a basic understanding of the world instead of being a corporate whore.

Right on, man. Mo' money, mo' problems.

#2: MARIAN (drawing bow).
"Back! how much money hast thou in thy purse?"

FIRST FRIAR.
"Thou art playing with us. How should poor friars have money?"

- 'The Foresters Robin Hood and Maid Marian' by Lord Alfred Tennyson



Robin Hood: The poor are going to be absolutely thrilled. Have you met them at all?
Randall: Who?
Robin Hood: The poor.
Randall: The poor?
Robin Hood: Oh you must meet them. I'm sure you'll like them. Of course they haven't got two pennies to rub together but that's because they're poor.

mrEdude: It's the 'happiest time of your life" dude because at any point you could walk away from it.

As for living without money, nobody here is stupid enough to believe you didn't do it FOR money in the first place.

Whaddaya want? A book deal? Reality Dumpster TV show?

This. What what? A stunt where, despite not having money, you have a safety net? St. Augustine you ain't.

I guess this means we can dump the welfare state since being crushingly poor and living like a pikey brings happiness.

I've had a few friends that were like this (although not nearly to this degree).

The thing about lifestyles like these is that they are not self sustaining. They require the resources of others to make them sustainable.

So in short, "leech" or "bum" just about covers it.

eddyatwork: If I had a choice between being a poor liberal arts major and an MBA I'd rather be poor.

At least a philosophy major has a basic understanding of the world instead of being a corporate whore.

The difference between a smart MBA and a Philosophy major is not understanding the world. The difference is that a smart MBA has learned how to profit from his understanding of the world.

eddyatwork: If I had a choice between being a poor liberal arts major and an MBA I'd rather be poor.

At least a philosophy major has a basic understanding of the world instead of being a corporate whore.
generaltimmy: eddyatwork: If I had a choice between being a poor liberal arts major and an MBA, I'd rather be poor.

At least a philosophy major has a basic understanding of the world instead of being a corporate whore.

great justification. one understands how the world works, but not enough to avoid being poor?

I bet the job satisfaction after 20 years is higher with the philosophy major. Although after 1-5 years the philosophy major gets watch to Business grads in their shiny suits and banging all the hot chicks at the cool bars.

"Man who lived a year without money describes it as "the happiest time of my life", says he hopes he is an inspiration to other liberal arts graduates everywhere"


Sounds like something my calculus teacher would have said.

eddyatwork: If I had a choice between being a poor liberal arts major and an MBA I'd rather be poor.

At least a philosophy major has a basic understanding of the world instead of being a corporate whore.

yes, philosophy majors definitely have an understanding of the world

/we miss you czar

Yeah, living like a homeless man is so great. I'm all about being frugal, but come on.

GLove88mph: OK, so he can live without money, but he still relies on other people who have money to first buy clothes and then ditch them.

So wait...

By these rules, I am a leech because I bought a USED car for only a few hundred dollars. I am a leech because I usually shop at thrift stores because its the same exact shiat just a fraction of the cost. Oooh, I'll also shop at the mall during their after holidays sales when everything that schmucks paid $40+ is now $5 or less.

I've also dumpster dived for furniture for my first house.

Am I supposed to feel bad about this or something?

God damn you consumers are trained well. He isn't stealing shiat from anyone, they are voluntarily giving it to him because they have no use for it.

Leeches steal and have a negative effect on society, living this way is more like on of those sucker fish cleaning up the scales of a shark.

FunkOut: ... but fark man, I'm not going to eat stuff rats have been picking over.

...and wouldn't eat.

Was that an article? It was more of a paragraph, what happened to journalism?

Point/Counterpoint:


Morgan:Human behavior is economic behavior. The particulars may vary, but competition for limited resources remains a constant. Need as well as greed have followed us to the stars, and the rewards of wealth still await those wise enough to recognize this deep thrumming of our common pulse


Godwinson:The Morgans fear what may not be purchased, for a trader cannot comprehend a thing that is priceless.

replace the word "liberal" with "fine" and the headline is still relevant and funny.

spookidooki: GLove88mph: OK, so he can live without money, but he still relies on other people who have money to first buy clothes and then ditch them.

So wait...

By these rules, I am a leech because I bought a USED car for only a few hundred dollars. I am a leech because I usually shop at thrift stores because its the same exact shiat just a fraction of the cost. Oooh, I'll also shop at the mall during their after holidays sales when everything that schmucks paid $40+ is now $5 or less.

I've also dumpster dived for furniture for my first house.

Am I supposed to feel bad about this or something?

God damn you consumers are trained well. He isn't stealing shiat from anyone, they are voluntarily giving it to him because they have no use for it.

Leeches steal and have a negative effect on society, living this way is more like on of those sucker fish cleaning up the scales of a shark.

And quit stealing bandwidth. Glad you like being a sucker.

SharkTrager: eddyatwork: If I had a choice between being a poor liberal arts major and an MBA I'd rather be poor.

At least a philosophy major has a basic understanding of the world instead of being a corporate whore.

The difference between a smart MBA and a Philosophy major is not understanding the world. The difference is that a smart MBA has learned how to profit from his understanding of the world.

To be honest, I think there is more than one understanding of the world. You are conflating more than one understanding in this sweeping generalization.

/and how exactly is the MBA capitalizing.. er "understanding" the world?

What an idiot. Living free is maintaining a self sustainable environment. Not waiting for someone else to pay for something and then hand it down to you.

i have no problem with these bums being bums. but it's kind of silly for them to urge us ALL to do as they do, since there wouldn't be free clothes bins, cheap cell phones, and the like if not for the working stiffs out there. and i'd give 5 bucks to read a story that "eddyatwork" died from a papercut received while opening his monthly gvm't check.

I spent a few months earlier this year living without money. I would describe it as the unhappiest time of my life. I didn't try brushing my teeth with cuttlefish bones, however.

Go do that is some shait poor country and I might be impressed. Living off the dregs of a rich country like England isn't much of a feat.