Start a Neighborhood Time Bank to Help Out on DIY Projects, Get to Know Your Neighbors
You already know how towelcome new neighbors to the community, but to get to know them better, home-centric blog Re-Nest recommends starting a Time Bank. As you help them with their DIY projects or errands, they help you with yours.Photo by Michigan Municipal League (MML).
The logistics of a time bank are simple. For each hour you help someone out with their project, they help you out with yours:
Need help building a deck? Maybe catching an airport shuttle isn't in your budget right now. Enter: the Time Bank. Their Mission is, "strengthening communities through reciprocity." If you spend an hour doing something for someone in your community, that hour goes into the "bank" as a Time Dollar. You can then spend that dollar to have someone else do something for you.
While there are official channels through which you can create a neighborhood-wide Time Bank, with a central web hub and all (so others can find it), you could always use less formal means, too. Even if it just means pitching the idea to a few neighbors as a cool idea (and have them then pitch it to other folks they know in the community), you could have a pretty casual, helpful set-up going. Not only is it a great way to get to know your neighbors, but you'll probably gain some good DIY experience (and maybe even learn a trick or two) in the process. Hit the link for more information on Time Banking, and share your thoughts in the comments.
Send an email to Whitson Gordon, the author of this post, at whitson@lifehacker.com.
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