What do you think?
Rate this book
Saved: How I Quit Worrying About Money and Became the Richest Guy in the World
When Ben Hewitt met Erik Gillard, he was amazed. Here was a real-life rebel living happily and comfortably in small-town Vermont on less than $10,000 per year. Gillard’s no bum. He has a job, a girlfriend, good friends, and strong ties to the community. But how he lives his life—and why—launches Hewitt on a quest to understand the true role of money and mindless consumerism in our lives. By meeting and befriending people like Erik Gillard, Hewitt realized that their happiness was real. What was he—and the rest of a deeply unhappy population—missing?
Saved is the humorous, surprising, and ultimately life-changing result of Hewitt’s quest, a narrative that challenges everything we know about the meaning of money. Hewitt uses his sharp eye for story, exhaustive reporting, and his own experience living below his means to bring what he learned into an even larger context. How does money really work? How can a bankrupt society move forward? The answers are not what you think, and Hewitt has written an important book for our times.
Saved is the humorous, surprising, and ultimately life-changing result of Hewitt’s quest, a narrative that challenges everything we know about the meaning of money. Hewitt uses his sharp eye for story, exhaustive reporting, and his own experience living below his means to bring what he learned into an even larger context. How does money really work? How can a bankrupt society move forward? The answers are not what you think, and Hewitt has written an important book for our times.
203 pages, Hardcover
First published June 11, 2013
25 people are currently reading
639 people want to read
About the author
Ben Hewitt
39 books37 followersBen Hewitt writes and farms in Northern Vermont. His work has appeared in numerous national periodicals, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Gourmet, Discover, Skiing, Eating Well, Powder, Men's Journal, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Bicycling, and many others. He lives with his wife and two sons in a self-built home that is powered by a windmill and solar photovoltaic panels. To help offset his renewable energy footprint, Ben drives a really big truck.
His book The Town That Food Saved, published by Rodale, tells the story of a rural, working-class Vermont community that is attempting to blueprint and implement a localized food system. Ben is currently working on a book about food safety, to be published by Rodale in 2011.
His book The Town That Food Saved, published by Rodale, tells the story of a rural, working-class Vermont community that is attempting to blueprint and implement a localized food system. Ben is currently working on a book about food safety, to be published by Rodale in 2011.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
June 16, 2013
Could there really be people in the 21st century who don't need money to live? If so, how do they do it, and why? What do they know that the rest of us have forgotten?
Hewitt (author of The Town that Food Saved and Making Supper Safe) attempts to answer this question by observing his friend, Erik, a thoughtful backwoodsman, educator, artist, and occasional dumpster diver who has been living on a very small income for years and thriving.
Here's where I admit that I know Erik personally, and admire him deeply, much like Hewitt. (Erik teaches at a wilderness school here in central Vermont and has been an important part of my son's education for the past several years.) And also like Hewitt, I'm unlikely to build a cabin in the woods by hand, or live without running water and indoor plumbing. And yet, I wonder sometimes if this lifestyle is what's behind Erik's gentle guidance of children, his ability to pay exquisite attention to the needs of the moment, and his extraordinary nature drawing talent. There are lessons here.
Hewitt approaches these lessons in a humorous, self-effacing style that makes even intricate analyses of economic policy (almost) painless. It's a tricky business, profiling a friend and analyzing his lifestyle for all the world to read, but Hewitt approaches the project with clear affection for his subject and also the clear-eyed skepticism of a journalist trying to get to the bottom of things. He might be out hunting the elusive morel with Erik in one chapter and turn to considering the usefulness of the gold standard in the next. Throughout it all, he seems mildly amused, and sometimes truly awed, by what humanity is capable of creating. This means he avoids the preachy tone that sours purist "back-to-the-land" stories for those with more modest ambitions. He never says he's found the right way to do things, only that he's found some things worth serious consideration.
I would have enjoyed a deeper look at Hewitt's own life, and what may or may not have changed as he explored this alternative to the monetary system. He touches on these things, but perhaps in the end is wise to leave ample room for readers to draw their own conclusions.
Hewitt (author of The Town that Food Saved and Making Supper Safe) attempts to answer this question by observing his friend, Erik, a thoughtful backwoodsman, educator, artist, and occasional dumpster diver who has been living on a very small income for years and thriving.
Here's where I admit that I know Erik personally, and admire him deeply, much like Hewitt. (Erik teaches at a wilderness school here in central Vermont and has been an important part of my son's education for the past several years.) And also like Hewitt, I'm unlikely to build a cabin in the woods by hand, or live without running water and indoor plumbing. And yet, I wonder sometimes if this lifestyle is what's behind Erik's gentle guidance of children, his ability to pay exquisite attention to the needs of the moment, and his extraordinary nature drawing talent. There are lessons here.
Hewitt approaches these lessons in a humorous, self-effacing style that makes even intricate analyses of economic policy (almost) painless. It's a tricky business, profiling a friend and analyzing his lifestyle for all the world to read, but Hewitt approaches the project with clear affection for his subject and also the clear-eyed skepticism of a journalist trying to get to the bottom of things. He might be out hunting the elusive morel with Erik in one chapter and turn to considering the usefulness of the gold standard in the next. Throughout it all, he seems mildly amused, and sometimes truly awed, by what humanity is capable of creating. This means he avoids the preachy tone that sours purist "back-to-the-land" stories for those with more modest ambitions. He never says he's found the right way to do things, only that he's found some things worth serious consideration.
I would have enjoyed a deeper look at Hewitt's own life, and what may or may not have changed as he explored this alternative to the monetary system. He touches on these things, but perhaps in the end is wise to leave ample room for readers to draw their own conclusions.
September 8, 2013
This is a very unique and counter-cultural book. Erik Gillard lives comfortably in rural Vermont on less than $10,000 a year and he's no bum - he has a job, a girlfriend, and strong ties to the community. When Ben Hewitt meets Erik he's amazed at how happy Erik is and quickly realizes Erik isn't happy because he lives below his means, but rather because of his unconventional way of looking at life. Hewitt calls it a "conscious economy" rather than the "unconscious economy" of our current society. Hewitt's relationship with Erik causes him to re-think how he feels about money and how he really wants to live his life. There is a good mix of Erik and Ben's personal stories, and also a short history of America's money and economy policies. Overall, a very interesting book that definitely makes you think about what you want out of life.
