Breaking News, World News and Taiwan News.

Updated Sunday, July 19, 2009 10:48 am TWN, By Nancy Trejos, The Washington Post

Sharing becomes chic in U.S. during recession

“You can't change the economy. You can't change the recession. Maybe you can get a better job, but that won't be instantaneous. What do you do?” she said. “Sharing is one of the things that first of all makes you feel better about yourself. ... We're moving into 'How can we establish these kinds of personal connections, this helping others, sharing, being a bit more neighborly?' “

Neighborhood conversations tell more of the story as the movement grows organically in communities nationwide. Liz McLellan, a Web designer in Oregon, started a free yard-sharing community at Hyperlocavore (hyperlocavore.ning.com) in January. Friends, relatives or neighbors create a group, pool their resources and start a garden, then distribute the produce equally. The recession gardens, as she calls them, can save families with two children up to US$2,500 a year.

“We have people who are foodies and have become accustomed to outstanding taste and freshness,” she said. And “we have people who simply are trying to make ends meet.”

In February, Robert Morse of New York started DaveZillion.com — named for a friend known for helping his neighbors before he died at 43 — to connect groups of people who want to share tools or help one another on home projects. “We hear stories about guys who have no money to go golfing anymore and are going to each other's houses and helping each other paint the house or fix the patio,” he said.

Women have flocked to the Web site BagBorroworSteal.com to borrow or rent luxury bags and other accessories. Users of a book-swapping Web site, Bookmooch, have increased 30 percent to about 124,000 since the beginning of the year. The membership of the trading site SwapTree has grown tenfold in the past year. “We're kind of coming out of an opulent time,” said Mark Hexamer, co-founder of SwapTree. “People have seen the bad side of mass consumerism. Now everyone is kind of looking for ways to cut down on the family budget.”

Since the recession started, the car-sharing company Zipcar has had a 70 percent increase in membership to almost 300,000.

Sixty percent of the new members said they had sold their cars or abandoned plans to buy them in favor of Zipcar, which charges a small annual fee.

“The downturn in the economy has people thinking of buying less and sharing more,” said Scott Griffith, chief executive of Zipcar.

Local governments and faith organizations are joining in. For a US$40 annual fee, Washington, D.C., offers access to 120 bikes at self-service racks around the city.

1|2

Share

Print

Email



	Chris Ganson takes advantage of the availability of shared wheels by joining Washington's Smart Bike and Zipcar programs. The recession is reminding Americans of a lesson they first learned in childhood: share and share alike. (The Washington Post) Enlarge Photo


Sponsors
▪	Get the best deals for Guangzhou Hotels or choose from more than 10,000 hotels in 499 Chinese cities.
▪	Find great real time deals on China Flights. Book flights to China or China domestic flights 24/7.
▪	Buy china wholesale products from reliable chinese wholesalers on DHgate.com!
▪	Save 70% for hotel in Shanghai and 6000 hotels, in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and all China.