The Moneyless Man by Mark Boyle

The Moneyless Man - A year of Freeconomic Living( all proceeds of the book go to charity). From the back of the book - Imagine living an entire year without money. Former businessman Mark Boyle did just that and here is extraordinary tale. Article from Guardian newspaper

How do friends and Family react. What do you eat? Where do you liove? How does it affect your social life and relationships? How do you stay in touch with frientds? How do you wash? In this landmark book, Mark Boyle finds out the hardway and , in the process, explores the troubling consequences of our obsession with money. Encountering cuttlefish toothpaste, seasonal foods, skill-swapping schemes, and compost toilets, Mark even travels to Ireland without a penny and faces the unthinkable: a cash-free Christmas.

Following his own strict rules, Mark goes back to basics and learns ingenious ways to eliminate his bills and flourish for free. From making paper and ink out of mushrooms to constructing a rocket stove from discarded catering cans, Boyle puts fun into frugality and reveals some indispensable tips for economical and enviromentally friendly living. Heart warming and witty, The Moneyless Man is a testament to Marks's astounding determination and will inspire you to really question what really matters in life.

My take from the book: A very enjoyable read, re-enforces my belief in living simply, although what he does is to extreme to appeal to mainstream. People think I'm extreme by having one old fourteen inch tv in the house. It does remind me there are better ways of living and we could get by without money but to be honest for most people they can't see past buying stuff and I think it would taken a global catastrophe for people to stop pampering themselves and simplify their lifes. I enjoy living in a house with some heating. It made me think or re-enforce there is still a lot I could be doing and still live quite comfortably in our hoose e.g. replace the water flushing toilet for a composting toilet (Yes they do exsist for houses.)

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Comedian Lewis Black

I came across this, I've seen it before - comedian Lewis Black on the Milk and water. Very, very funny I particularly like the 'meat with eyes' bit.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

Born to Run - The hidden tribe, the ultr-runners and the greatest race the world has never seen.

From the back of the book - Full of incrdible characters, breathtaking, athletic achievements and cutting edge science, Born to Run is an epic adventure that begins with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets out to find the Tarahumara Indians, a tribe of the world's gratest runners, who can run hundreds of miles without rest while enjoying every minute of it.

I couldn't put it down It made me want to run forever, wear minimal shoes, reinforced all my feelings about Nike and other large running shoe businesses. It has reinforced my going barefoot (or very thin soled shoes) despite the pain I am currently in but more about that another time.

Tomorrow another excellent book I read while away - The Moneyless Man.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

UK trip continued

We had mostly brilliant sunshine except for the last 2 days but that just helped us leave.

We didn't have any long stopovers just a few hours in Dubai and Brisbane. Emily commented on how the airports were just like shopping malls and she was right and almost all airports look the same and have the same stuff to buy.

The final part of our journey was our domestic flight from Auckland to Napier. We always arrange a few hours between our international arrival and our domestic flight this time it was 3hours on a late Friday afternoon in miserable wet winter weather in the dreary domestic terminal (it just isn't as comfortable as the international terminal). We were all exhausted from our almost continuous flight and then our domestic flight was delayed by another hour.

We eventually got back to Napier our booked taxi was waiting for us and when we arrived bcak in our new house a friend had dropped off some cheese scones and milk

One of the best things about the trip was having time to read- I read Food Inc the book about the film of the same name which covers the Food industry in the US. The moneyless man - a year living without money definitely lots to think about and Born to run- life changing story first time in a long time I haven't wanted to put a book down.

More info on these books tomorrow.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

UK trip more details

I can actually say I enjoyed this trip to the UK, I know this because I missed being on holiday after we got back.

We had summer weather that we dreamed of but never fully expected. This gave us extra space in the in-laws small house by eating most of our meals in the garden. It also allowed us to take the the children for walks in the local fields and woods whilst the in-laws carried out their morning ritual of getting up at the same time and having exactly the same breakfast at exactly the same time everyday.

Our plan of booking two trips to other accommodation worked well Center Parcs at sherwood forest was good and the in-laws visited for days out. And we went to Pontins in Southport for four days to visit my Dad and my brother Jason came to stay there as well with his wife and my new niece. Chloe-Anne who is 18months was a good ice breaker and Emily and Cameron took to her instantly and she likewise took to them. We had a great visit with Dad just eating out and going for walks along New Brighton beach (where dad used to take us as kids) and took the children on Mersey Ferry. The only downside was Pontins, it was dreadful, run down , deadly I had stayed there for a week about 33years ago before moving to South Africa with my family. I remeber it being fun however it looked like it hadn't been maintained or decorated in that 33years we stayed only 2 of the 4 nights we had booked and paid for and went somewhere else for the next night and headed back to the in-laws in Doncaster a day earlier. Teresa left a gerat comment on their feedback form 'Are there no minimum standards' and 'Don't you ever get inspected'

It wasn't just the accommodation, it was also the travel through Liverpool in rush hour traffic back to Southport it was taking an hour and a half

And that wasn't the only driving causing problems , in Hawkes bay and in New Zealand generally there is really very little traffic congestion, but to get back to Doncaster from Liverpool we has to travel past Manchester and the level of traffic finally got to Teresa and she had to pull into the motorway services in floods of tears.

Organic food was easy to find in the local Sainsbuty's and we found local farms selling their own meat which was also great.

The inlaws had arranged a hire car - it was supposed to be an Astra but we had a huge up grade to a top of the line ford mondeo which was huge and both of us had trouble parking, it was a diesel and was very very efficient

There's a bit more to go which I'll write tomorrow.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.