Member blog re: toast oven experience!

The very first thing I tried to do upon joining the ONE Time Bank was to get my lovely toaster oven fixed. I had a nice, shiny, red toaster oven that did everything right for the first nine months of its life. Then suddenly, as if I had said something extremely offensive to it, it decided to no longer function properly. It refused to heat up, even after long hours of coaxing and massaging. So it sat around my kitchen, and then in my car, for about another nine months until I finally had the wonderful opportunity to possibly get it fixed. The Time Bank had offered me its sole intention - a service I normally could not afford (not to mention - the price for repair probably would have been the same as a brand new toaster oven at Wal-Mart)!

Admittedly, I was a bit nervous when I arrived at my fellow Time Banker's house, but then I thought to myself: "This is indeed Burlington, and this person has indeed taken the time to join a pseudo-communist network of time-dollar exchange, so I probably do not have much to worry about." Needless to say, my assumption was perfectly accurate. We had a great time tearing the oven apart and fidgeting with all its little gadgets. While working, we filled each other in on our past, our present, and our plans for the future. We talked about our jobs or volunteer work, and we laughed a lot. Eventually, the time came to put the toaster oven back together, and the scene could have been taken right out of the latest Hollywood blockbuster comedy. At least three times, we realized that we had mismatching parts, layers overlapping the wrong layers, things sticking through the wrong areas, and windows not able to close. But it was hilarious. And it helped us get to know each other even better.

In the end, we never achieved our original goal - the toaster oven has since been recycled at Small Dog Electronics ($0.25 per pound!!! I highly recommend it!). I'll miss my toaster oven, and I have yet to mention the episode to my stepmother, who bought me the precious gift two years ago. But during my Time Bank experience, I met a new person: a "friendly face" to greet around town, a "future collaborator" for volunteer projects, and just a plain old nice guy.

--Nolan Masterson

The Holidays are A'comin!

Yes, it's that time of year where the weather gets crisper, people come together to celebrate candles and turkeys and fat men in red suits and little babies. It's also the time of year where we are trying to stretch every last dollar to cover expensive meals as well as giving presents to everyone we know.

Why not use the time bank to make the holiday season a little less stressful!

Have company coming over and you have no time to clean? Have a time bank member come over and make your house shine! Or maybe you were so busy cleaning that you didn't remember to make the lemon bars? Find someone on the time bank who offers that skill and see if you can simply buy a pan of bars from them with time dollars! Or use someone's offer for fiddle lessons as a most excellent Christmas present! Or maybe your Aunt Hilda would love a Reiki treatment...use the time bank!

Another way to use the time bank: Have your entire meal made by different time bank members! Search the marketplace for people offering to teach cooking/baking skills. See if they would be interested in preparing a course for your holiday meal. You could arrange to drop off the ingredients at their house and pay them in time dollars for the time they spend preparing and delivering the food! Imagine, a five course meal that you don't have to stress about!

So, destress this most stressful time of year by checking out the time bank marketplace!