Confessions of a Compulsive LETS Trader
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When I have to put out $18 a year in annual subscription to my LETS group, I want to make that money REALLY work for me. So I studied the potential of the LETS system, and at last I think I have of the hang of it, and I am getting my money’s worth.
The LETS system (and Green Dollar and Time Dollar systems) is really about people trading/exchanging services/skills/talents, and it only works well when members USE this system as much as possible.
Several years ago I had to leave nursing due to back problems, after working for many years. I was thus forced to live on a Centrelink payment while I was studying for a career change, while still raising my youngest son and paying a mortgage; a rather ‘interesting’ challenge at times. My back required regular massage and I needed access to a naturopath monthly, all of which I was just not able to afford. I had been introduced to the LETS concept several years before by friends who are members of Grassy Plains LETS.
It always felt that it sounded so simple that there had to be a catch. Then, about 4 years ago, I finally GOT THE MESSAGE.
Since then I have been trading on an almost daily basis. When helping our Transaction Recorder with our annual Group Transaction Statement for the period from September 2001 to September 2002, I discovered, to my astonishment, that I had done 622 transactions. I was AMAZED to say the least, and thought that I must have done a lot of administration, to explain this very high figure. So I went through my account, took out the administration transactions and still found that I had well over 400 transactions. Now that’s what I call REALLY making your annual subs work!
On hearing about this, Graeme Sweeney told me he thought this was inspirational and would I write an article for Warranwood newsletter about this, so here I am.
Now I don’t think that this high trading rate is at all exceptional. Two years ago, the DVNS Directory editor and I were racking our brains for a slogan for our directory, and finally settled on this:
“Think LETS before you spend cash”.
This is what I try to do, and with the wonderful wide range of services and skills that are offered in our group and among the several groups through which I trade, this is very easy. If I cannot find something I want in our directory, I check the directories of the other groups, and I’m almost sure to locate what I am looking for.
Currently I have a massage weekly and Bowen Therapy monthly; naturopathy every one to two months; hairdressing every six weeks; have had computer assistance, both troubleshooting and training several times. Then there was desktop publishing for business cards and flyers; I had an amazing 21st birthday cake baked and decorated for my son; been driven to and from airports and shopping; had various sorts of sewing and mending; and ‘bought’ many Christmas and birthday gifts through this scheme, to name just a few trades.
I am also part of a gardening group that gets together weekly. This gardening group also saves seeds, swaps plants and seedlings and shares excess produce. In November 2001 I traded 40kg of grapefruit from a member who had these fruit in vast excess. What to do with this amount of fruit?! I must say I could never have used it all, though I tried. I ate grapefruit, drank the juice, and froze more juice, till I could take no more. So I gave away about 20kg to other members, then spent a few days making the most marvelous grapefruit marmalade. I still wait for November to come around then I ring her and ask how her grapefruit tree is going, as I love the marmalade, and make some each year. It was a bit overwhelming that first time, but there has not been such a crop since, thank goodness, but I feel that this sort sharing is what LETS is about. One person’s waste or junk is bound to be wanted/needed by someone else.
I have also managed to acquire many goods through LETS. About three years ago I set up a massage room at home, and obtained most things for the room this way. I had to buy paint for the walls and ceiling (though now Moreland LETS has a paint bank!), and a new massage table, but virtually everything else in the room was traded for points. There’s a mirror and poster on one wall, two sets of curtains, a large floor rug, two sets of shelves, 2 plant stands, a cane cupboard/shelf for towels and sheets, etc., an electric oil column heater for towels, an electric fan, numerous books and almost half my massage towels. Fitted sheets for the massage table were made by one LETS member, and in what was the old wardrobe space, another LETS member built a computer station. The desk for this was a trade, as was the office chair I use. When doing a massage, this computer station is covered by a very large curtain. All I paid out cash wise to set up this room was for paint and the massage table; this made starting my own mini business affordable, instead of rather confronting on a meagre income.
Other goods obtained have been a crock-pot, a microwave, a vacuum cleaner, a small chicken shed and wire for a run, two water tanks (installed by a LETS member for watering my vegetable garden), all sorts of clothing, 2 lovely leather handbags, greeting cards, books galore, film tickets, jars of jam, bed linen, a almost new QS bed, bags of BD sheep manure, a VCR, the list goes on and on. The secret to finding out about these goods is to attend socials/swapmeets and to help out at promotional stalls. This way you get to meet and talk with other members, eventually information is exchanged about goods that are available. Another source of information is our e-group that acts as an Internet instant notice board, where members are informed about events or goods that need to be ‘moved’ quickly before the next newsletter comes out.
Last March I had some relatively minor surgery but was out of action for about 6 weeks. I was driven to hospital on the day of surgery by a LETS member and driven home two days later by another. For 2 weeks one member fed my chickens, several kept me fed, others did shopping, and another drove me to doctors’ appointments, while yet others came to my home and gave me Reiki on a daily basis to speed my recovery. Another member with nursing experience was an HUGE backup with medical advice, and assurance that she would come any time of the day or night if I needed her. What I would have done without ALL these people is beyond me and I cherish each and every one of them. Many members have become good friends and this is another bonus.
You are only limited in your trading by your own imagination.
There is a slogan/catch phrase on TV – Think outside the square! The system is there and it is SO SIMPLE. USE IT!!! And HAVE FUN!!!!
Jenny Millar DVNS LETS
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If you are interested in joining our LETS Group in the Diamond Valley / Northern Suburbs area please CONTACT US
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