Igorsiw: adjust page additionally and added references per sources

2026-03-15T19:48:54Z

adjust page additionally and added references per sources

->FMSky at 17:41, 21 October 2021

2021-10-21T17:41:34Z

New page

{{Use Irish English|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Mark Boyle
| image = Mark Boyle, 2009 (cropped2).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Boyle in 2009
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1979|05|08}}
| birth_place = [[Ballyshannon]], [[County Donegal]], Ireland
| death_date = 
| death_place =
| body_discovered =
| death_cause =
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates = 
| other_names =
| known_for =
| education = [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] in business
| alma_mater = [[Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology]] (GMIT)
| employer =
| occupation = Writer
}}

'''Mark Boyle''' (born 8 May 1979), also known as '''The Moneyless Man''', is an Irish writer best known for living without money from November 2008,<ref>Mark Boyle, [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/nov/09/mark-boyle-money "My year of living without money"] ''The Guardian'', 9 November 2009</ref> and for living without modern technology since 2016.<ref>Mark Boyle, [https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/mar/30/off-grid-daily-letters-good-sleep "After two years off-grid, I'm embracing daily letters, good sleep and my DIY hot tub"] ''The Guardian'', 30 March 2019</ref> Boyle writes regularly for the British newspaper ''[[The Guardian]]'', and has written about his experiences in a couple of books. His first book, ''The Moneyless Man: A Year of Freeconomic Living'', was published in 2010.<ref name=book>{{cite book |author = Mark Boyle |title = The Moneyless Man: A Year of Freeconomic Living |publisher = [[Oneworld Publications]] |date = 16 September 2010 |isbn = 978-1-85168-781-7 }}</ref> His fourth book, ''The Way Home: Tales from a life without technology'', was published in 2019.<ref name=book4>{{cite book |author = Mark Boyle |title = The Way Home: Tales from a life without technology |publisher = [[Oneworld Publications]] |date = 4 April 2019 |isbn = 978-1-78607-600-7 }}</ref>
Boyle lives near [[Loughrea, Co. Galway|Loughrea]], in the west of Ireland.<ref>Bryony Stone, [https://www.unlimited.world/munchies/what-do-we-own-living-off-the-land-in-galway-with-the-moneyless-man "What do we own? Living off the land in Galway with the Moneyless Man"] ''Unlimited'', 16 August 2016, retrieved 17 May 2017</ref>

== Early life ==
Mark Boyle grew up in [[Ballyshannon]], [[County Donegal]]. He took a degree in Business at the [[Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology]], before moving to Britain in 2002.<ref>Conor Pope, [http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/pricewatch/2010/0809/1224276414794.html "Putting cash in the trash"], ''Irish Times'', 9 August 2010</ref><ref name="Mark Boyle – The Moneyless Man">Mark Boyle, [http://www.tpuc.org/content/mark-boyle-moneyless-man "Mark Boyle – The Moneyless Man"], ''The People's United Community'', retrieved 14 February 2011</ref>

During the final year of his degree, Boyle watched the film ''[[Gandhi (film)|Gandhi]]'', about the life of [[Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi|Mohandas K. Gandhi]]. He has frequently cited this as the moment that changed his life.<ref name="Mark Boyle – The Moneyless Man" /><ref name=Mark_Boyle>Mark Boyle, [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2009/oct/28/live-without-money "I live without money – and I manage just fine"], ''The Guardian'', 28 October 2009</ref>

== Early career ==
During his first six years in Britain, Boyle lived in [[Bristol]] and managed two [[organic food]] companies. In 2007, after a conversation with a friend during which they decided "money... creates a kind of disconnection between us and our actions", Boyle set up the Freeconomy Community.<ref>Matt Ford, [http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/05/18/eco.free.economy/index.html Free and easy? One man's experiment in living without money"], ''[[CNN]]'', 18 May 2010, retrieved 29 September 2011</ref>

== Moneyless lifestyle ==
A few months after creating the Freeconomy Community, Boyle set out on a two-and-a-half-year trek from [[Bristol]] to [[Porbandar]] in India, the birthplace of Gandhi. Inspired by the [[nonviolent]] [[salt march]] led in India by Gandhi in 1930, and by the woman in America known as [[Peace Pilgrim]], he set off in January 2008, carrying no money and only a small number of possessions.<ref>Kimberley Mok, [http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/02/freeconomy_pilgrim.php ""Freeconomy" Pilgrim Begins Walk From Britain to India"], ''Treehugger'', 1 February 2008</ref><ref>BBC, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7217788.stm "Penniless India trek is under way"], BBC News, 30 January 2008</ref> However, he was forced to turn back only a month into the trip, as language barriers and difficulties in persuading people he would work for food and a place to stay halted his journey shortly after he arrived in [[Calais]].<ref name=guardian-passage-to-india-curtailed-as-language-barrier-curtails-campaigner>Steven Morris, [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/mar/01/ethicalliving.travelandtransport "Passage to India curtailed in Calais as language barrier trips campaigner"], ''The Guardian'', 1 March 2008</ref> One of his travelling companions had travellers cheques for emergencies, which allowed them to travel back to the UK.<ref name=guardian-passage-to-india-curtailed-as-language-barrier-curtails-campaigner /> He had not planned the trip, believing it was best to let fate take its course.<ref name=guardian-passage-to-india-curtailed-as-language-barrier-curtails-campaigner />

