live without working

Definitely not laziness, just a desire to be in control of my time so that I can read, learn, travel and be able to partly satisfy my curiosity about the world. I am not interested in being rich or in having a lot of things, I just want to work for my own benefit and to take care of my most basic needs, I feel like a prostitute when I sell my time to greedy companies when I am aware that at the end they don’t really care about me or my problems.

Although I’m still doing some part-time work, I could effectively stop at any time (I’m committed to the cause though, so won’t anytime soon).

Dumpster-diving, squatting and voluntary simplicity all make this lifestyle possible – at least where I live.

If you’re not independently wealthy enough to live off your bank interest it can take a pretty substantial change of mindset and behaviour, which is why so few manage it, I think. It can also be helpful to re-evaluate the established order, the basis for private ownership of land/property, etc.

Seek out nearby squatters, dumpster-divers and others who are already doing this – most will be only too happy to introduce you to the ways of living very well off the crumbs of the system.

Unfortunately, working for others has never been my way. Just the same, I enjoy every day with a great passion. Although I do not work, I’m never bored. Too much to learn, too much to know, and too much to do and see!

Hello – I also agree with Xchief and Modern Man. There are so many improvements we could do to our lives if we would not follow what this north american society imposes on us. I’d say that the main issue for each of us is to find out exactly what we want and believe in life, and I found that many of the young people these days do not know that. This is something that must change. Secondly, not to fall in the materialistic trap, which is very hard to do as we’re surrounded, bombarded constantly with the wants and the money. It is of primary concern to try to live without money as much as possible. There are so many things that are traps that gets us hooked into debts, payments, forcing us to sell ourselves in order to get a job, only to continue this never-ending vicious cycle. Even studying becomes a trap as one will get deeply into debt, only to repay it for years. We should continue to advocate for humanistic rights like free health service, avoid use of cars and going back to bicycles, continue to break off the grid and produce our own energy supplies, and work for what we really aim for and love. No ambition, no greed, no competition, no profiting. There would be a much better society with less hate and problems if we break the materialistic/capitalistic vicious circle.

i quit my job to be a full-time student and even though i will eventually buckle down and get a job to pay off my years and years of accumulating debt, it is still the best decision i have ever made.

Hi. I stumbled upon this site, believe it or not, looking up “how to live without working” on google. I would have to say, that it is not about me being lazy either. Rather, like some of you, I don’t want to be doing something I don’t want to do, support, and/or believe in. Where I have worked, I was always an excellent employee, but low wages and lack of motivation (no real goal) don’t help keep my spirits up.
I sometimes wonder if giving up all of our technological advancements would help. We all work minimal hours producing the essentials: food, shelter, and clothing. If everyone were devoted to these three things in their workplace, the amount of hours everyone would have to work would be drastically reduced. The problem here is that even I do not want to leave technology behind. The internet is such a beneficial tool in the right hands, however I also fear what the internet can do if it becomes too “controlled”.
Acberlin, if you have any tips, let me know ;).

Hi, I am like almost everyone else have worked at things I didnt like and never made enough for the things I wanted. I did however have a wonderfull experience, I was in the military and learned how to subsiste at a level very similar to how remote tribes in africa and south america live. I lived in a tent for 2 years, got maybe 1 regular meal every 2 weeks, did laundry in a bucket, showered in a makeshift device (not daily). Every place I went I treid to emulate the locals, food dress and accomodations. Lucky for me im now retired, I live on my retirement but I know I can subsiste at a much lower level. The thing is very few other poeple know this. They dont know that a 4000 sq. ft house that cost a million bucks and cost 1000 a month to heat or cool isnt happines. We could go to a society that required no “work” but the haves would be unhappy with the allocation of goods (meaning everyone gets the same). Probly the best model ive seen actually working (not counting communism. it was rife with corruption) is in Israel. The kibbutz and Moshavz there are great, everyone pitches in and share in the fruits of labor, so its kinda like not working. Compare it to a garden, and you grow carrots, you grow enough to supply you for 6 months-is the raising, cultivating and harvesting of these work? No because its labor intensive but not work. But getting the public into this mindset is almost laughable, can you see bill gates hoing a garden? and living the same as the lowest person on the pole? It can work but would require small groups to propagate the idea, and if to succesfull would probly get shipped to guantanamo bay for anti american activiteis cause no oil is involved.

somewhere along the line man has been forced to believe that we will die without modern convinence. like a car or a cell phone. we also believe that we need all the money in the world to be happy,money to buy all these things that we really don’t need to survive but for some reason believe that we cant live without. thats where corperations come in. they feed off our ignorance and keep supplying all this useless stuff that we apperantly cant live without. just think about how people lived before modern convienence. i think the reason everyones depressed in this world is because they dont have money to pay for all the things tha they think they cant live without. i think we would be a lot happier if we didn’t have these things we dont need in life for we wouldn’t be stressing out about money for these useless items. im about ready to convert to amish unless anyone can tell me how to live a happier life without all the hassel of working for the money that i dont need to buy the thing i can live without.

I am actually very serious about trying to live and somehow not work – but I realised its more than that. I just want to live without being obliged to do something I don’t want to do. In addition, I feel personally cheated about the promises given us at the beginning of the industrial revolution (10 hour work week, for example), because of the greed of those at the top and the fact that when the population begins to develop a genuine personality, this is dangerous for politics. But I have begun to find a bit of a route, actually… First, to have more time (I mean MUCH more time) to put into projects, one needs to have as much leisure time as possible. Move to Berlin and teach English. It is so unbelieveable cheap here that I can survive with only 7 hours of work a week – not to mention that Berlin is probably the most exciting place I have lived. If anyone wants any tips – because I take this project quite seriously – let me know!