This Guy Is Living In Extreme Poverty But The Reason Why Isn’t Why You Think 

Choosing to live a simple life and not be part of the art race, does not make you poor. If it is a choice, it frees you and makes you rich.

I used to think the Amish was crazy. As I get older, I understand the genius.

I totally agree with him on house payments. Biggest ripoff next to insurance.

He "used to have kids?" You divorce your wife, not your kids.

I'm totally down with this guy's lifestyle choices and I've been living life with the same logic that houses, jobs,cars, and what you eat etc etc and I am a happy guy with very little stuff to worry about.i used to bow down to the norm and was always unhappy because people had better and more than I did but after suffering from a nervous breakdown because I was pushing myself too hard ,I adopted a new mindset towards my life and I am happier than most with my simple , uncomplicated life.i don't have much but I don't need much.much is misery.

I have lived in Vermont in a one-room cabin years ago it was a tiny place you don't need much you don't need things but you do have the mountain range in the beauty of the sunset and the sunrise and in the valley you're above the clouds and the Sun is always Shining dot-dot-dot the winters were horrific but the wood stove kept you warm... It was cozy and you had neighbors not too far maybe a mile apart but we all looked out for each other... Those are the days I won't forget those are my younger days you wish they could still last thank you for sharing your experience... My best to you and that God bless

I'll be homeless soon. can't find work, but have survival skills. wish me luck.

When you truly discover an inner content ness you will realise material things are utterly meaningless. A peace of mind is all that one needs.

I agree with some of this my mom and dad never wanted a house mortgage or a car payment so they never owned anything or drove a nice car so today at the age of 70 own nothing don't let the things u buy own you but instead own it ....god bless all

You all are confused. He does not live in poverty. He lives simple. He has a means and options to make money...he has money

I've been attempting to do something similar with my life. Letting go of the comforts I had become so accustomed to allowed me to appreciate my life in the moment, and appreciate the simple things, like just being alive. When I lived a life of excess, I had severe depression, because I was always looking for the next best thing (the "high" from buying and consuming things that he mentioned), and nothing was ever good enough. Things aren't absolutely perfect right now, but I'm ok with that for the first time in my life, and my quality of life is about a hundred times better than what it was. My depression and anxiety are gone, and I'm actually working toward what I truly want to do. I realized that there is a lot of truth to the saying "Less is more"..

From the movie fight club " the more stuff you own, the stuff begins to own you". I think that's how it goes.

Whoever disliked this is just jealous of what this man has and does or are just greedy and make fun of him

I like this guy he's living good he's living free truly

Less is more in so many ways.

Id rather live like this than paying debt.

most of us are owned by our things rather than the reverse, refreshing to see a man with a understanding of simplicity n happiness

that's not extreme poverty. have you seen families eating from thrash, their beds made with cardboard boxes with no roofs over their heads, now that's extreme

I do the same thing....... Society is a lost cause. I feel it brings me closer to Jesus.

Amount of bills payments going up. I think many more people will find peace ther. Just imagine life without bills. House rent, repayments, insurance, registration, electricity, gas, water, council, phone. Life will b good yea? Everything natural... no air pollution no noise pollution no human pollution.

I totally get this guy, its like what is everybody saving an getting ready for? Death! i feel your life is happening now this moment so why not do what you want to do. As long as your not harming anyone else

Living now these days is very pricey. Not even minimum wage can get yu an apt bcuz yu have to make 3x the rent in one month. Even the ghetto apts and houses are pricey. SMH

He is still living for himself

I'm buying about an acre of woodland and in the middle of it I'm digging a hole and putting a shipping container in it, then refilling the hole with concrete leaving a ladder hole and air vents, then I'm converting the container into a home & I'm going to live down there! You won't even know it's there if you walked past, I'm going to grow my own veg on the land and try and go completely off grid as I'm sick of living how social norms dictate!

I am so happy for this man. Reminds me of my father who was never materialistic and really into the outdoors. It also brings back good memories! :)

Most people will just skip passed this video thinking they would Never do this. This guy is extreme. But we, Americans, need to find an in between from our wasteful lifestyle to this simplistic way. It's all about balance.

Since he's happy then ok

This is a dream for me... going off the grid is true freedom. Clean water, food, clothing & shelter is all we need

I've been trying to do the same thing for many years now. If I could only get my wife to see the joy in not spending money.

Ive lived in a utility van for two years, insurance and registration adds to 900$ a year that's my rent. Phone bill, gas, propane, dog food, my only costs. My footprint is light as it can in America without living outside

I bet he has bugs & toads for dinner...charges people to cross his bridge

Way to go, sir! I am so impressed by your choices on how to live your life. I currently live in a converted cargo trailer, but a lot of your reasons are the same as mine. You've just gone farther down this path. I applaud your commitment.

I would love to meet a woman with anything close to an idea of simple living and frugality. A hobbit hole not required. I know some exist but I'm almost certain there are none where I live. You could have a net worth of a million bucks but if you take out a flip phone it's game over. They'd prefer a guy deep in debt, with plenty of toys who will spend freely on them. They are all mindless sheep.

