He says Johnston refuses to even touch money. No money at all.ĭavid Shebib, who befriended Johnston after testing his integrity-he offered Johnston $20-has provided a room for him to sleep in at times in the various houses he’s rented over the years. He claims he hasn’t spent any money since. His last purchases-beer, cigarettes, pot-occurred 18 years ago, he says, on his 31st birthday. But, motivated by reasons more pure than stress relief, Johnston ditched money almost two decades ago, and he says there’s no going back.
Who but the wealthy hasn’t had to rack their brain to figure out how to bring in more money?īut what if instead of always trying to figure out how to get more money, you could figure out how not to need it? What if it were possible to sever your dependence on it? To banish it completely from your life?įor most of us, such questions would remain a thought experiment absent a major reorganization of civilization and the global economy. We all know financial problems can wreak havoc, leading to health-compromising stress, divorce, homelessness. Not because I’m looking for a gotcha moment, but because Johnston has organized his life around something that seems impossible and I want to know how he pulls it off.įor those of us who struggle to make ends meet or who are disorganized or negligent with personal finances, or who can’t seem to ever create a cushion for unexpected expenses, the idea of doing away with money might seem spectacularly appealing. Throughout our conversation, and in many later conversations as well, I repeatedly find myself asking where or how he’s acquired something. It's a kitchen that's open on weekday mornings for the homeless. He answers without hesitation: “The 9-10 Club. I realize it's an abrupt conversation starter, but it’s also a fair question for someone who claims not to ever use money. As David Arthur Johnston takes a seat next to me on a bench in the courtyard of the Greater Victoria Public Library’s main branch, I can see that his greying beard is so long and bushy it hides his neck and that his eyes are a light shade of blue, but it’s his coffee that has caught my attention.