Some quotes I liked:
"There was something in the unhurried nature of Erik's day-to-day existence that made it feel as if he owned his time to an extent that most of us have forsaken." (p. 36)
"How many people, I wondered, think of purchases in this manner? How many people take the time to consider if any particular purchase is worth not just the money, but the portion of their life represented by the money?" (p. 51)
"We speak of materialism as if it were something bad and even sinful, but sometimes I wonder if we have it all wrong. Maybe what we need isn't less materialism, but more, to the point that we actually respect and even revere our material goods, rather than see them as disposable and constantly begging to be upgraded." (p. 55)
"Until 1933, you could actually redeem your dollars for gold at any bank, at the rate of $20.67 per ounce. In other words, although few people actually did commerce in precious metals, the paper dollar essentially served as a deposit slip for gold...This exchange mechanism was extinguished in 1933 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with the signing of Executive Order 6102, which expressly prohibited private ownership of gold in excess of 5 ounces...This was yet another form of 'financial innovation' at a time of economic malaise - in this case, the Great Depression - which Roosevelt sought to remedy by raising the price of gold to $35 per ounce. This had the effect of devaluing the dollar by nearly half, and it meant that the government's gold holdings were suddenly convertible to nearly twice as many dollars. The result? With a few strokes of his pen Roosevelt had generated a handsome $2.8 billion in 'profit'." (p. 114-5)
"It is not that technology is inherently problematic; it is that, like money itself, we have allowed technology to exceed appropriate boundaries to the point where it does not merely enhance our lives and connections to others, but defines them." (footnote on p. 150)
"But in all sincerity, I ask this simple question: Are your children better off having you work the long days necessary to provide them the 'opportunities' we've been conditioned to provide, or are they better off simply having you? Because you will not get another chance to be with your children, or for that matter, any of your loved ones." (p. 190)
Some quotes I liked:
"There was something in the unhurried nature of Erik's day-to-day existence that made it feel as if he owned his time to an extent that most of us have forsaken." (p. 36)
"How many people, I wondered, think of purchases in this manner? How many people take the time to consider if any particular purchase is worth not just the money, but the portion of their life represented by the money?" (p. 51)
"We speak of materialism as if it were something bad and even sinful, but sometimes I wonder if we have it all wrong. Maybe what we need isn't less materialism, but more, to the point that we actually respect and even revere our material goods, rather than see them as disposable and constantly begging to be upgraded." (p. 55)
"Until 1933, you could actually redeem your dollars for gold at any bank, at the rate of $20.67 per ounce. In other words, although few people actually did commerce in precious metals, the paper dollar essentially served as a deposit slip for gold...This exchange mechanism was extinguished in 1933 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with the signing of Executive Order 6102, which expressly prohibited private ownership of gold in excess of 5 ounces...This was yet another form of 'financial innovation' at a time of economic malaise - in this case, the Great Depression - which Roosevelt sought to remedy by raising the price of gold to $35 per ounce. This had the effect of devaluing the dollar by nearly half, and it meant that the government's gold holdings were suddenly convertible to nearly twice as many dollars. The result? With a few strokes of his pen Roosevelt had generated a handsome $2.8 billion in 'profit'." (p. 114-5)
"It is not that technology is inherently problematic; it is that, like money itself, we have allowed technology to exceed appropriate boundaries to the point where it does not merely enhance our lives and connections to others, but defines them." (footnote on p. 150)
"But in all sincerity, I ask this simple question: Are your children better off having you work the long days necessary to provide them the 'opportunities' we've been conditioned to provide, or are they better off simply having you? Because you will not get another chance to be with your children, or for that matter, any of your loved ones." (p. 190)
June 13, 2013
When I entered the give-away I was only mildly interested in this book. I won, received the book for free, and let it sit on my desk for a few weeks because I was reading other things. I started reading - reluctantly. Wow! Once I started, I didn't really want to stop reading. Now that I'm finished, I will never be able to think about money with the same blissful ignorance ever again. I'm not sure whether to thank the author or not. I learned a lot. Now I have thousands of questions. I guess that was really the point of the book, we need to question and not just buy into the economic system blindly. The writing style was conversational and engaging. The author was able to make the world of economics somewhat more approachable. That is a gigantic feat.
August 11, 2016
meh, 2.5 stars really. You'd be better off reading, or re-reading Your money or you life
April 27, 2021
Half study of, and half meditation on, the way in which our lives have become commodified and impoverished by the modern monetary system; and how through awareness and intention we can free ourselves by investing in community and exchange to create non-monetary wealth, security, and fulfillment. Written much like a well-researched letter to a friend, "Saved" shines a harsh light on many economic truths we live with--whether we know it or not--providing hope for a better way.
November 3, 2016
I like the manifesto, and I think that this could have been a really stellar essay.
If you're into philosophical contemplations of why money doesn't matter, go ahead and pick this book up. I'm glad he finally figured out that community and relationships are important. I don't think he makes a convincing enough argument, well, about anything -- and I'm definitely a reader that would fall into the category of deeply suspicious of monetary systems. Perhaps this book would be profound if I disagreed with him on more things. Instead I found it to be an irritating flood.
It's an interesting premise, but the structure of the narrative just makes me want to bang my head into a wall. Meandering fits of story interspersed with blatant assumptions that he keeps making about his thrify friend Eric's life. Guess what? On further consideration, all of the blatant assumptions turn out to be wrong. And I can work with that as a reader, if it wasn't so darn repetitive -- First he thought this thing! which turned out to be wrong. Then he thought that thing! which turned out to be wrong. Then this thing happens, which leads him to think this other judgemental thing which, wait for it.... turns out to be wrong. *sigh* So not my thing.
If you're into philosophical contemplations of why money doesn't matter, go ahead and pick this book up. I'm glad he finally figured out that community and relationships are important. I don't think he makes a convincing enough argument, well, about anything -- and I'm definitely a reader that would fall into the category of deeply suspicious of monetary systems. Perhaps this book would be profound if I disagreed with him on more things. Instead I found it to be an irritating flood.
