In San Antonio, Texas, a quiet shift may be starting to take place. Amid the nation’s 7th largest city, where money dictates most exchanges, a group of people is proving that time can be just as valuable.
The KommunityKoin.com time co-op is so much more than just an alternate economic system; it’s a completely new way of looking at what an economy could be when profit isn’t the guiding force.
A Different Kind of Economy
Unlike traditional markets that operate on money and profit margins, the time co-op functions on an entirely different principle: an hour of your time is worth an hour of someone else’s, no matter the task.
A plumber’s hour is equal to a teacher’s, which is equal to that of a gardener. The focus isn’t on maximizing wealth but on ensuring that everyone has access to the services they need through mutual exchange, care, and respect.
Collective Decision-Making
One of the fundamental aspects of the time co-op model is that control isn’t concentrated in the hands of a few. In the co-op, decisions are made collectively, with members determining how resources and services are managed in a sociocratic structure of peer-to-peer time credit exchanges using the KoinPurse.com time credit management app.
There are no corporate executives making decisions from afar; just community members working together to meet each other’s needs.
Meeting Needs, Not Creating Scarcity
Traditional economies often create artificial scarcity to drive up prices, but the time co-op envisions something much richer; abundance without prices.
Instead of supply and demand being dictated by profit, members collectively assess what’s actually needed within the community and contribute their time accordingly. If there’s a shortage of home repair services, more members step up to chip in. If elder care is lacking, volunteers contribute hours to fill that gap.
A Day in the Life
Take Javier, for example, a retired mechanic who still enjoys fixing cars but doesn’t want to work full-time. Through the time co-op, he spends a few hours a week repairing vehicles for neighbors, receiving time credits. He then uses those credits to have his house cleaned by Maria, who in turn uses her credits on tutoring for her son. Each person benefits, not because money changed hands, but because their time and skills were valued equally.
Bridging Two Worlds
San Antonio remains a city deeply tied to the traditional economy, but the time co-op model provides an alternative; one that operates alongside capitalism rather than against it. It’s not about replacing money but about giving people another way to meet their needs, especially those who might be struggling financially. For those with limited access to cash, the time co-op offers a way to contribute and receive in return.
A Future Built on Cooperation
The idea of a time co-op isn’t just an experiment; it’s a working model of how a community-driven economy can function in a major city.
By removing the profit motive, emphasizing fairness, and ensuring that every member has a say, the co-op demonstrates that economic systems don’t have to be built on competition and scarcity. Instead, they can be built on trust, cooperation, and the simple recognition that everyone’s time is valuable.
Join us in making the world a better place – you’ll be glad that you did. Cheers friends.