Maybe it's because I live in Austin, but I've been seeing a rise in co-ops this past year. Some of our closest friends have a date-night co-op consisting of about five-seven couples. Every Monday, one couple opens up their home in order to baby sit for the remaining couples while they go on a date. Thus alleviating babysitting money and at the same time, entrusting your kids to someone with whom you are close. Perfect scenario - and everyone I have talked to about it says they wouldn't trade it for the world.
There's also
The Simple Way - a group of ordinary radicals intent on living on faith. Including within their community is a garage built for excess. Someone has an extra couch? They donate it to the collection. If someone needs something, they bring something extra and exchange it for what they need. Some clothes for a lamp, a jacket for some shoes, so on and so forth.
Perhaps what is most interesting is their belief in
Jubilee - a common Hebrew practice of debt forgiveness. It started on Wall Street when they gave thousands of dollars in cash and change to the homeless and bystanders (you can see the video in the link - it's really quite moving) - and continues today in broader forms (organizations not individuals receive monetary donations).
But on top of these co-op alternatives, you also have the rise of communal living which alleviates the stress of budgeting (instead of shouldering rent by yourself, your shouldering it with at least two-five other people). This of course leaves extra money for whatever you see fit: stimulating the economy, building neighborhood networking opportunties or just simple donations similar to the Jubilee fund of The Simple Way. I think we'll see this more and more these next few years. Especially with the rise of common knowledge - more and more people will understand what is truly "necessary" and the need for more money will plummet. Giving will be the new money. And if you aren't purely giving, you're definitely contributing through donations and collaboration.
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