Time Bank Presentation

[KayLR]

Last night I attended our neighborhood association meeting and there was a presentation about the Hour Impact program. Basically it's bartering within a time bank system.

When you sign up (it's a web-based program) first you are processed through a background check, then when/if you pass, you are given 10 hours to start with. You also go into the system and enter the types of activities you think you might be willing to volunteer to do for someone else. One woman there who had tested this out listed one activity for hemming pants and skirts and that was very popular. But it could be raking leaves, cleaning gutters, dryer vents, dog-sitting, whatever.

Then when you are through with your volunteer time, you report it in the system and have that time added to your account, and the person you served has that time subtracted from their account. You don't necessarily reciprocate with the same person. And you can stipulate how far you're willing to travel.

I thought it was intriguing to think about the possibilities. I think about chores I've procrastinated on because I needed help or advice. I wondered about what I could contribute.

The possibilities are endless: watering plants during someone's vacation, painting, rides to airport, etc.

What do you think? And what kinds of things would you request or volunteer to do?

[rodeosweetheart]

I think this is Uber-cool!
I would be all over the weeding perennial gardens or feeding pets.

Not sure what I would request, have to think about it.

[KayLR]

There was even a guy, a retired tax accountant, who said he'd look over your taxes (I would imagine, simple ones) before you sent them in! Bet he got lots of hours in his bank to use later.

[LDAHL]

Interestingly, the IRS generally regards time bank transactions (unlike barter) to be nontaxable "exchanges of friendly favors".

[jp1]

I look forward to hearing more about your experience with this. Things like cat sitting I would both be happy to do and to receive. To my knowledge there's no local thing like this near me but maybe it would be worth trying to put one together.

[razz]

Great idea! What might be some of the concerns with this? I am not being negative but thinking about preparing oneself by solving concerns before they come up.

[iris lilies]

A common problem with barter systems is that there is a dearth of highly skilled services like plumbing and eletrical and HVAC services available, while services and products like soapmaking, beading, Reikki, palm reading, are represneted in excess. In other words, stuff youndont need is easy to get, stuff you need is not easy t get.

If a plumber's one hour is equal to a dog sitter's one hour in this time bank system, that system does not represent the true value of the service.

And then, speaking of timed jobs, one hour of DH's time in raking leaves would be equal to 2+ hours of my time raking, I am fat and slow. How does the time bank account for that? I suspect it does not, and no one hirng me knows they will get half a worker.

[ApatheticNoMore]

most of what one needs most of the time isn't services anyway, it's things like a roof over one's head. Ok maybe it's medical services if one is in bad health but not much otherwise (the dentist occasionally, a mechanic sometimes). But the needs one spends for mostly are not services but things like shelter and food and utilities and insurance etc.. Wants might be services or entertainment or just nicer stuff. A plumber would not be any great advantage to me or even save me any money as I think the landlord pays for that anyway (unless for some reason I was trying to fly under the landlords radar).

[KayLR]

@ Iris lilies: Yeah, I thought about this. But if the plumber signs on willingly he probably knows this. And maybe he sees it worth his while to donate an hour of his expertise in order to not have to rake his yard. If you're fat and slow, I imagine you could disclose that when you agree upon the barter(although why would you even volunteer to do that?). He might pass on you and wait for the next guy.

If I was a plumber, I wouldn't necessarily have to donate that expertise to the time bank. I could list something else. But if I did volunteer plumbing, then I couldn't complain that I was bartering plumbing for raking.

The thing to remember is, you are not paying for any of these services. So you can't really complain much. It's similar to just having your nice friendly neighbor come over and lend you a hand with something. He might not be perfect, but hey, free help.