The woman thriving with no money, bank account

Jo Nemeth quit her corporate job ten years ago and has managed to live without a single cent to her name since. But one issue is threatening to disrupt her way of life.

A woman in the NSW North Coast has revealed how she closed her bank account and decided to live without money after struggling with the cost of living.

Jo Nemeth, 46, quit her job as a community development officer in 2015 after being overwhelmed by the cost of rent and bills.

She gave all her money and bank accounts to her then-18-year-old daughter before moving to a friend’s farm and building a small shack from old building materials.

Now, she lives in the home and works around the house in return.

“You’re like Cinderella,” she told news.com.au.

“I work a lot. I do ten-hour days, five days a week. But it’s stuff that I enjoy doing.”

Instead of paying rent, Ms Nemeth does the cooking and cleaning, grows produce from the garden and creates household items such as soap, vinegar and bread.

If she needs anything else, she trades her goods with others or waits for her birthday or Christmas and asks for it.

The shack Ms Nemeth built when she first moved to her moneyless lifestyle. Picture: Supplied

She also gets help through the odd donations from a neighbour or through “Buy Nothing” Facebook pages, which she accesses via the household Wi-Fi and a phone she was gifted.

If she gets sick, she treats it with herbs at home, or uses free healthcare.

Ms Nemeth says she is way happier than when she was burdened by everyday bills.

“This works for me and it works for them,” she said.

“It’s not hard to find people who will welcome you in and create a win-win situation with you. Which is what it is.”

Ms Nemeth also uses a bike to get around. Picture: Supplied

Ms Nemeth also makes use of the local community library. Picture: Supplied

Despite coming up on a decade of living moneyless, Ms Nemeth says she is now facing the first real hurdle she simply can’t get around – going to the dentist.

She has set up a GoFundMe for the visit – but is waiting to get the work done in April at her ten-year moneyless mark.

“I have to get my teeth done and I can’t do that without money,” she said.

Reflecting on the past decade, Ms Nemeth said she has been disheartened by the little change that has been made toward the climate crisis.

“When I started, I thought, this is such a great thing and the more people hear about this and hear about this concept, the more people will stop [consuming],” she said.

Ms Nemeth in her first kitchen setup back in 2015. Picture: Cathy Adams/The Northern Star

“Because it appealed to me so much, I figured that it would appeal to other people.

“But it hasn’t really happened because our culture is so strong. A culture of consumption. I’ve realised it’s very hard to make changes.”

As for her lifestyle, Ms Nemeth said she is eager to continue her moneyless lifestyle for as long as possible.

“I don’t want to go back to regular life,” she said.

“It’s never really been a difficult thing for me to do because I’m well-connected, and I get to do what I think is important.”