ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

Man lives an entire year without spending a single penny after coming up with a genius idea

Mark Boyle said he would choose this life over the other, any day.
PUBLISHED SEP 24, 2024
Cover Image source: Getty Images | Photo by Matt Cardy
Cover Image source: Getty Images | Photo by Matt Cardy

Inspired by a DVD on Mahatma Gandhi, Mark Boyle decided that he would be the "change he wanted to see in the world". In 2007, right before the global financial crisis, Boyle realized that his ethical business of organic food wasn't enough for his mission. So he took a radical approach and left home to live without spending a single penny. Through genius tricks and eco-friendly strategies, Boyle lived without money for a year. 

 Irish activist and writer Mark Boyle at the Edinburgh International Book Festival | Getty Images | Photo by Simone Padovani/Awakening
Irish activist and writer Mark Boyle at the Edinburgh International Book Festival | Getty Images | Photo by Simone Padovani/Awakening

Stepping out of his home in Bristol England, the first thing that Boyle did was look for a sustainable shelter, he wrote in a piece for The Guardian. He came across the project 'Freecycle' through which he found a caravan that the owner no longer needed.

He then volunteered for three days a week at an organic farm near Bristol in exchange for a place to park the caravan. 

The next challenge was to set up his home without spending any money. He installed a wood burner for heat that he made from an old glass bottle and a fluid pipe. He collected wood from the farm to burn.

Mark Boyle on his two-and-a-half year 9000 mile walk without any money | Getty Images | Photo by Matt Cardy
Mark Boyle on his two-and-a-half year 9000 mile walk without any money | Getty Images | Photo by Matt Cardy

He also founded an alternative economy called the Freeconomy Community for his purpose. One of its members taught him to build a "rocket stove" to cook food. Using a couple of old olive oil catering tins, he made the outdoor stove.

He grew his own food on the organic farm. His staples were potatoes, beans, kale, carrots, salads, root vegetables, and more. He also foraged for berries, nettles, mushrooms, and nuts. While it was challenging to cook in the snow, rain, and northerly winds, it soon became one of the joys of his life.

Boyle confessed that he did spend money on a solar panel for electricity before starting his journey. It only supplied enough to power a light and charge his laptop and phone.

The last thing he needed for his home was a toilet. Thus, he built a compost toilet and used newspapers as toilet rolls. He called this the symbol of his sustainably living movement.



 

BoyIe shared that he bathed in the river or under a solar shower with home-grown soapwort. For toothpaste, he used a mix of cuttlefish bone, collected from the shores and wild fennel seeds. He used a detergent made from boiling nuts to wash his clothes. 



 

Boyle says that the only downside of living in a moneyless world is that everything takes more time. He wrote that handwashing my clothes in a sink of cold water could take two hours, instead of 10 minutes using a washing machine.

Collecting scraps for his stove and steamer also took longer than buying them. Sorting out the compost toilet also took more than just flushing it away. 

Cycling through his trip to Bristol also took a lot more time and energy, but Boyle felt it was better than a gym membership. 

Clifton village and suspension bridge in Bristol at sunrise | Getty Images | Stock Photo
Clifton village and suspension bridge in Bristol at sunrise | Getty Images | Stock Photo

In the end, he felt it was much better to do the time-consuming stuff and he would choose this life over the other, any day. He also shared that when he started his parents felt they did something wrong in his formative years. However, after he found happiness in this new lifestyle, Boyle said his parents supported him.

As per LadBible, Boyle followed the lifestyle until 2011, when he bought a pair of shoes from a charity shop. He wrote a book about his time without money and used the proceeds to buy some land near Galway in his native Ireland. 



 

He also became a part of the documentary,  "Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild" which premiered in 2021. By then, he had built a cabin and a hostel where he let people stay for free.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
Jennings had a record-setting winning streak as a contestant before he became the host.
1 hour ago
The player, Ron Wheeler, tragically got no clues after his letter picks for the final puzzle.
5 hours ago
The former kids champion, Skyler Hornback knew what was coming.
7 hours ago
The fans took issue with the clue being too tough and unnecessary for the contestants.
1 day ago
Cuban wanted to strike a deal with the founder of Coconut Girl and gave her an ultimatum.
1 day ago
Although the word did make a lot of difference, some fans felt that the decision was ridiculous.
1 day ago
The guest, who found the item online, didn't think it was the real deal until he heard its value.
2 days ago
The player Samantha secured the first big win of Ryan Seacrest's run on the show.
2 days ago
The sisters wanted to keep their father's legacy alive, but also had their careers to focus on.
2 days ago
The shopper noticed that the watermelon which she bought three days ago was deflated.
2 days ago
The guest couldn't believe that her collection was worth so much money.
3 days ago
While all the Sharks were out, Mark Cuban saw the potential in "Garage Celebrations."
4 days ago
The loss was ironic as the retired teacher coulnd't get a phrase commonly used in classrooms.
4 days ago
The recalls were issued for a range of products including tires, air conditioners and power banks.
4 days ago
The guest who got the item as a gift from a neighbor had little to no idea about its significance.
4 days ago
Harrison got a good deal for the fossil although it wasn't what he had thought.
5 days ago
The player, Beth Barbee left everyone in the dust with her impressive puzzle solving skills.
5 days ago
Given her celebrity status, Harrison cut her some slack in the negotiations.
5 days ago
The deal ultimately fell apart as the seller, Scotty was looking to get $375,000.
6 days ago
The guest was blown away by the six-figure appraisal for his father's John Falter illustration.
6 days ago