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Jennifer Horton
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HowStuffWorks
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Despite what you may have heard, money does not, in fact, make the world go 'round. (For a more in-depth explanation of this, see "How were planets formed?")
In fact, many societies exist quite well without exchanging little green pieces of paper with dead guys' faces on them. On the remote island of Anuta in the Solomon Islands, for instance, people give and share material goods according to a philosophy they call "Aropa," which is roughly translated as compassion, love and affection [source: BBC].
Little pockets of moneyless societies can be found throughout more developed nations as well. Mark Boyle, a native of the U.K., set out to live for a year without money in 2008 and never turned back. He's since written a book about his experience, been featured in numerous "how to live a moneyless life" videos on YouTube and created a website to facilitate others in joining the "world's fastest growing alternative economy" [source: the freeconomy community].
A number of so-called eco-villages scattered throughout the United States and the world also practice living without money. These groups typically grow their own food; re-purpose found materials to create necessities; exchange goods or services with others; or go "dumpster diving" in search of discarded treasures.
To find a completely moneyless world, though, you'd have to travel back hundreds of thousands of years. Even ancient civilizations exchanged items for economic purposes. Cattle and grain were likely the first forms of money: The English words "cattle," "chattels" and "capital" all have a common root, while the word "pecuniary" comes from the Latin word "pecus," meaning cattle -- but people have used everything from whale's teeth to iron coins.
So, yes, while it is possible to live in your own little moneyless world, getting everyone else to follow suit might take some doing.
(Digital Vision/Thinkstock) -
It's definitely possible to live in a moneyless world, and although it's probably not too common nowadays, many people do survive without owning a cent or bartering a trade. They do this by following the tenets of a gift economy. Instead of valuing how much a person is able to take, they place a premium on how much a person is able to contribute. They contribute to society each in their own individual ways, and in turn, they rely on the generosity of others to see that all their basic needs are met.
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