Mo’ Money, mo’ problems? One couple in Berlin, Germany thinks so! Raphael Fellmer, his wife, and child have lived without money for over two years!!! Two years! This is not because they cannot find work, but because they choose to. They believe that society can be better without money.
Fellmer decided to embark on this journey after college. He wanted to raise awareness for how wasteful our society can be. To spread his ideas, Fellmer and a group of friends travelled from Europe to Mexico without money! How’d they do it? They did small jobs for people and good deeds. They eventually got a ride on a sailboat in exchange for crew duties. On his trip, Fellmer met his wife and they quickly had their child.
Now the happy couple lives in Berlin money free. Fellmer says he’s not lazy as many people claim. Instead he says, “I’m working 40 to 50 hours a week on projects for the good of society.”
The couple does small jobs for people – gardening, etc… in exchange for goods, food, and living space. Germany offers free universal healthcare so they have medical expenses covered. They managed to find a gynecologist while his wife, Nieves Palmer, was pregnant. The doctor assisted her in exchange for gardening work.
Fellmer calls this working together for goods and services “collaborative consumption”.
“We have not only a surplus of food but of housing,” Fellmer says. “Everything we need is already there. We just need to make the connections.”
And that’s what’s good,
Jon
The Good World News