We paid ourselves a very low wage. We chose to live frugally in communal households at the time. Our main priority in life was exploration of ways to equitably distribute income, responsibility, and authority in our collective lives. My main impression from those days is that, at those times when we put maximum trust in one another, we were rewarded with generosity and joy, but whenever we, individually, or in a group, lost trust or confidence in each other, we would receive the very evidence we feared, that our friends could be unkind and miserly. A competitive love relationship is inconceivable.
Love requires vulnerability to thrive, and therefore relies on a high degree of trust.
Fear and suspicion of one's lover is always an indication that something is not right between you. Friendly exchange will work if our level of belief and trust in each other is strong and based upon a real willingness to express doubts and fears and carefully weigh our decision to participate. I've seen remarkable acts of group awareness and trust. It is not simply theoretically possible for us to live without being exploitive or predatory. It happens all the time.