There’s a reason concepts like Airbnb and Uber have taken off. People love the idea of collaborative-based movements that are convenient, cost-effective and community oriented. As well as taking part in existing initiatives, why not become a collaborative consumption pioneer and set up your own community-based schemes? Here are a few ideas to get you inspired
Gardens
Gardening is a wonderful way to destress, soak up Vitamin D and create something beautiful. It’s even more rewarding when you have people to share it with, which is where collaborative consumption comes in. Cities like Auckland and Christchurch often feature community gardens that are open to the public, while privately-owned plots can be found in smaller towns and neighbourhoods. Harvest time is a wonderful excuse to get your patrons together and enjoy a community meal using your homegrown veg.
Pets
Pets are a big responsibility and can often mean dedicating several hours a day to walks or forking out for expensive kennel fees when you go on holidays. If you love animals but don’t want the round-the-clock responsibility of caring for a dog, collaborative pet ownership could be a fantastic solution. Dogs can be incredibly adaptable and as long as they have food, exercise and plenty of love they’ll usually be happy to switch homes every week or month. If you have the space, you can also extend the concept of collaborative consumption to animals like chickens. While it’s inconvenient to move the coop around, you can get together a group of fellow egg lovers and share the cost of grain, vet bills and other overheads.
Cars
While some people are heavily reliant on cars, others find themselves behind the wheel only a handful of times a week. If this applies to you it may seem frivolous to pay for insurance, maintenance and registration. Instead, why not consider sharing the cost with a few neighbours who find themselves in the same situation? It’s best to have an advance booking system in place to keep things organized and avoid any clashing schedules. A log book can also be a good idea to keep track of petrol usage.
Vacation homes
Rather than lock yourself into a timeshare that’s laced with restrictions, why not get together a group of fellow holiday lovers and invest in a property that you can use throughout the year? With pensions and superannuation funds available or looming, now is a fantastic time to start thinking about how to enjoy your savings. It’s important to draw up guidelines and time slot allocations in advance to avoid any drama down the line.
Homecooked meals
If you love homecooked meals but find the idea of spending several hours a day in the kitchen, getting together a ‘supper club’ can be a great way to socialise and treat your taste buds. Keep things simple with a once-a-week gathering or get together a large group of neighbours and have a rotating roster that incorporates every night of the week.
Do you have any collaborative consumption success stories? We’d love to hear from you so go ahead and share in the comments below.
Paul Mclaren - 5 years ago
Organising a Sharing seminar or workshop can be extremely satisfying and can snowball, with others following suit, promoting their particular passion!
I had considerable experience with dry composting toilets, and was able to share shamelessly some fine and intimate detail recently, especially of my very low budget model, basically using a plastic rubbish drum.
The 20 other people enjoyed the give and take of ideas, starting from the basic premise, that most of the world’s people do NOT Believe in mixing their valuable ‘Humanure’ with their clean drinking water, for disposal!
Perhaps it may be helpful to do a joint presentation along with someone else.
I have always felt that I love to teach and love to learn-perhaps others, ditto!?
Thanks, P.A.M.