TimeBanks, or, the post in which Lisa tosses out the question, "Is this a good idea or not?"
Lisa writes: I've been reading up on TimeBanks. And I think they are a fantastic idea. And I am very jazzed. And I want to run out and start one for our neighborhood immediately.
The concept is sort of a mix of bartering and "pay it forward": You spend an hour doing a service for somebody, you get an hour's credit in the Time Bank that you can use to "pay" for an hour of service from anybody else in the group. You can hoard your hours for a big project, or you can donate your hours to somebody else who needs them. Your community sets up a website where everybody lists what they want and what they're offering and where you can keep track of your balances.
When I get all hyperactive, Chihuahua-quivery excited about something, it usually means I need to calm down and think before acting. The TimeBanks USA website is chock-full of inspiring stories about members using their time dollars to pay for childcare, home repair, left-handed knitting lessons, and trips to the airport. It sort of sounds too good to be true. Click Comments to read the inner dialogue I've been having today, followed by the research I've done.
The concept is sort of a mix of bartering and "pay it forward": You spend an hour doing a service for somebody, you get an hour's credit in the Time Bank that you can use to "pay" for an hour of service from anybody else in the group. You can hoard your hours for a big project, or you can donate your hours to somebody else who needs them. Your community sets up a website where everybody lists what they want and what they're offering and where you can keep track of your balances.
When I get all hyperactive, Chihuahua-quivery excited about something, it usually means I need to calm down and think before acting. The TimeBanks USA website is chock-full of inspiring stories about members using their time dollars to pay for childcare, home repair, left-handed knitting lessons, and trips to the airport. It sort of sounds too good to be true. Click Comments to read the inner dialogue I've been having today, followed by the research I've done.
Comments
Start with a small group at a potluck and ask them to invite their friends, speak at a local church, put up signs in the local post office, send out a PR announcement to the local newspaper or newsletter. Everybody who attends the informational session gets 2 free hour credits to get the ball rolling.
But what if weirdos sign up?
(a) This is your neighborhood. You already live right next door to these weirdos, and (b) Require everybody to give two personal references; turn on the Guardian Angel feature that lets the moderator watch people's email conversations with minors.
Aren't bartered services theoretically taxable?
Yes, but not gifted services. The courts have determined that time banks qualify as gifting.
What if somebody provides poor-quality service?
Interview your Time Banks repairman/babysitter/massage therapist just like you would if you were paying for the service. Ask for a reference. You can say no. Or just don't ask that person to come back. And everybody signs a liability release.
I don't have any skills that anybody would want.
I want somebody to come pull up ivy in my backyard. I'll bet you can do that. I'll expect you at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Bring work gloves.