It's an interesting premise, but the structure of the narrative just makes me want to bang my head into a wall. Meandering fits of story interspersed with blatant assumptions that he keeps making about his thrify friend Eric's life. Guess what? On further consideration, all of the blatant assumptions turn out to be wrong. And I can work with that as a reader, if it wasn't so darn repetitive -- First he thought this thing! which turned out to be wrong. Then he thought that thing! which turned out to be wrong. Then this thing happens, which leads him to think this other judgemental thing which, wait for it.... turns out to be wrong. *sigh* So not my thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2014
I was interested in the concept of looking at money towards something more holistic, and thus when this book came up in my oyster searches, I said, sure, why not. Money memoirs are interesting. However, this book is so privileged. It glorifies a white man who lives on the largess of friends and only makes 10k a year and calls him rich -- yes, he is very fulfilled with his life as it is -- and it was just so SO self important that I couldn't read past the half way mark. What the FUCK about families who live on that? Who can't live off the grid? I can't even.
November 22, 2019
I really liked this book. Not because I agreed with it -- I found myself arguing with him every few pages -- but because even if you disagree with his conclusions, it is still a thought-provoking journey through our relationship with money.
This is basically a memoir of how the author came to appreciate and double-down on his low-income lifestyle-by-almost-choice. It is in the form of self-examining journal-type entries. He saves it from being boringly irrelevant by inviting you to join him in his developing understanding of cash. At times it comes perilously close to naval-gazing, but he saves it from that by focusing his analysis on a third party -- Erik. Can you gaze at someone else's naval? If so, that's what this book is.
There is really nothing in this book that is mind-blowing, however it's the kind of thing that bears review because it's easy to forget in our consumption-driven society. So here's a summary:
If you reduce your needs, you need less money, and then you can work less, and then you can spend your time how you please, and that is true freedom and happiness.
You might think you are living on the bare minimum, but he grew up (and was toilet trained) in a house without indoor plumbing (in chilly Vermont), so seriously, rethink your standards.
You can also reduce the things you need by creating a network of giving and receiving, loaning and borrowing. Community -- and interdependence -- can save you from the relentless grind of maintaining independence.
Our financial system is super sketchy and predicated on people consuming more than they need, and saving for fear of the future. He hints strongly that a collapse is on its way and you'd do well to extract yourself from the web before you lose everything for real.
Hewitt has tapped into a real and growing feeling, as the homesteading, market gardening, minimalism, roadschooling, and #VanLife movements grow and expand, and more and more college graduates try to leave their white-college destinies for more freedom and less STUFF. I suspect most readers will agree with the overall message of thrift, if not the actual call to live off the grid without retirement savings.
While I agree that much of what we acquire is not necessary, I must say it can make life easier and nicer. I certainly don't see myself retiring to a drafty farmhouse any time soon. Also, as someone who grew up in a somewhat suffocating Community, I would like to point out that there are many hidden costs to that. Hewitt himself says his income is "right" for his community; if he earned more, people would be less welcoming. If his truck wasn't rusted out, would he even belong?
He describes how his neighbors will be working until they drop dead, and how they groan when they stand and limp when they walk, but he views this as heroic, because he has chosen to share their earthy existence. I suspect they might disagree with his dewy-eyed view. When you aren't given a choice, any life seems less thrilling. The fact that his book focuses on the joie-de-vivre of Erik, a man who actively chooses to live on less than $10k a year, doesn't dissipate this issue with his argument. I would be curious to hear how his farming neighbors feel about their income, and what they tell their children to do.
This is basically a memoir of how the author came to appreciate and double-down on his low-income lifestyle-by-almost-choice. It is in the form of self-examining journal-type entries. He saves it from being boringly irrelevant by inviting you to join him in his developing understanding of cash. At times it comes perilously close to naval-gazing, but he saves it from that by focusing his analysis on a third party -- Erik. Can you gaze at someone else's naval? If so, that's what this book is.
There is really nothing in this book that is mind-blowing, however it's the kind of thing that bears review because it's easy to forget in our consumption-driven society. So here's a summary:
If you reduce your needs, you need less money, and then you can work less, and then you can spend your time how you please, and that is true freedom and happiness.
You might think you are living on the bare minimum, but he grew up (and was toilet trained) in a house without indoor plumbing (in chilly Vermont), so seriously, rethink your standards.
You can also reduce the things you need by creating a network of giving and receiving, loaning and borrowing. Community -- and interdependence -- can save you from the relentless grind of maintaining independence.
Our financial system is super sketchy and predicated on people consuming more than they need, and saving for fear of the future. He hints strongly that a collapse is on its way and you'd do well to extract yourself from the web before you lose everything for real.
Hewitt has tapped into a real and growing feeling, as the homesteading, market gardening, minimalism, roadschooling, and #VanLife movements grow and expand, and more and more college graduates try to leave their white-college destinies for more freedom and less STUFF. I suspect most readers will agree with the overall message of thrift, if not the actual call to live off the grid without retirement savings.
While I agree that much of what we acquire is not necessary, I must say it can make life easier and nicer. I certainly don't see myself retiring to a drafty farmhouse any time soon. Also, as someone who grew up in a somewhat suffocating Community, I would like to point out that there are many hidden costs to that. Hewitt himself says his income is "right" for his community; if he earned more, people would be less welcoming. If his truck wasn't rusted out, would he even belong?
He describes how his neighbors will be working until they drop dead, and how they groan when they stand and limp when they walk, but he views this as heroic, because he has chosen to share their earthy existence. I suspect they might disagree with his dewy-eyed view. When you aren't given a choice, any life seems less thrilling. The fact that his book focuses on the joie-de-vivre of Erik, a man who actively chooses to live on less than $10k a year, doesn't dissipate this issue with his argument. I would be curious to hear how his farming neighbors feel about their income, and what they tell their children to do.
January 6, 2019
Whoa, I had so many personal unanswered questions as I was reading this book. Whom would I find so inspiring that I would write a book about them?
I wished the characters were more fully drawn. And then at the end I find the main character is 27! Really? Simple living in your twenties, even extreme, is interesting,but it just raised more questions about the inner landscape of the author, whose tone I really liked (personable) and who I think missed an opportunity to dig deeper into our emotional relationship with money on a more psychological level.
I wished the characters were more fully drawn. And then at the end I find the main character is 27! Really? Simple living in your twenties, even extreme, is interesting,but it just raised more questions about the inner landscape of the author, whose tone I really liked (personable) and who I think missed an opportunity to dig deeper into our emotional relationship with money on a more psychological level.
