People do without money in many different ways – from simple bartering to using bitcoin on-line. In 2005, a group of parents in Madison did it by creating a babysitting coop.
It’s simple. Colored popsicle sticks are traded per hour of babysitting. All families start with a limited number of sticks. So, once you’re out of popsicle sticks, you have to babysit to get more. Families are added to the group and problems are discussed at potlucks every 4 months. And it’s all organized on-line. Since 2005, the group has traded some 1,250 hours of babysitting worth more than 15,000 dollars.
Want to start your own babysitting COOP? Here are their guidelines.
Madison Eastside Babysitting COOP
Elllen Carlson, Erika Monroe-Kane and Amanda Jovaag