Later in the same year, Boyle developed an alternative plan: to live without money entirely. After some preparatory purchases (including a solar panel and wood-burning stove), he began his first year of "moneyless living" on [[Buy Nothing Day]] 2008.<ref>The Mirror, [https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/11/25/meet-the-man-who-lived-on-no-cash-for-a-year-115875-21847674 "Meet the man who lived on no cash for a year"], ''The Mirror'', 25 November 2009</ref><ref>Simon Newton, [http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Mark-Boyle-From-Bristol-To-Become-Freeconomist-As-He-Plans-To-Live-Without-Money-For-A-Year/Article/200811415164753 "Man To Go Cashless For A Year"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429214639/http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Mark-Boyle-From-Bristol-To-Become-Freeconomist-As-He-Plans-To-Live-Without-Money-For-A-Year/Article/200811415164753 |date=29 April 2011 }}, ''Sky News'', 29 November 2008</ref>

Boyle has received considerable positive and negative publicity for his moneyless lifestyle, appearing on television, radio and other media in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Australia, South Africa, United States and Russia. Much of the attention has focused on his day-to-day routine, including food, hygiene, and traditionally expensive aspects of life, such as Christmas.<ref>Matt Ford, [http://articles.cnn.com/2010-05-18/world/eco.free.economy_1_caravan-organic-food-credit-cards?_s=PM:WORLD "Free and easy? One man's experiment in living without money"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110214231106/http://articles.cnn.com/2010-05-18/world/eco.free.economy_1_caravan-organic-food-credit-cards?_s=PM%3AWORLD |date=14 February 2011 }}, ''CNN World'', 18 Many 2010</ref><ref>Jessica Salter, [https://web.archive.org/web/20100820084055/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/greenerliving/7951968/The-man-who-lives-without-money.html "The man who lives without money"], ''The Daily Telegraph'', 18 August 2010</ref><ref>Mark Boyle, [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-boyle/mark-boyles-moneyless-man_b_735238.html "Mark Boyle's 'Moneyless Man': Why I Live Without Money (VIDEO)"], ''The Huffington Post'', 23 September 2010</ref><ref>Mark Boyle, [http://www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2010/04/12/2870334.htm "The man who lives without money"], ''ABC Environment'', 12 April 2010</ref><ref name="Priceless liberation">Tiara Walters, [http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article734528.ece/Priceless-liberation "Priceless liberation"], ''Times Live'' (South Africa), 31 October 2010</ref>

Mark Boyle is one of a small number of individuals who have lived without money in recent times. These include {{Interlanguage link multi|Heidemarie Schwermer|de}} and [[Suelo|Daniel Suelo]].<ref>[http://livingwithoutmoney.org/about-the-film/about-heidemarie/ Heidemarie Schwermer] Living without Money</ref><ref>Stefanie Marsh, [http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article6928744.ece "Living without money"], ''The Times'', 24 November 2009</ref><ref>Christopher Ketcham, [http://www.details.com/culture-trends/career-and-money/200907/meet-the-man-who-lives-on-zero-dollars "Meet the man who lives on zero dollars"], ''Details'', July 2009</ref> However, Boyle frequently reminds his readers that a moneyless life is not a new idea; indeed it is the system of [[History of money|money itself that is the new development]], having existed for only a small fraction of humanity's c. 200,000-year existence. Other observers note that for nearly all of recorded human history (the c. 5,000 years since the invention of writing) there has been a system of money or currency in place.<ref name="Mark Boyle – The Moneyless Man" /><ref>David Fleming, [https://leanlogic.online/glossary/money-fallacy-argumentum-ad-crumenam/ "Money, The Fallacy of"] ''LeanLogic.online'', retrieved 15 June 2020</ref>

== Freeconomy Community ==
The Freeconomy Community was created to allow people to share, moving away from ''exchange economies'' towards a ''[[pay it forward]]'' philosophy. The original www.justfortheloveofit.org site shared similarities with websites such as [[The Freecycle Network]], [[Freegle]] and [[Streetbank]], and in 2014 Streetbank and Freeconomy decided that "the two projects would be so much stronger if they came together" and merged.<ref>[https://www.streetbank.com/blog_posts/54"Streetbank and Freeconomy unite to become the one-stop shop for neighbourhood sharing"] ''Streetbank.com'', retrieved 15 June 2020</ref> {{As of |2020|06|1}}, the defunct Freeconomy URL is now a Sports Betting website based in Germany.