November 5, 2014
Decent book. Listening to Wolf of Wall Street - talk about completely opposite points of view. It all depends on what you want out of life. I took some info from this book that has helped me simplify my life.
P55 The majority of things he owns, despite their often being well used or even run down, seem to actually mean something to him. He uses them, to be sure: I recall a day in midwinter when I bumped into him at the little food cooperative where he does the bulk of his grocery shopping. He was bundled in his usual ragtag assortment of frayed woolens, aboard his new-to-him bicycle, the one that had cost more than the sum total of the three cars he’s owned over the course of his adult life. The bicycle was coated in a scrim of ice and slush, and I was alarmed to see this: Mustn’t this be damaging? Would it not suffer premature wear at the hands of the elements? How could he be so callous?
But as he rode away, piloting his bike with one hand, while clutching a small bag of groceries in the other…I recognized a deeper truth that allayed my concerns.
Eric had bought the bike to use, not to have.
JB NOTE – the bike in question cost more than I would pay for a bike, $675, which represented more than 10% of Erik’s yearly gross income. But, it truly represented something important to him. We, as a society, tend to spend heavily on items that don’t really mean all that much to us. I’ve tried to implement this into my own life, but it’s hard. I have a lot of things that I don’t use.
P147 The allure of these manufactured goods is built on story after story. First, and almost always, the once-upon-a-time story that they will somehow free us to live the life we truly want to live, a life that always seems just beyond our reach, like the rainbow’s end, or the proverbial carrot on a stick. Often, this story is rooted in the premise that contemporary technological marvels – faster computers, talking cell phones, wireless freakin’ everything – will not only simplify our lives, leaving us with more free time to spend with loved ones or engage in the leisure time activity of our choosing, but will usher in a new era of abundance for all. Increasingly however, the leisure time activity of our choosing seems to be engaging with the very technological marvels that promise more leisure time. In 2010, Americans set a record for television watching, at 34 hours per week; that same year, a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed that teenagers spent 53 hours each week immersed in digital media. A new generations is already on the hook.
JB NOTE – reminds me perfectly of the world of food and cures for diseases. We are always just one step away from finding the next great drug that will cure all of our ailments. Just a few more dollars for medical research and we’ll make a breakthrough the will save us all – a miracle pill awaits right around the corner. The thing is, there is always another corner, there is always more research, always another drug. There is no miracle cure for leisure time through technology and the accumulation of ‘things’, just as there is no miracle cure for our failing health through the accumulation of more research or newer drugs.
P184 But no matter what you are saving for, this is what I suggest: Do not save money out of fear. Instead, save money only when saving money is going to help you realize a dream or take a step toward that dream. Accumulate money only once you have asked yourself if what you are accumulating it for is worth more to you than the portion of your life being exchanged for those symbolic units of value. I have not forgotten Erik’s unlikely math lesson, learned during his internal debate over whether or not to purchase his bicycle. “And then I realized that the price equaled six workdays; six days in the woods with kids. Would I trade six days in the woods for this beautiful bike? I realized I would, and it affirmed to me that I am living a right lifestyle.” Simply reminding myself that each purchasing decision is in reality a decision to exchange a fraction of my life for a particular item has been enough to profoundly alter my consumptive patterns.
P190 This is going to sound painfully obvious, but here it is, anyway: This is your life. This is your one life, and the incredibly, amazingly beautiful thing about it is that you get to choose how to spend it. It is true that those of us with children carry the added responsibility of knowing our choices regarding how they spend their lives. But in all sincerity, I ask this simple question: Are your children better off having you work the long days necessary to provide them the “opportunities” we’ve been conditioned to provide, or are they better off simply having you? Because you will not get another chance to be with your children, or for that matter, any of your loved ones.
P193 This is what I humbly suggest. For at least a moment, forget everything you know and have been told about money and wealth and abundance and how they should inform your life. Forget, even, everything you have read in the preceding pages, and simply grant yourself the gift of allowing your mind and heart to expand beyond the range of what you’ve been told is desirable. Or even possible. And at the same time you are forgetting all of this, remember this simple truth: the manner in which you pass your time is the manner in which you pass your life.
How then, do you want to live?
www.veggierunner.com
P55 The majority of things he owns, despite their often being well used or even run down, seem to actually mean something to him. He uses them, to be sure: I recall a day in midwinter when I bumped into him at the little food cooperative where he does the bulk of his grocery shopping. He was bundled in his usual ragtag assortment of frayed woolens, aboard his new-to-him bicycle, the one that had cost more than the sum total of the three cars he’s owned over the course of his adult life. The bicycle was coated in a scrim of ice and slush, and I was alarmed to see this: Mustn’t this be damaging? Would it not suffer premature wear at the hands of the elements? How could he be so callous?
But as he rode away, piloting his bike with one hand, while clutching a small bag of groceries in the other…I recognized a deeper truth that allayed my concerns.
Eric had bought the bike to use, not to have.
JB NOTE – the bike in question cost more than I would pay for a bike, $675, which represented more than 10% of Erik’s yearly gross income. But, it truly represented something important to him. We, as a society, tend to spend heavily on items that don’t really mean all that much to us. I’ve tried to implement this into my own life, but it’s hard. I have a lot of things that I don’t use.
P147 The allure of these manufactured goods is built on story after story. First, and almost always, the once-upon-a-time story that they will somehow free us to live the life we truly want to live, a life that always seems just beyond our reach, like the rainbow’s end, or the proverbial carrot on a stick. Often, this story is rooted in the premise that contemporary technological marvels – faster computers, talking cell phones, wireless freakin’ everything – will not only simplify our lives, leaving us with more free time to spend with loved ones or engage in the leisure time activity of our choosing, but will usher in a new era of abundance for all. Increasingly however, the leisure time activity of our choosing seems to be engaging with the very technological marvels that promise more leisure time. In 2010, Americans set a record for television watching, at 34 hours per week; that same year, a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed that teenagers spent 53 hours each week immersed in digital media. A new generations is already on the hook.
JB NOTE – reminds me perfectly of the world of food and cures for diseases. We are always just one step away from finding the next great drug that will cure all of our ailments. Just a few more dollars for medical research and we’ll make a breakthrough the will save us all – a miracle pill awaits right around the corner. The thing is, there is always another corner, there is always more research, always another drug. There is no miracle cure for leisure time through technology and the accumulation of ‘things’, just as there is no miracle cure for our failing health through the accumulation of more research or newer drugs.
