5 Easy Ways To Embrace Collaborative Consumption

Depending on how much time you spend researching alternative currencies and economies, you might not be aware that the sharing, swapping, and bartering of goods, services, and experiences are making a comeback in our culture in a big way.

There are many different ways to talk about this phenomenon, which some refer to as “the Sharing Economy,” or “peer-to-peer” resources, but most of these terms fall under the larger umbrella ofcollaborative consumption.

Never heard of it? No worries.The great thing about collaborative consumption is that you can actively participate in it without knowing that it has an official name. But just so we’re all on the same page, here’s how Rachel Botsman, co-author of “What’s Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption,” defines the movement: This movement is made up of people all over the world that are fed up with society’s unending quest for more things, and have decided to opt-out of the money and greed-basedsystem.

Related Post:Time Banks

When creative people get together and come up with their own systems for sharing, bartering, and renting the things that they want and need, they discover a new way of living. In this new system,access is valued over ownership, experience is valued over material possessions, and “mine” becomes “ours” so everyone’s needs are met without waste.

Collaborative consumption is disrupting outdated modes of business and reinventing not just what we consume but how we consume.

There is A LOT of information about all these different collaborative lifestyles swirling around the interwebs, so it’s easy to get overwhelmed.If you’re ready to explore these sharing alternatives, here are five easy ways to get your feet wet:

Transportation:Who’s got money for gas, let alone costly repairs and car insurance? Cars are expensive, require a place to park them, and even the uber efficient ones still do a number on your carbon footprint. Try these alternatives:

• Car sharing
  Zipcar,Streetcar,GoGet
• Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing
  Whipcar,Turo,Drivemycar Rentals,Getaround
• Bike sharing
  公共自行车,B-Cycle,Bixi,Santander Cycle,Next bike

Travel:度假村和酒店提供了许多便利设施，但它们单调、昂贵，通常只向你展示旅游手册上的旅游项目。Try these alternatives, and come back with memories instead of souvenirs:

• CouchSurfing– An international non-profit network that connects travelers with locals in over 230 countries and territories around the world.
• AirBnB– Connects people who have space to spare with those who are looking for a place to stay, all over the world.
• Neighbor– Provides affordable parking by enabling property-owners to rent out their empty driveways, garages, car parks etc. to drivers needing somewhere to park.
• Tripping– Tripping enables you to connect safely with locals who will introduce you to their towns, their cultures, their lives and their friends.

Media:What’s the best part about a movie? Watching it. What’s the best part about your favorite novel? Reading it. The best part about media isn’t owning it and letting it collect dust on the shelf, it’s the experience. Instead of buying that boxed set or iTunes subscription, try these:

• Movies –Netflix, Bigpond Movies
• Dvd’s, books, games –Swap,SwapaDVD,SwapaCD

Clothes:Unless you’re especially handy with a sewing machine, it’s likely that keeping your family clothed takes quite a bite out of your monthly budget. Many “cheap” clothing manufacturers use shady practices that take advantage of both people and the planet to churn out their affordable garments. But nothing’s cheaper than free, so try these instead:

• CheckClothingSwap.com和在你附近换衣服的Swapaholics。
• Then try –Swapstyle,Clothing Exchange,thredUp

(Big thanks toShareable.netfor allowing me to repurpose some of these list items from their massive GenY Guide To Collaborative Consumption!)