Belinda Moore

This is from my sister Sam, who should have her own blog! She has just finished Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom, a book I recommended to her recently. I love the quote she chose to send in her weekly email from Japan…
“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half asleep, even when they are busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuesdays_With_Morrie

I’ve been a little more active over on my garden blog with posts about the humble choko, growing food with children, and a book review. Enjoy!

How does it work?
The system keeps a record of the units (which have individual names in different systems) that members earn and spend. To record transactions, members complete their own transaction forms detailing their receipts and expenditure.

Unlike an account at a bank, there is no need at all to keep a credit balance. It does not matter at all. Units differ from money in that they earn no interest and have no value until they are used. In fact, they don’t even exist.

This means that approximately half of the members at any time have a negative balance. This is fine, and LETS couldn’t work otherwise. As long as the units keep circulating, all is well. LETS operates a bit like a community bank, with totally interest-free credit. Units can never be lost or stolen.

LETS is more than just a local currency in that it assists members to trade or earn units through an online LETS notice board for offers and requests. Everyone has some skills and talents that they can offer to earn or repay their community consideration. The online listings can be printed for those without computer access. They help members to list the many things that we all can do. Often people only think of themselves as one thing - their primary job or occupation. We are all multi-talented and LETS can help us recognise this and try new tasks and different jobs. LETS is moving, growing and distributing energy around our community.

An example of trading: Jane pays Sally 30 Bartles for a haircut. Sally pays Bob 40 Bartles for some gardening. Bob buys some timber from John for 35 Bartles. John pays Jane 30 Bartles for childcare. And so on, throughout the community, energy keeps circulating.

For more information:
Tablelands LETS (the group I co-ordinate)
LETS in Australia
LETS around the world

*Thank you to the other LETS systems from whom I borrowed parts of this explanation.

From the October 2008 Simple Savings Newsletter, a special too good not to share…

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