P184 But no matter what you are saving for, this is what I suggest: Do not save money out of fear. Instead, save money only when saving money is going to help you realize a dream or take a step toward that dream. Accumulate money only once you have asked yourself if what you are accumulating it for is worth more to you than the portion of your life being exchanged for those symbolic units of value. I have not forgotten Erik’s unlikely math lesson, learned during his internal debate over whether or not to purchase his bicycle. “And then I realized that the price equaled six workdays; six days in the woods with kids. Would I trade six days in the woods for this beautiful bike? I realized I would, and it affirmed to me that I am living a right lifestyle.” Simply reminding myself that each purchasing decision is in reality a decision to exchange a fraction of my life for a particular item has been enough to profoundly alter my consumptive patterns.
P190 This is going to sound painfully obvious, but here it is, anyway: This is your life. This is your one life, and the incredibly, amazingly beautiful thing about it is that you get to choose how to spend it. It is true that those of us with children carry the added responsibility of knowing our choices regarding how they spend their lives. But in all sincerity, I ask this simple question: Are your children better off having you work the long days necessary to provide them the “opportunities” we’ve been conditioned to provide, or are they better off simply having you? Because you will not get another chance to be with your children, or for that matter, any of your loved ones.
P193 This is what I humbly suggest. For at least a moment, forget everything you know and have been told about money and wealth and abundance and how they should inform your life. Forget, even, everything you have read in the preceding pages, and simply grant yourself the gift of allowing your mind and heart to expand beyond the range of what you’ve been told is desirable. Or even possible. And at the same time you are forgetting all of this, remember this simple truth: the manner in which you pass your time is the manner in which you pass your life.
How then, do you want to live?
www.veggierunner.com
December 14, 2019
DNF. Too many metaphors and similes. Some interesting stuff, but I'd prefer to get straight to the point.
January 30, 2020
Okay reading. A little too preachy about the 'evils' of the want of money.
December 31, 2020
This should have been a magazine article and not a book. I hot to the last two chapters and gave up after skimming the two before. Save yourself the time. There are so many other great books that cover this topic.
July 4, 2016
One of my new year's resolutions is getting my finances in order. Quite literally, organizing my financial documents which somehow are scattered among paper and e-files, in filing folders, binders and drawers. But also the bigger picture, revisiting my financial goals and steps in the right direction--am I being strategic about allocations towards the mortgage, pensions, and my 529?
In searching for some guidance at the library, I came across Ben Hewitt's "Saved." I was looking for practical tips on money management. He provides a philosophical pitch on our attitudes towards money and wealth.
Unlike all the other books on the shelf which focused on increasing wealth as measured by savings and investments, Hewitt stresses the subjective nature of wealth. He argues that we've constructed an "unconscious economy" based on excessive consumption that ultimately degenerates our relationships to each other, to our communities, to food and nature. We've created this construct where it's acceptable, indeed expected, that we dedicate precious years of our lives working (and away from our families and nature) simply to afford a life style that we've framed as desirable and even necessary.
The book isn't perfect, including some unnecessarily long detours on government manipulation of the money system and an underground effort to create an alternative currency. What is enticing is Hewitt's own journey as inspired by his relationship with Erik Gillard, a 27-year old who's set out to live outside the money economy as much as possible. He builds his tiny home himself, using mostly wood and other local natural resources; he produces or forages much of his food; he relies on others for labor, tools and even land (he builds on someone else's property); he reuses and recycles most everything; he lives each moment and is among the happiest people Hewitt has ever met.
Erik's is an extreme lifestyle. And I'm left wondering how he and Hewitt will face their latter years in life without pensions to count on when they may no longer have the vitality to live as they do.
Yet the bottom line is refreshing and inspiring. Focus your life on what matters. Enjoy loved ones. Enjoy the bountiful beauties of nature. Enjoy feeling alive, thinking and doing and being on your terms. Let these principles guide your attitudes towards money. Let these be your measures of wealth.
Makes me think my 2-bedroom condo may still be all we need.
In searching for some guidance at the library, I came across Ben Hewitt's "Saved." I was looking for practical tips on money management. He provides a philosophical pitch on our attitudes towards money and wealth.
Unlike all the other books on the shelf which focused on increasing wealth as measured by savings and investments, Hewitt stresses the subjective nature of wealth. He argues that we've constructed an "unconscious economy" based on excessive consumption that ultimately degenerates our relationships to each other, to our communities, to food and nature. We've created this construct where it's acceptable, indeed expected, that we dedicate precious years of our lives working (and away from our families and nature) simply to afford a life style that we've framed as desirable and even necessary.
The book isn't perfect, including some unnecessarily long detours on government manipulation of the money system and an underground effort to create an alternative currency. What is enticing is Hewitt's own journey as inspired by his relationship with Erik Gillard, a 27-year old who's set out to live outside the money economy as much as possible. He builds his tiny home himself, using mostly wood and other local natural resources; he produces or forages much of his food; he relies on others for labor, tools and even land (he builds on someone else's property); he reuses and recycles most everything; he lives each moment and is among the happiest people Hewitt has ever met.
Erik's is an extreme lifestyle. And I'm left wondering how he and Hewitt will face their latter years in life without pensions to count on when they may no longer have the vitality to live as they do.
Yet the bottom line is refreshing and inspiring. Focus your life on what matters. Enjoy loved ones. Enjoy the bountiful beauties of nature. Enjoy feeling alive, thinking and doing and being on your terms. Let these principles guide your attitudes towards money. Let these be your measures of wealth.
Makes me think my 2-bedroom condo may still be all we need.
October 2, 2014
What a disappointment. After reading a recommendation online for this book, I thought the premise sounded great. Hewitt following his new friend Erik, documenting the inspired rich carefree lifestyle he lives, while earning less than $10,000 per year.
What Hewitt fails to mention is that Erik is a freeloader living in a shanty on a friend's property, while mooching rides and goods from his friends and family members in exchange for services to be named later. I know Erik's really cool and can pick mushrooms from the forest and all, but I was really hoping for a fresher take on how to actually create a higher personal wealth out of less financially. All the while, Hewitt goes on and on non-stop about Erik (WHY DON'T YOU JUST MARRY HIM?) and how great it is that he proudly hunts his clothing from trash bins, and lives a simple life.