What the life of rich and famous don't show is the maintenance, upkeep cost which would sky rocket proportionate to the purchase cost. Thats why so many a-list stars go bankrupt. They don't know how to budget and plan. Purchasing is not the end but the beginning of money bleed. Living simply makes your life so much easier.

I really wish that anybody who creates a video for others to watch, would stop playing music in the background. That realky makes it hard to understand the narrators. Sometimes the music is even louder than the speaker. Grrr

It takes humility to really pull away from society and go off the grid. Peace and love to this man ✌❤

Unemployment rate today is actually the lowest it's been in 20 years. These people to choose to live like this. No sympathy for them.

Freedom to do whatever you like.not being shackled or dictated by everything or everyone.its quite rare and only the brave does.i admire you sir

With rent prices going up mortgages lot more people going to be living in poverty.

I don't think he is living in poverty. He has everything he needs. He is living a simple life.

In the great words of Master Yoda,..."Attachment leads to jealousy,the shadow of greed that is.Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose" I would give anything to be able to live as this man chooses to

Have to admire his simplicity... "We can appreciate without attaching ourselves to the things of this world." ~ Abdul-Baha, Baha'i Faith

I seriously rather live like this with someone I love than a mansion with billions of dollars. I swear to god

If he chose his lifestyle then is it still poverty? It's minimalism, not poverty. If we use the official definition of poverty as "the state of being extremely poor" then all the country's children are living in poverty because they have no or very little money of their own. However, that is not the case. By definition, I grew up living in poverty until I finished school. I have always lived in a warm, comfortable house with loving parents who have always been willing to provide for and care for me. Poverty is really just another word for suffering. This man is not suffering and I don't believe he is in poverty. I empathise with him and to be honest, I'm slightly jealous.

Is this another version of living in a van down by the river?

HOORAY! To me this man is heroic and a disciple. Lives the true meaning of life. He has more courage than I do. As much as I agree with him and cheer him on and admire him, I haven't the courage. I do have wife and kids to think of to provide and protect. HOWEVER, if my life was to turn out like his with regard to marriage dissipating and moving away, I would seriously contemplate the same life. Maybe and probably not to the same extreme, however I would life A LOT less, without, and so so so much simpler, and at the least cost as possible. GOD BLESS YOU SIR!

That's not poverty.That's minimalist existence.He has everything he needs and is cool with it.Think of the greedy people on t.v. with a hundred pair of shoes.Who would be more devastated in a disaster.Exactly.Quit calling it poverty.People who live in poverty don't choose that life.Know the difference if you're going to make videos or be a journalist.😔

I will never forget moving out at a young age and living on just 800 a month. I remember thinking the more i make i will just save more yet i ended up spending more. Then one day i said you know i have the same amount of things now making 72k a year than i did when i made 20k a year lol. So i downsized everything and sold my house. I was lucky and did not take a loss. I built my own house in the country very small with a basement and payed it off in 2 years. I sold my new car and new SUV and got just one used car for work and one beat to hell truck for yard work and trash. I learned you do not have to live on scraps but just small changes can save you a ton of money in the long run.

That's extreme poverty? Hop a plane to Indo or India

I've been living this way since 2001. I suffered my second mini stroke and decided to live in a small RV, here in Arizona. that died in 2012. now I own 1 acre of land, have 1 acre of land for sale and live in a small cabin near the Grand canyon totally of the grid. solar, propane fridge, propane instant hot water heater, wood burning stove for winter heat.

I guess he doesn't know about powdered milk?

I remember when I was young my Mom would hang clothes on the porch in the winter time....thus freezing then ...and when she would bring back in the house ...when they thawed they were dry.....Bless you, for your selfless lifestyle ...you are a good witness to young people of today

So, to heck with his kids?? He just splits? I couldn't do it

In exchange he had to leave his family, that's just plain stupid.

Because of property tax u can never truly own ur house now and the more high dollar homes built into ur neighborhood ur tax will eventually go up eventually knocking you out ur already paid for house unless u have a well high paid job

Hope he's helping support his children.

the new youtube layout is utter trash

This is true Life!! I bet he is healthier than majority and more happy as well!! Respect!

True inspiration.

I was a travelling nurse in LA, working nights, sleeping days in my car at the beach, and on weekends I went to campsites for a hot shower. On the east coast in Florida I got my hot showers from belonging to Planet Fitness. I accumulated a lot of money living like that.

Someone get my man some powdered milk 😂😂😂😂😂😂

I live in a $500 1972 camper. LOVE IT! No mortage or electric bills. No need to buy stupid furniture. Life is RICHER with less.

Must get cold there in the winter

He puts all of us sitting on RU-vid watching this right now to SHAME lol 😂 what true inspiration 😍💯💎

Gotta downsize in life come in with nothing leave with nothing but memories.

deadbeat dad is soo inspirational.

So how does he pay child support?

