As homesteaders we often seek out barter and trade deals but it can be challenging to find like minded people. An organized economy based on the age old principles of fair trade and community would be ideal.
Cash currency is very useful not to mention convenient, and we all need a bit of money but diversification is key because our entire life savings can be taken away with the click of a button. Just look at what happened in Venezuela as one example. If that's not enough you can then look at: Cyprus. India. Argentina. I won't get into the dire unemployment situation in North America, we all know things aren't pretty. It all boils down to the fact that cash is fragile.
So here I am trying to figure out some alternative ways to build an income stream for the homestead and imagine my surprise when I learned about TimeBanking, a community driven alternative economy AND even more surprising, we have one in our area!
TimeBanking is an alternative, time-based currency that lets you contribute a skill or talent in exchange for services from other members of the time bank network. One hour of help of any kind given to another member earns you one time credit. Your time credit is exchangeable for an hour of help from any member in the community. It's all about reciprocity.
It's also a way to connect and build strong communities and connections. It re-awakens the concept of caring about your neighbours and your community. With a TimeBank system in place people can be rewarded for the community services that they provide (something that often goes unrecognised).
One equals one.
It really is that simple.
"Every capacity that has enabled our species to survive, such as caring for each other, trusting each other, relying on each other, has become excluded from our economic system," Cahn says. "And I realised that there was no way we were going to build communities we wanted to live in if we didn't completely reassess our value system and start rewarding human as well as financial contributions."~ Edgar Cahn, Founder of Time Banking
When you spend an hour doing something for a member, you earn a time dollar. You can use that time dollar to buy an hour of another member's time. Members use a web based system to advertise what they want to give and receive, and to track the time dollars going in and out of their time bank accounts.
You will have to register with your local group to become a member. There is no fee for registering.
When you think about it, time banking is a way to build connections and become part of a true social network. You meet new people and engage in the community more. A strong community can make it through the hardest of times.
It's empowering because you aren't dealing with tax, over inflation and other government systems. You decide what services you want to provide and when you want to provide them.
There are time banks in more than 25 countries. If there isn't one in your community you can set one in motion. You can look up and see if there is a time bank in your town/country here. There are also guides on starting your own time bank in this website.
http://community.timebanks.org/
The services available depend on the skill diversity of your community/network. It can include just about anything:
Trades (carpentry, plumbing, electrical) Transportation (airport, doctors visits), budget and tax preparation, child and pet care, shopping, minor home repair, house painting, holistic therapy (massage, acupuncture), mending and alterations, computer & technical services (web design, repairs, etc) garden/yard work, farm help, moving assistance, cooking, cleaning, private lessons, classes and tutoring, editing, translating, companionship, dental services, professional services (business consulting) and so much more!
When you start listing all of the different types of things you have to offer your community, it's really empowering. All of sudden your skills that aren't being valued in the modern financial world have value.
Edgar Cahn is the founder of timebanking put some specific core values in place for TimeBaking.
Every one of us has something of value to share with someone else.
There are some forms of work that money will not easily pay for, like building strong families, revitalizing neighborhoods, making democracy work, advancing social justice. Time credits were designed to reward, recognize and honor that work.
Helping that works as a two-way street empowers everyone involved – the receiver as well as the giver.
The question: “How can I help you?” needs to change so we ask: “Will you help someone too?” Paying it forward ensures that, together, we help each other build the world we all will live in.
People are stronger when they are part of a community network. by helping one another we build communities of support, strength & trust. Community is built by planting roots, building trust and creating networks.
Respect underlies freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and everything we value. Respect supplies the heart and soul of democracy. We strive to respect where people are in the moment, not where we hope they will be at some future point.
Its time to take a stand that says we cannot let a monetary system that seems to perpetuate privilege and perpetuate disparities continue unchallenged. We need a system that begins to honour what every human being can do. We don’t lack the ability to produce, we lack the ability right now to effectuate distribution and to enable people to define themselves as contributors. I think that Timebanking long ago took a stance that it could not let the monetary system, as important and even as useful as it is, to define and be the exclusive definition of who is valuable and what it means to give. I think as long as we lack a second currency that can honour that, we are lacking a critical tool that we need.
~ Edgar Cahn, Founder of Time Banking
This model is quite contrary to what many of us have been taught about skills and value in our society. You have to be willing to let go of the system of rating skills by "monetary value".
If for example you are a lawyer accustomed to making $100 an hour and you are exchanging an hour of your time for an hour of babysitting, you have to be able to see this as an equal exchange. A service for a service. In this system your service is not worth more, and theirs less.
If you can't get behind that concept them this model will quickly become frustrating and unsuitable for you. Just remember this. We all have a finite time in which to live our lives. Time is in fact the most valuable currency of all.
[
Building a greener, more beautiful world one seed at a time.
Homesteading | Gardening | Frugal Living | Preserving Food| From Scratch Cooking|
You can also find me at: walkerland.ca | Facebook