To me the glorification of Erik's story just came off as offensive, considering most Americans (and Canadians, on a lesser scale) are crippled by student loans, consumer credit card debt, or payday loans, just to name a few, while earning close to the same amount, or living below the poverty line, trying to make ends meet. There are better ways to cut back on your day-to-day living without having to grab your Nike's from a trash can.
The worst part is that people probably picked up this book hoping to find a few examples of ways to cut back on their own overspending, or find a way to live a happier life enjoying the things around them. Instead, Erik's "inspiring" story is basically dropped after the first few chapters, and then they are forced to plow through endless chapters discussing monetized wealth, the background of the government's monetary policy, and what the true meaning of the word 'economy' is. And if you have to start a sentence with "I don't want to get too psychoanalytical but..." then YOU ARE. JUST STOP.
If you're looking for a great philosophical read about what money actually is, then maybe you will find it interesting. I could not handle this book after the halfway point, and would recommend a visit to www.mrmoneymustache.com for some reading on debt reduction that could actually inspire.
What Hewitt fails to mention is that Erik is a freeloader living in a shanty on a friend's property, while mooching rides and goods from his friends and family members in exchange for services to be named later. I know Erik's really cool and can pick mushrooms from the forest and all, but I was really hoping for a fresher take on how to actually create a higher personal wealth out of less financially. All the while, Hewitt goes on and on non-stop about Erik (WHY DON'T YOU JUST MARRY HIM?) and how great it is that he proudly hunts his clothing from trash bins, and lives a simple life.
To me the glorification of Erik's story just came off as offensive, considering most Americans (and Canadians, on a lesser scale) are crippled by student loans, consumer credit card debt, or payday loans, just to name a few, while earning close to the same amount, or living below the poverty line, trying to make ends meet. There are better ways to cut back on your day-to-day living without having to grab your Nike's from a trash can.
The worst part is that people probably picked up this book hoping to find a few examples of ways to cut back on their own overspending, or find a way to live a happier life enjoying the things around them. Instead, Erik's "inspiring" story is basically dropped after the first few chapters, and then they are forced to plow through endless chapters discussing monetized wealth, the background of the government's monetary policy, and what the true meaning of the word 'economy' is. And if you have to start a sentence with "I don't want to get too psychoanalytical but..." then YOU ARE. JUST STOP.
If you're looking for a great philosophical read about what money actually is, then maybe you will find it interesting. I could not handle this book after the halfway point, and would recommend a visit to www.mrmoneymustache.com for some reading on debt reduction that could actually inspire.
July 14, 2013
I was afraid at the start that this was going to be an anthropological sort of look at a modern hippie from the perspective of a guy who'd never lived on less than $40K, but it wasn't at all. The author came to his current place (economically similar to my own) via a more difficult and pinched path than me and we hold quite similar values, right down to not wanting to be in debt (even mortgage debt!) for fear of having to work a terrible job to service it.
So it's a rather less arrogant/ entitled challenge of our ideas about what money is for, and while my own past reading/ philosophizing on the subject meant I didn't find a whole lot of new enlightenment on the subject, it was a good reminder. We work too hard because we worry too much and fail to prioritize what we really want, and I'd recommend this to anyone who's considering any sort of life change or thinks they should be.
The author advocates working toward a "conscious economy," based on valuing time and relationships above money. More concretely, he does this by avoiding bank loans (which basically "create" money, disconnected from the real resources used in purchasing the things the money provides, because lenders don't actually have the money to back most of their loans), opting to develop relationships and interconnections rather than keep a large financial safety net, and using his extra money instead to help develop the "conscious economy": for example, by making no-interest loans and investing in community infrastructure (such as fruit trees and sugar shacks). This is something I need to think about.
So it's a rather less arrogant/ entitled challenge of our ideas about what money is for, and while my own past reading/ philosophizing on the subject meant I didn't find a whole lot of new enlightenment on the subject, it was a good reminder. We work too hard because we worry too much and fail to prioritize what we really want, and I'd recommend this to anyone who's considering any sort of life change or thinks they should be.
The author advocates working toward a "conscious economy," based on valuing time and relationships above money. More concretely, he does this by avoiding bank loans (which basically "create" money, disconnected from the real resources used in purchasing the things the money provides, because lenders don't actually have the money to back most of their loans), opting to develop relationships and interconnections rather than keep a large financial safety net, and using his extra money instead to help develop the "conscious economy": for example, by making no-interest loans and investing in community infrastructure (such as fruit trees and sugar shacks). This is something I need to think about.
January 24, 2014
The author Ben Hewitt thinks about money for the two or so years it took to write this book. It is about the philosophy of money and wealth, and includes many different ways to think about it. Hewitt urges us to think about wealth as something that is bigger than money - to include "happiness and contentment, job satisfaction, physical health, soil health, access to nourishing foods, and the overall well-being of the environment."
We all need to find a balance of managing money mindfully and consciously. While I don't agree with his view of keeping his savings to a minimum, I do agree with this: We all need to be more mindful of our purchases. Buy only the things you really need instead of succumbing to mass marketing and personalized advertising. Then we need to enhance our lives in other ways by enriching relationships, doing things that promote instead of hurt our environment, and think long term instead of instant gratification, and think about how we want to spend our limited time on earth wisely.
Many previous reviewers have quoted sections of his work, and I feel the need to write down some quotes as well.
"Many of us have aligned ourselves so thoroughly with the unconscious economy [buying of things] that it has occupied us not only physically, but also emotionally and intellectually."
"But now I saw that his monetary poverty was itself a symptom of his having chosen, in fact, an accumulation of wealth that could never be measured in mere dollars, that furthermore, his contentment arose from a deeper well of prosperity than I'd ever imagined."
We all need to find a balance of managing money mindfully and consciously. While I don't agree with his view of keeping his savings to a minimum, I do agree with this: We all need to be more mindful of our purchases. Buy only the things you really need instead of succumbing to mass marketing and personalized advertising. Then we need to enhance our lives in other ways by enriching relationships, doing things that promote instead of hurt our environment, and think long term instead of instant gratification, and think about how we want to spend our limited time on earth wisely.
Many previous reviewers have quoted sections of his work, and I feel the need to write down some quotes as well.
