Comments on: How Funny Money Trashes the Planet

By: Tyler

Tyler — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:47:19 +0000

Thanks for adding to the conversation, Andrew. Nice to have you around!

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:29:36 +0000

@Kevin M, I went through a phase of putting my dollar value to products and services, say as an example, brown bagging to work versus making my lunch. If I earn $50/hr at work, and it takes me half an hour to make my lunch, my ‘brownbag’ cost me $25. With that logic you’d buy it everytime.

We need to return to a simpler time, needing/wanting less, living frugally/sustainably.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:27:23 +0000

This is brilliant. Further removed is another step, we don’t even use the ‘worthless’ paper anymore, credit cards, we’re not even playing with real money. We don’t equate our 40 hours a week at work with $x. If you had to build your furniture by hand, you wouldn’t throw it out and replace it next year to match your new decor. Everyone worldwide needs to wise up, stop keeping up with the jones’s, and the ‘value’ needs to return to society. Value for money, budgetting, the works, i could go on and on!

Loving reading this site, keep it up please.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:16:31 +0000

My readers are awesome. Thanks for all the great stuff everyone.

By: ConsciouslyFrugal

ConsciouslyFrugal — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:08:23 +0000

Tyler, I think I read about the b2b networks in Bill McKibbon’s “Durable Economies” although I have seen it referenced online as well. If I can find the book in my mess of an apartment, I’ll let you know the name of the network. McKibbon’s book is a great read.

He actually even addresses Kevin’s point–there are communities that have created their own currencies through collectives similar to Time Banks. Fascinating stuff!

By: Kevin M

Kevin M — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:03:44 +0000

The government may be able to print money, but each individual can’t. Indirectly they could I guess, by choosing to work more hours or make more widgets.

I think the best concept, and one I use, is to value a purchase on the time it took for me to earn that money and how much use I’ll get from the purchase. I was looking at buying an Ipod for myself this morning. Thinking about it in terms of hours worked made me think twice (still considering it, btw).

By: Tyler

Tyler — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:02:24 +0000

Aldra,

Thanks for the reference to Timebanks. I’m checking it out right now. I’m also interested in knowing more about these b2b bartering systems you’re talking about. Looking forward to checking that out as well.

As for the “all or nothing” mentality of our culture, I think that’s something we tend to do for simplicity’s sake in accounting and managing large systems. I think we realize that there is no single answer to all of our problems and finding one that suits most of us is “good enough.”

I don’t like that “good enough” response either and am interested in learning more about how to efficiently manage various complex systems.

By: ConsciouslyFrugal

ConsciouslyFrugal — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:20:20 +0000

I’ve written a bit about alternative currencies and I’m a huge fan of finding ways in which to detach from the standard economic machine. Time Banks (timebanks.org) are an excellent resource that folks can start in their own communities. Time Banks don’t value certain professions more than others (e.g., an attorney’s hourly fee is higher than a teacher’s in the standard economy). It’s an excellent type of bartering system that doesn’t allow for classist hierarchies.

Also, Switzerland and Brazil have set up amazing formalized business to business bartering systems.

Anyhoo, I agree with Jackie–we need to equate life energy with money. I also think we need to incorporate alternative currencies into the current dominant structure. We seem to have a cultural mentality of “all or nothing” of one thing, where some of multiple things is usually the most balanced response.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:27:23 +0000

Jackie,

Thanks for the thoughtful response. I think you raise an interesting point when you talk about “equating money with the hours needed to earn it.”

Of course, the hours needed to earn a certain amount of money is different for each person, but it’s a useful thought process when evaluating purchases. However, it’s a process we’re easily decoupled from with credit and bank cards.

Each technological advancement makes it easier and easier to manage the flow of our money, but also seems to remove a layer of the connection to what we actually do to earn it.

By: Jackie

Jackie — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:27:02 +0000

I do think it’s too late to go back to a gold-backed currency, and I’m not sure that even gold is concrete enough to connect money with what the earth has to provide. Most people (myself included) have no idea what’s involved with mining gold or the resources that doing so uses. I think we have to go back to an even more basic level, like growing food. It’s not until you spend months caring for some plants that may or may not produce what you’ve hoped for that you start to have some idea of the work involved. Maybe equating money with the hours needed to earn it would be a place to start.