It's a very old post on Slate.com, but I have been inspired by its simplicity so am hat-tipping it here in the hope others see it too.
I'm even tempted to start a whole new web-site to exploring it, but not sure how sad it would make me........
It concerns a baby-sitting co-op in Washington DC in the seventies that aimed share the load. About 150 couples joined, with the purpose of baby-sitting each other's children, thus saving money and giving everyone an opportunity to go out more often. (probably to some of the great restaurants an ex-girlfriend from Georgetown tells me there are!)
The co-op failed because they essentially entered a depression. Each member had coupons which they gave to the baby-sitting couple. These could be redeemed at a later date, meaning had to go out and party and baby-sit in equal measure.
But people held on to the coupons so as to be able to go out in the future, which meant the money, sorry, coupon supply ran dry and the co-op failed....
Of course, they all worked in Congress, which inspires a great deal of confidence about US lawmakers' ability to manage the future global economic tightening......
and some people would now argue that the internet would have helped them with transparency and create a freer exchange.......
SH
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