reply to post by DontTreadOnMe
This is a great idea. My wife have looked into co-housing and this is very common amongst co-housing set ups. It would be great to live in a
community of like minded individuals.
The idea is simple: You lend your neighbor a hand -- maybe mow his lawn or drive him to the supermarket -- and in return, another neighbor patches your roof or walks your dog.
This arrangement -- part collective bartering, part pay-it-forward -- is called "time banking," and at least two Michigan communities have put the idea into action. And more neighborhoods are getting on board as families and seniors find they need to help each other in this tough economy.
At a time when even struggling theater groups and museums are bartering for free services, volunteerism has become a tradable commodity. Michigan is one of 46 states where neighborhoods have established such neighbor-to-labor networks, according to Time Banks USA.