For years, the poor have felt the pinch of an economy based on scarce resources. But many people in the middle class, who have been getting along well enough until now, are starting a very real downward slide as jobs shrivel up and dollars buy less. A feeling of panic is spreading, and people wonder how they are going to pay their debts, their rent, and groceries, and still have enough left over for health insurance.
But are resources really as scarce as we believe? Just think about all the talent and knowledge that our friends, family, and neighbors collectively possess. Talent that is not utilized simply because it cannot be traded for dollars. We lament that we do not have enough money, that there aren't enough jobs, but rarely question why that is, or imagine a world of abundance could be within our grasp.
Creating feelings of wealth in your life isn't as hard as you may think. As people around the world start to channel the power of social networks, we are quickly gaining a new, powerful conciousness, an understanding of the power that we already possess to transform our lives.
This realization is sparking a growing global movement in which people, community, creativity, and local resources are highly valued. The spycatXchange, a small part of this group, is designed for progressive urbanites, including artists, activists, intellectuals, and free spirits. Most of us are the kind of people who love getting massages, appreciate handmade art in our homes, and want nicely designed websites for our small businesses. However, we don't always have enough dollars to support the lifestyle we aspire to. SpyCat is our opportunity to take advantage of the talents we already have to get the things we normally couldn't afford. Because we don't have to spend money on any services in this network, we have more money in our pockets at the end of the month to invest in our futures and build the monetary wealth that we have been so desiring.
SpycatXchange uses a software program that simply records who has done what for whom. Anyone can participate, and you don't have to have any money or credits in the system in order to take advantage of the existing offerings. It's more sophisticated than bartering, which limits you to trading with the person who needs the exact service you happen to be offering. If you have a knack for fixing cars, you can get credits in the system for doing just that, and then shop around for various services that you need, like getting new business cards designed.
Complementary currencies like spycatXchange foster the real wealth of communities and rebuild a sense of worth and self-esteem among the users. Around the world they report an increased sense of vitality in all sectors of the communities using them.
From public speaking engagements to video editing, to computer programming and fine art, there's no limit to the ways of earning money in these systems. In this way a community currency acts like a supplementary currency, creating an additional stream of value in a community. By supplementing conventional cash flow with a local currency, a community can maintain full employment and protect itself from changes and fluctuations in the national money supply.
I help you, and you help another—and someone else helps me. The recipients of help become, in turn, the providers of help. What goes around comes around. The currency you earn by helping others can be used to receive services or help from someone else and buy goods on offer. When you spend your community currency, someone else earns it.
SpyCat members compile and distribute a directory of goods and services offered by the traders registered with us, as well as a list of our "wants" or requirements. When a trader requires something advertised in the directory, he or she contacts the seller and the trade takes place. The buyer "pays" the seller with the community currency. This usually involves the handing over of a check-like Trading Slip that records how much the buyer is paying for the goods/service delivered. The information is recorded directly by the seller on a central computer internet "bank". Sales are recorded as credits for sellers and purchases as debits for buyers. The central bookkeeping system records the relative trading positions of the traders. Those in credit can claim from the community goods and services to the value of their credit and those in debit owe the community goods and services to the value of their debit. Traders receive a regular newsletter and statement of account that lists their trades and gives their balance at the end of the period. Information about the trading position of others prevents unscrupulous buyers from exploiting the system. News about the group assists in building links and enhancing the sense of community.
Absolutely not. Barter almost always involves bargaining between two individuals to establish the relative worth of the goods or services they wish to exchange. There is no bargaining with a community currency. When you purchase something you are in no way obliged to the seller; you "pay" for what you have received by delivering or selling something to another trader in the community. Community currencies are as versatile as conventional ones.
Definitely not! Our motives are noble. We want to create a more equal society where wealth is distributed according to contribution, not according to your ability to "make money". In other countries where these systems have become big, the state has either ignored the tax angle because it saves state expenditure on welfare payments, or there is an agreement to provide services to the state.
SpycatXchange is part of the CES, an international trading network with exchanges in many countries. Credits earned in one exchange can be spent in another, or if you are visiting another area you can trade with local CES traders. New exchanges are starting in new areas all the time, and existing ones are growing steadily.