Skip to content
Andrew Tobias
Andrew Tobias

Money and Other Subjects

  • Home
  • Books
  • Videos
  • Bio
  • Archives
  • Links
  • Me-Mail
Andrew Tobias
Andrew Tobias

Money and Other Subjects

Living in a Cave (Nicely)

August 6, 1996February 6, 2017

Have you seen what’s happened to the prices of caves in Southern Spain lately? A perfectly adequate two-bedroom cave that sold for about $150 ten years ago now fetches nearly $8,000! This according to last February’s issue of a newsletter called International Living. (Thanks to Los Angeles Photographer Pieter Lessing for sending it to me.)

“Antonia Requera is a bright, articulate, Spanish woman in her 30s,” reports International Living. “She dresses stylishly and speaks several languages. So it may surprise you to know that she lives in a cave.”

Apparently there are quite a few middle-class Andalucians living in caves, complete with all the modern conveniences, including phone and fax. Ms. Requera sees nothing strange about it — she was born and raised speluncularly.

It kills me that I didn’t think of this 10 years ago, of course. For $200,000 I could have all but cornered the cave market and been Caveman Numero Uno.

But even now it’s intriguing, if only because these caves keep a year-round temperature of around 60 degrees. Wouldn’t that be nice in August?

To get your feet wet, the newsletter suggests blowing $500 to rent a nice two- to four-bedroom cave for a week to see how you like it. For more information, they suggest the Spanish Government Tourist Office at 666 Fifth Avenue, NYC 10022 (remember physical addresses?) — 212-265-8822, fax 265-8864. [If you’re interested in International Living itself, a $34/yr monthly, you could call 800-851-7100 and probably get them to mail you a free sample (“we’re usually pretty good about that,” said the woman I reached).]

If I weren’t already spread so thin, with no time to get to Spain in the first place, I feel quite sure I would buy a cave. At these prices, how can you miss? The cocktail-party chatter alone would be worth the price. “Hey, Mister — you live in a cave?” someone might ask, stunned by my lack of knowledge on one topic or another. (I get that a lot.) “Why yes I do,” I could earnestly reply. “Would you like to see pictures?”

Tomorrow: What Shall We Name the Baby’s Mutual Fund?

Post navigation

← Einstein — Your Bids
What Shall We Name the Baby’s Mutual Fund? →

Quote of the Day

"Money is a singular thing. It ranks with love as man’s greatest source of joy. And with death as his greatest source of anxiety. Over all history it has oppressed nearly all people in one of two ways: either it has been abundant and very unreliable, or reliable and very scarce."

John Kenneth Galbraith, The Age of Uncertainty

Subscribe

 Advice

The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need

"So full of tips and angles that only a booby or a billionaire could not benefit." -- The New York Times

Help

MYM Emergency?

Too Much Junk?

Tax Questions?

Ask Less

Recent Posts

  • Unbelievably Bad -- Literally

    July 4, 2025
  • Repeal The Steal

    July 2, 2025
  • Our Record-High Stock Market

    June 30, 2025
  • Stuffing The Goose

    June 30, 2025
  • Yes! (Plus A Bonus)

    June 29, 2025
  • How Does THAT Make You Feel . . .

    June 27, 2025
  • Randi, David, Ken, and HYMC

    June 26, 2025
  • Six Links For Your Consideration

    June 25, 2025
  • Weekend Reading

    June 20, 2025
  • Oh, My

    June 18, 2025
Andrew Tobias Books
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
©2025 Andrew Tobias - All Rights Reserved | Website: Whirled Pixels | Author Photo: Tony Adams