| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Chez |
Shall we start a LETS group in Montgomershire?We did kick this idea around at a past MDS get-together; I am having another burst of enthusiasm, having been talking today to someone else who would be interested.How about having a tea-and-cake session at some point soon and discussing it, and seeing how much time we are each able to contribute to facilitating a group? I can send off for the pack from LetsLink UK in the meantime and I am happy to do some of the admin - but don't want to end up doing it all  .
Anyone interested within the area would be welcome to come along, not just those of us who know each other already! 
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| mochyn |
Yep.
Where? When? |
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| Jamanda |
What's a LETs group? | ||
| Chez |
Local Exchange Trading Systems - allows you to swap services instead of paying in cash. But instead of a direct swap with the person you want to do things for, your 'credits' go in to a 'bank' and you can spend them with other people in the group.
The main website is here: http://www.letslinkuk.org/ I've been wanting to join one for ages - but the one where I used to live was largely populated by complementary therapists (not bad in itself, but not much good if you want a plumber) and the Oswestry one near here is now defunct. So it looks like if I want to do it, I need to get involved with setting one up. Mochyn - next week some time? Or the week after? |
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| alison |
Chez, it is pretty much the same round here too. 
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| Chez |
Right then. I am free next week on Wednesday. What about you, Mochyn?
And anyone else who's interested - don't be scared of getting roped in to do things if you express an interest or come along, and don't think that you don't have anything to offer (Judith!!!); the whole point is that it's a non-traditional way of exchanging, so you don't have to have a profession to get involved. Cooking, dog-walking, baby-sitting, offering lifts, all those things are as valid forms of exchange as plumbing or the ubiquitous complementary therapies. I think it's probably partly down to where you advertise the group - if you only advertise in health-food shops you get one kind of person - if you advertise in a wide range of places, you get a wide-range of members. I hope. .
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| pookie |
ok my hands up! | ||
| mochyn |
Did you say Weds., Chez? OK by me. What time? | ||
| Chez |
2pm? Enough time for a couple of hours of thrashing things over before feeding/shutting up time? | ||
| mochyn |
Could it be earlier? I feed everyone at 3 pm... |
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| Chez |
Re-convened to co-incide with the MDS meeting on Monday 26th, but anyone interested is welcome to join us! | ||
| dulcilama |
Hello..no idea what I'm doing on 26th..
..we were talking LETS etc the other day here as an aside from microfinance which is one of our interests. The issue that stuck (apart from the fact that we are too time poor to do half the stuff we have to in the first place...), is that of tax. According to my partner, and he tends to be right on financail stuff, a value needs to be given and declared on tax forms. Rather spoils the ethos I'd have thought  .
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| sean |
Errm, I don't think that they were planning a year in advance. | ||
| mochyn |
I hate to admit it, but Sean's right again... I think the LETS idea is still there, but he (your chap, not Sean this time) is right: some kind of monetary value should be declared on tax forms. |