I knew a man named Randy who got sick of the whole rat race of money. So he quit his job and went out into the woods to live there, with just a tarp and a few other items, less than this guy. He would sometimes do small jobs for money just to buy food, but nothing other than that. I remember he had actually been hit by a train when younger, which took off his right arm completely, yet they managed to reattach it with no loss to motor skills. My dad had met him years before I was born, but once I was born, this guy, 55 at the time, would visit the house often, so he was an uncle to me, more so than most of my uncles. We'd go take trips to the forest and explore with him a lot. When we wanted to reach him, we had to leave a note at a store he went to, or go find him in the forest. We were the only ones that knew where he lived in that forest, and it was a long walk. I miss that guy, since we ended up moving away many years later. Last I heard from him, we had to let him know my dad had died from cancer, so we managed to get him on the phone through that store. That was so sad, he never showed sadness like that before. I wonder if he's alive now, actually. It has been over a decade since we spoke.

lucky man god bless him

I always thought that you don't need eduacation. But with just the knowledge of survival skills you can live a happy life on an isolated island. Graduating to have a job to earn money blinds you the most important thing which is the true meaning of happiness and freedom.

I live a couple hours away from Joseph this dude seem pretty cool

Nice story. I am really starting to understand where people like him are coming from. Thanks for the vid!☺🌈

sounds more like frugal as fuck as opposed to impoverished

this dude just changed my life!! I'm gonna do what he's doing!!

I admire this guy for taking the leap and living off grid in a very simple and sustainable way. The society we live in today promotes waste, inefficiencies and consumerism 'stuff' we don't need or want, so that big corporations etc can make more money. We all should learn to eat less, spend less, save more and consume in sustainable ways, if not, then the current system will get a lot worse for the 99%. While the 1% live like kings. . .

He is not hurting anyone. It is not illegal. Good luck to him.

My kinda guy who hates to work lol

That's not poverty. It's just a different paradigm. An older consception of wealth.

He's living the dream. Free, dealing with his hardships instead of food for another who steals your hard earned cash and then slaps you in the face with the money they steal from you. What's in your wallet doesn't work for me ither. Thumbs Up!

I believe this was called life before pilgrims ruined life for everyone

"..... in a van down by the river!"

I'm happy, let me leave my wife and kids for no reason, leaving my kids to wonder what they ever could have done to make their dad leave. Instead of living with a family I will go live like crap. Seriously

WATER ON CEREAL!! THATS A CRIME.

My 21 year old son quit college & lives in his truck as well as the woods somewhere in Northeast Texas. He started washing his clothes in the creek by our house about a year ago & will only eat food that comes from the ground. He left about 6 months ago. Refused a cell phone. He has a German Shepard with him. I came to this channel to see how surviving in the woods is done. This man is earning cash however. My son refuses to work. He’s going on in his head. So worried. Can’t file a missing persons report because he told us he was leaving to live in the woods. I think the fact that he was attacked by 3 guys one night all for 7 bucks and the loss of his girlfriend had a lot to do with it. Anyway, if anybody else knows someone who is “surviving”, please let me know.

Background song name??? Please

Freedoms just another word for nothing left to lose!

Just the bare necessities the simple bare necessities forget about the worries and your strife. I mean the bare necessities the simple bare necessities of life.

I understand completely. I must live very simply or I feel empty. Those little things we are being pushed to let go of are far more important to our well being than we realize. Cheers to you.😃

That's not poverty. I almost believed it until the "propert he owns" part. Lamest four minutes of my life watching this video.

Its cool when adults choose that life but you can’t have a family living that way.

Yup, stuff is not that important!!!

This guy is very smart he don't want to pay taxes. I salute him.

"But the reason why isn't why you think" -Did You Know? Ok

knocked out a wall in his home was this in the basement, you said discovered in 1960 why haven't they discovered the rest underneath this

So he ain't paying home taxes ?

"Walden Pond: A Life in the Woods" by Henry Thoreau. Is about a man who didn't want his life to be about serving the State. He wanted to live a deliberate life. One where each decision he made was thought-out from the point of view of his life belonging exclusively to him. Therefore, he wanted to avoid taxes and the draft. He lived on land that belonged to a friend so that no documentation of where he resided could be found. Uncle Sam did find him and threw him in jail for not paying taxes and draft-dodging. So he only lived at Walden Pond for two years. There may be no escaping the man but we should all keep trying.

If everyone lived like this our economy would collapse and poverty would be the only option. No thanks.

I would love to meet this guy. I went to school in La Grande, which is the closest city to Joseph and can tell you, it the most beautiful place in the world I have been.

What happened to his kids? Fathers abandoning their children makes for very inspirational stories. smh, -_-

I once tried washing a pair of jeans in a small river. WAY strenuous just to get 'em slightly cleaner, and if you try rubbing then on a boulder you'll find them quickly wearing through. Then it takes an entire day to dry them, and when you put the half-clean, gritty, heavily wrinkled and now oddly misshapen things on, you immediately understand the incredible luxury of using modern laundry equipment.