=== Freeskilling ===

Alongside the online component of the Freeconomy Community, several areas including [[Bristol]] and London hold [[Freeskilling]] sessions, where ''freeconomists'' take turns to pass on their skills in free one-off evening classes. Past topics have included subjects ranging from charity fundraising and [[anger management]] to bicycle maintenance, bread-making and campaigning skills.

=== Freeconomy Blog ===
Boyle has been the primary author of the Freeconomy Blog since it was launched in 2007. Guest writers have recently included fellow moneyless people Heidemarie Schwermer, Daniel Suelo and Tomi Astikainen.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.justfortheloveofit.org/blog |title=Archived copy |access-date=15 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110211130858/http://www.justfortheloveofit.org/blog |archive-date=11 February 2011 }}</ref>

=== The Freeconomy Village ===
Boyle is currently working with others to set up the UK's first land-based Freeconomic community. Other founding members include [[Shaun Chamberlin]], author of [[Transition town#Publications|''The Transition Timeline'']] (2009), and [[Fergus Drennan]], also known as the [[BBC]]'s 'Roadkill Chef'.<ref name="Priceless liberation" /><ref>Shaun Chamberlin, [http://www.darkoptimism.org/projects.html "Dark Optimism – Projects Page"], ''Dark Optimism'' (blog), retrieved 14 February 2011</ref><ref>Mark Boyle, [http://wn.com/Celebrity_Short_with_Mark_Boyle "Celebrity Short With Mark Boyle"], ''World News'', retrieved 14 February 2011</ref>

== Works ==
*''The Moneyless Man'' – Boyle's first book, ''The Moneyless Man: A Year of Freeconomic Living'', was published in June 2010 by [[Oneworld Publications]].<ref name=book /> The book documents his first moneyless year, including many of the practical and philosophical challenges he faced. The author's proceeds go to the Freeconomy trust, towards purchasing land for the foundation of the Freeconomy Community.
* ''The Moneyless Manifesto: Live well, live rich, live free'' – a follow-up guide to beginning your own moneyless journey, which he also offers free on his website (http://www.moneylessmanifesto.org/why-free/).
*''Drinking Molotov Cocktails with Gandhi'' – published October 2015. In this book, Boyle argues that our political and economic systems have brought us to the brink of climate catastrophe and peaceful protest is no longer enough to bring about change.
* ''The Way Home: Tales from a life without technology'' – published June 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/the-way-home-tales-from-a-life-without-technology-review-1.3848330|title=The Way Home: Tales from a Life Without Technology review|website=The Irish Times|language=en|access-date=22 June 2019}}</ref>

== Quotes ==
* "If we grew our own food, we wouldn't waste a third of it as we do today. If we made our own tables and chairs, we wouldn't throw them out the moment we changed the interior decor. If we had to clean our own drinking water, we probably wouldn't contaminate it."<ref name=Mark_Boyle />
* "The degrees of separation between the consumer and the consumed have increased so much that we're completely unaware of the levels of destruction and suffering embodied in the stuff we buy."<ref name=Mark_Boyle />
* "If you don't own a plasma screen TV, people think you're an extremist."<ref name=Mark_Boyle />
* "It was really important for me to give up bank accounts so I closed my bank accounts so there was no safety net. I think that's the key. I think if I had a safety net I would not have got the benefits that I got from it. It was the fact that I knew I was living moment to moment, day to day."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/news/local/moneyless-mark-the-donegal-man-who-plans-to-live-in-money-free-community-1-5108685|title='Moneyless Mark' the Donegal man who plans to live in money-free community|newspaper=Donegal Democrat|date=20 May 2013|access-date=20 May 2013}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Anarcho-primitivism]]
* [[Gift economy]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110211130858/http://www.justfortheloveofit.org/blog The Freeconomy Blog]
* [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/series/moneyless-man Moneyless man ''Guardian'' column]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PuyYVVVkIM Video of Mark Boyle] speaking at [[TED (conference)#TEDx|TEDxO'Porto]], June 2011
* [http://www.aylakkarga.com/parasiz-da-yasanabilecegini-kanitlayan-adam-mark-boyle/ Parasız da Yaşanabileceğini Kanıtlayan Adam: Mark Boyle]

{{Simple living}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boyle, Mark}}
[[Category:1979 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Gandhians]]
[[Category:Non-Indian Gandhians]]
[[Category:Simple living advocates]]
[[Category:The Guardian journalists]]
[[Category:People from Ballyshannon]]

Mark Boyle (Moneyless Man) - Revision history

Igorsiw: adjust page additionally and added references per sources

->FMSky at 17:41, 21 October 2021