The Local Currency - Samaras
The Sharehood has started a complementary currency called Samaras to help facilitate local exchanges. You don't ever have to use Samaras, but they're there in case you want to.
Samaras can be handy if you want something that someone else is offering, but you feel bad about asking because you don't have anything they want. It means that you can pay your neighbour in Samaras for two hours of gardening, and then you can get paid by someone else to do two hours of editing. In the end, everyone's happy: the currency allows for indirect barter to occur.
Samaras can also be useful if you ever start to feel like you are being taken advantage of. You can always just suggest that your neighbour starts paying you in samaras for whatever you're doing.
Last but not least, Samaras could help to create a vibrant local economy, which means more engagement with people you know rather than anonymous customer service workers, as well as less transportation of goods, and a greater emphasis on homemade goods.
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