A 69-year-old woman has told how she gave up cash 15 years ago – and that she is healthier, better off and happier than ever before.
Heidemarie Schwermer walked out of her home in Dortmund, Germany, and now travels from town to town with just a suitcase, a mobile phone and a laptop.
“I’ve found out that I can live without money. I can get everything I need by bartering and getting presents,” Schwermer – who has revealed how she does it in a book called “The Star Money Experiment” – said.
Schwermer left her comfortable home in 1996 after her children had left home when she became irritated by the “greedy consumer society.” The independent pensioner even manages to go on overseas holidays by exchanging her work for airline tickets.
“I am never short of food, clothing or friends and I have so much less stress in my life these days. I am not ruled by money, or bills, or greed. I just let go.
“I am even healthier. I’ve hardly seen a doctor in 15 years and I’m as fit as a fiddle. I don’t even worry about the future any more. I just live in the moment and enjoy every second,” she said.
Schwermer has even turned down the cash advance from her publishers for her book, saying: “I told them to give it to charity then it can make many people happy instead of just one.”
Sources: Times Online, Austrian Times