"Many of us have aligned ourselves so thoroughly with the unconscious economy [buying of things] that it has occupied us not only physically, but also emotionally and intellectually."
"But now I saw that his monetary poverty was itself a symptom of his having chosen, in fact, an accumulation of wealth that could never be measured in mere dollars, that furthermore, his contentment arose from a deeper well of prosperity than I'd ever imagined."
July 17, 2013
I'm mad at myself for forcing myself to finish the book.
First of all, the book is tough sledding. The sentences are unnecessarily long, with unnecessarily complex word choices, picking complicated words where a simple one would do better. More than a few times, I thought, "He's being too clever by half." That's not to say he isn't a skilled writer. He is. But why make the reader "do calisthenics"?
Second, while I DO agree with many of the sentiments expressed in the book, I feel discomfited (to borrow the author's favorite word) by the lionization of a 28 year old Bohemian. I mean, c'mon, the author is a 40 year old family man, although he too had an unconventional upbringing. But I can't but help have nagging doubts about placing so much trust in someone in their 20s.
Saving graces of the book are its looks at the many, many forms of money, all legitimate. Money is, as the author puts it, a "rabbit pulled out of a hat". Very interesting perspective. And I really liked his trashing of all things Apple and Ikea. People stand in line overnight to be the first to say into the latest version of their iPhones, "Siri, will you be my friend?" Yes, who couldn't agree that our digital toys are debasing our human interactions? So, the book's not all bad by any stretch. Just, too hard, and too unconventional to place too much faith in.
First of all, the book is tough sledding. The sentences are unnecessarily long, with unnecessarily complex word choices, picking complicated words where a simple one would do better. More than a few times, I thought, "He's being too clever by half." That's not to say he isn't a skilled writer. He is. But why make the reader "do calisthenics"?
Second, while I DO agree with many of the sentiments expressed in the book, I feel discomfited (to borrow the author's favorite word) by the lionization of a 28 year old Bohemian. I mean, c'mon, the author is a 40 year old family man, although he too had an unconventional upbringing. But I can't but help have nagging doubts about placing so much trust in someone in their 20s.
Saving graces of the book are its looks at the many, many forms of money, all legitimate. Money is, as the author puts it, a "rabbit pulled out of a hat". Very interesting perspective. And I really liked his trashing of all things Apple and Ikea. People stand in line overnight to be the first to say into the latest version of their iPhones, "Siri, will you be my friend?" Yes, who couldn't agree that our digital toys are debasing our human interactions? So, the book's not all bad by any stretch. Just, too hard, and too unconventional to place too much faith in.
November 11, 2013
Notes:
"Money is debt. It is literally loaned into existence (p. 91)"
"... the dollar would again be backed by gold at the prevailing rate of $35 per ounce (p. 116). French President Charles de Gaulle was the first to come knocking, looking to exchange $300 million ofor the gold that supposedly backed it. ...other nations followed... The United States of America, holder of the world's reserve currency and caretaker of the shiny metal that supposedly back stopped the dollar's value, owned only 22 percent of the gold necessary to cover the global dollar reserves."
"It is the cardinal difference between gift exchange and commodity exchange that a gift establishes a feeling-bond between two people, while the sale of a commodity leaves no necessary connection" (pg 140 quote from Hyde, Lewis).
From the conscious economy manifesto I really like:
"...one's time, in truth, one's life.
"...purchases are made with utmost consideration...their worth in relation to that which is their true cost: a percentage of one's finite waking hours upon this earth."
"...what matters is nature, relationships, community, freedom, spirtual fulfillment, and overall contentment."
"Money is debt. It is literally loaned into existence (p. 91)"
"... the dollar would again be backed by gold at the prevailing rate of $35 per ounce (p. 116). French President Charles de Gaulle was the first to come knocking, looking to exchange $300 million ofor the gold that supposedly backed it. ...other nations followed... The United States of America, holder of the world's reserve currency and caretaker of the shiny metal that supposedly back stopped the dollar's value, owned only 22 percent of the gold necessary to cover the global dollar reserves."
"It is the cardinal difference between gift exchange and commodity exchange that a gift establishes a feeling-bond between two people, while the sale of a commodity leaves no necessary connection" (pg 140 quote from Hyde, Lewis).
From the conscious economy manifesto I really like:
"...one's time, in truth, one's life.
"...purchases are made with utmost consideration...their worth in relation to that which is their true cost: a percentage of one's finite waking hours upon this earth."
"...what matters is nature, relationships, community, freedom, spirtual fulfillment, and overall contentment."
May 17, 2014
This is the story of a guy in Vermont who lives--by choice--on an extremely small income. He forages, he borrows, he goes without. The author explores this lifestyle and adopts some of the young man's philosophy for himself, exploring some interesting issues of debt, wealth, and consumerism.
It was a good book, and I recommend it, if only to ponder one's own relationship with money. I did find that Hewitt did a better job asking the questions than answering them--there was something unsatisfyingly undeveloped about the thesis. My personal take-away was to re-evaluate the ideal of "financial independence" and see what there is to gain by being INTERdependent. The book also caused me to ponder the ethics of stockpiling cash, sacrificing and working in order to drive up numbers on a brokerage statement. I couldn't ultimately follow Hewitt to the extreme of having no little or no retirement savings; that seemed to cross the line for me between interdependence and societal burden. Still, I enjoyed the mental journey of this book and remain intrigued with the concepts he explores.
It was a good book, and I recommend it, if only to ponder one's own relationship with money. I did find that Hewitt did a better job asking the questions than answering them--there was something unsatisfyingly undeveloped about the thesis. My personal take-away was to re-evaluate the ideal of "financial independence" and see what there is to gain by being INTERdependent. The book also caused me to ponder the ethics of stockpiling cash, sacrificing and working in order to drive up numbers on a brokerage statement. I couldn't ultimately follow Hewitt to the extreme of having no little or no retirement savings; that seemed to cross the line for me between interdependence and societal burden. Still, I enjoyed the mental journey of this book and remain intrigued with the concepts he explores.
