Could you build a life with nothing but $25?
I found an interesting article about a young college grad who decided to try an interesting social experiment: starting over with nothing.
Adam Shepard left his comfortable existence to see if the “American Dream” was a reality. His goal was to go from owning nothing but $25 and a gym bag to having a furnished apartment, a car, and $2,500 in savings within a year.
He lived in homeless shelters and looked for jobs without using his background experience as an aid.
After 10 months he had moved into an apartment, bought a pickup truck, and had saved close to $5,000.
You can read more about Adam’s story here.
What I love so much about this story is…
- that it is evidence that people can turn their lives around. We are not stuck in our circumstances.
- We can survive and even (dare I say) enjoy life on a whole lot less than we have now. Check out this quote from Adam about the experience…
Becoming a mover and living in a homeless shelter – that hadn’t been part of your life before. How much did your lifestyle actually change?
Shepard: It changed dramatically. There were simple luxuries that I didn’t afford myself. I had to make sacrifices to achieve the goals that I set out. One of those was eating out. I didn’t have a cellphone. Especially in this day and age, that was a dramatic change for me…. I was getting by on chicken and Rice-A-Roni dinner and was happy. That’s what I learned … we lived [simply], but still we were happy.
These are a few other interesting articles I found this week…
25 Questions to Think About Before Your Next Job Interview via The Simple Dollar
Discerning God’s Will via beingfrugal.net
How to Handle a Door-to-Door Salesman via Get Rich Slowly
Outwardly Simple and Inwardly Rich via Millionaire Mommy Next Door
How to get a great deal on a new car via Gather Little by Little
IRS Tax Deductions – 7 You CAN’T Take via Debt Free
Technorati Tags: Adam Shepard, gym bag, $25
Related posts:
- Is it a sin to die rich?
- “Real Simple” magazine subscription giveaway
- Pros and cons of buying vs. apartment renting
- Who are the most generous givers?
- Do newlyweds need life insurance?
- Are you free from the Love of Money?
- The Widow’s Mite and how to help when you need help
- Finding the will of God for your life (and job)
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Sure, it’s possible if you’re young and healthy and can work as a mover.
@minimum
It does help that he was young and healthy – but what I got out of the story was that if you want it bad enough, you can make it happen…
That’s a great story! Very inspiring!
Thanks for the mention!
The reason these days why very low income individuals and families can’t rise out of their situation is not due to poverty alone – it’s the ills that frequently go along with it, such as drug addiction. As someone who has worked in the Baltimore City courthouses, I can tell you that drug abuse kills and devastates families. It’s a huge financial drain that sucks the addict in almost permanently.
-Raymond
That was an interesting post. Thanks for sharing it.
Best Wishes,
D4L