One Time Dollar represents one hour of service, no matter what the work. For example, after you have earned two Time Dollars helping me weed my garden, you might spend one for an hour of Chris's time changing your oil, and another paying a Ann to visit your aging mother. None of us worries too much about the exact time spent, because we're having a good time getting to know one another and creating a network of folks we can depend on. There are about two hundred ongoing networks of favors like this across the U.S. and internationally, ranging in size from dozens to thousands of members. They are called Time Dollar Exchanges.
Members record the favors they give and receive using some form of a checking system.
Your monthly statement might show a positive or negative Time Dollar balance. In many ways, time dollars are simpler than regular money, but their implications for social change and community rebirth are enormous. Such reciprocity is probably the most important ingredient in the glue holding communities together. Many modern inventions have worked to dissolve community, but the Time Dollar idea promises to bring it back. Imagine teenagers doing yard work for seniors, and seniors staffing day care centers for working mothers, all for Time Dollars they can spend on what they need.