September 12, 2013
I really enjoyed Hewitt's short but insightful book about how we relate to money, what is true about it, and how we might take more control over it as a tool in our lives rather than living our lives in pursuit of the accumulation of it. I have read a bit of Hewitt's blog and had hoped to read more about his own lifestyle and choices here but it mostly focused on Erik, a friend of his who inspired much of the introspection he shares in the book. Hewitt also includes a nice discussion of currency systems generally and the creation and history of the US currency system specifically. He provides enough detail to give some meat to the book but not so much that I lost interest. This book was a great reinforcement of some of my existing beliefs and it added a few new ideas along with a better understanding of the financial system.
August 2, 2013
I like to find ways to simplify my life, and thought this would be a useful book to read in that vein. It wasn't, unless the reader is really wanting to go to extremes. The author seems to have bought in to notions that, in my mind, involve throwing out the baby with the bath water. In addition, he has some understanding of economics, but seems to have coupled that with other ideas in untenable ways as he attempts to support his political, economic, or social beliefs. The gist of his message seems to be that material wealth and acquisition, to almost any extent, is to be eschewed, and often is evil. With few exceptions (such as Eric's bicycle purchase), he makes this point explicitly or implicitly over and over again. IMHO, most people looking to simplify, or to find less expensive ways to live, will find little of real utility in this book.
June 22, 2013
This book is actually three books in one: A story about a single guy who lives on very little money, a well-researched book that explains our Federal Reserve & monetary policy in easy to understand language, and a call to arms for those of us who believe there is more to life than the accumulation of wealth.
I found the emphasis on Erik to be the weakest of the stories. I would be far more interested in reading more about how Mr. Hewitt & his family thrive on $35K a year in an area known for having a high cost of living.
I hope Mr. Hewitt & his wife collaborate on a book next. I have the feeling that Mrs. Hewitt would have some interesting & positive views on how to raise children in a consumer-driven world.
I found the emphasis on Erik to be the weakest of the stories. I would be far more interested in reading more about how Mr. Hewitt & his family thrive on $35K a year in an area known for having a high cost of living.
I hope Mr. Hewitt & his wife collaborate on a book next. I have the feeling that Mrs. Hewitt would have some interesting & positive views on how to raise children in a consumer-driven world.
August 20, 2013
The actual book has little to do with the premise. The author knows a guy who doesn't use money and lives in a shack, whom he thinks is really happy. They pick mushrooms together with a guy named Breakfast. Then the author rants on and on about the lack of actual value that money has and the meaning of the word "economics"... for about 3 chapters. He also tells you a lot about how he doesn't have a mortgage and once lived (unhappily) in a tent, in Maine, in winter. Then the guy with a shack moves into a house with his girlfriend. I had expected a book that actually discussed enjoying time spent over money, I'm not even sure what the point of this book was in the end. It was horribly boring and not at all what I expected.
August 23, 2013
I received this book through the Goodreads First-Reads Giveaway site.
I learned that it takes 40 gallons of Maple sugar tree sap to make 1 gallon of Maple Syrup.
Now I understand why Maple Syrup is $50.00 or more per gallon.
Other than that little piece of trivia, I didn't really learn much.
This book is mostly good old fashioned common sense.
Money can not buy happiness, don't live beyond your means, etc.
My favorite part of the book was reading about the Author's friend, Eric, who has a lot to say about less is more.
All in all, I did enjoy this book and will be passing it along soon to a wonderful friend of mine.
I learned that it takes 40 gallons of Maple sugar tree sap to make 1 gallon of Maple Syrup.
Now I understand why Maple Syrup is $50.00 or more per gallon.
Other than that little piece of trivia, I didn't really learn much.
This book is mostly good old fashioned common sense.
Money can not buy happiness, don't live beyond your means, etc.
My favorite part of the book was reading about the Author's friend, Eric, who has a lot to say about less is more.
All in all, I did enjoy this book and will be passing it along soon to a wonderful friend of mine.
August 1, 2017
I'm not a person who enjoys discussing the economy, investing or really much of anything involving numbers, but I'd read other work by Hewitt and decided to give it a try.
I understand so much more about what our currency is based on, how loans occur and inflation (something that has eluded me for a long time). More importantly though, this book got me thinking about how we define success and security. I have new tools to use when considering purchases. And I see the connection between the price we pay for items and how that relates to the toll taken on the environment and on our fellow human beings a bit differently than before.
I highly recommend this book.
I understand so much more about what our currency is based on, how loans occur and inflation (something that has eluded me for a long time). More importantly though, this book got me thinking about how we define success and security. I have new tools to use when considering purchases. And I see the connection between the price we pay for items and how that relates to the toll taken on the environment and on our fellow human beings a bit differently than before.
I highly recommend this book.
January 18, 2014
According to Ben Hewitt, time--not money--is the most precious resource that we have, and having everything does not equate to having millions, state-of-the-art material goods, or even Internet access. Perhaps the most valuable part of the book comes at the end, where Hewitt shares "The Conscious Economy Manifesto". If Hewitt is correct, then every healthy college student or recent college grad in good health with a solid network of friends and family with whom they can exchange knowledge and skills is a lot richer than they may believe. Thought-provoking book. I am not going dumpster diving any time soon, though.
September 6, 2014
I enjoyed this read a lot. By no means a "perfect book" in that, as others have pointed out, it has a tendency to ramble and also it bases many of its ideas off of anecdotes ... however, it nevertheless felt thought-provoking and eye-opening to me, the way a long, meandering conversation with a good friend can be. I reached the end and felt inspired to rethink my own relationship with money and time--and for that, I am grateful! I also really enjoyed Hewitt's writing style. I look forward to reading his forthcoming book, 'Home Grown: Adventures in Parenting off the Beaten Path, Unschooling, and Reconnecting with the Natural World.'
September 29, 2013
This book was poorly arranged. It seems disingenuous that the author mentions more than halfway through that he and his wife lived without modern amenities as in the hero of the book that he romanticizes. The title is clearly a PR move. The book itself would be more interesting if he used his life story as an intro and stuck with the subject and concluded with some practical steps that are more applicable to the masses. What about health insurance? Kids having exposure to technology, etc. To me, this book is more of a fable than an practical example of living well.
January 2, 2014
Only read up to page 50, attempting to give the author a chance since the topic really grabbed my attention when reading the overview. However , I never got "drawn" into the book at all. I struggled to get through even the first 50 pages. The author bounced around too much between the American economy, his adoration of this Erik guy, and his own views of our society. I just really wanted this book to become a page turner and it just never happened so at 50 pages in, I felt that my time could be better spent.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews