Wondering how to save money while still giving meaningful holiday presents to those you love? Good news: the sharing economy can help.

I often feel very conflicted during the holidays. On one hand, I LOVE giving gifts. Discovering a present that I know will light up the eyes of a friend or family member is intoxicating to me. On the other hand, I realize how consumerism has absolutely ruined the true meaning of the holidays, and hate participating in the spending frenzy.

The rapidly growing sharing economy emphasizes access over ownership, placing more emphasis on positive experiences and relationships, rather than the acquisition of things that will eventually end up gathering dust on a shelf somewhere. Companies that facilitate this kind of collaborative consumption have been popping up left and right over the past few years. These services, most of which can be accessed online, make it easy to give gifts that will help grow the sharing economy, in addition to delivering affordable, eco-friendly experiences for those you love.

How To Save Money and Support The Sharing Economy During The Holidays

1. Give mobility – The number of bike and car sharing programs has exploded, both in the U.S. and around the world. Companies like B-Cycle, CitiBike, Zipcar, Enterprise CarShare, Car2Go and others make it possible to access energy-efficient vehicles on a short-term basis: gas, insurance, and parking included! (Also see Top 5 Cities in the World for Bike Sharing.)

2. Give toys – But not in the traditional sense. There’s nothing cheery about big box stores this year, so keep your money in your pocket. Instead, why not host a used toy exchange? Call up around a dozen people who have kids, and probably some gently used toys they’d like to get rid of (make sure a good range of age groups are represented). Then, choose a spot where everyone can come and show what they’ve got to share. Employ a bring one, take one policy. Everyone goes home with something new, and if there are leftovers, donate them to a local charity or thrift store.

3. Shop on yerdle – Touting the motto that “sharing is the new shopping” this beautiful iPhone app makes it incredibly easy to score awesome stuff (even electronics and jewelry) from people in your community. Everything will be new to you, and it’s all FREE!

4. Throw a feast. Giving gifts to immediate family is one thing, but when you start adding friends, coworkers, and the paper boy to the list, it starts to get out of control. Save money by gathering a group together for a shared meal instead. Instead of gifts, ask each friend to bring their favorite potluck dish, along with a few copies of the recipe. Everyone leaves with a full belly and a new dish for the recipe box.

5. Give experiences – If you’ve got adventurous friends who love to travel, or enjoy the occasional staycation, services like Vayable are a great way to deliver an unforgettable experience. Book your friend on a Midnight Street Food Crawl in NYC or forage for seafood in San Francisco. (Also see Seven Experiences to Give.)

6. Subscribe away – Instead of giving just one gift, that will eventually become broken or boring, why not give an entire year of gifts? Check out Pleygo (a Netflix-like service that delivers new LEGO kits each month), GetArtUp and Artsicle (pay a subscription fee to get new paintings for your home each month, many from local artists!), or local CSAs (community supported agriculture projects) and food co-ops. Just sign your friends up, and see the joy on their faces when the first installment arrives.

Related on Ecosalon:

4 Ways the Sharing Economy Can Save You Money

3 Ways the Sharing Economy Builds Strong Communities

3 Ways to Share Your Way to a Zero-Waste Lifestyle

Images: seanmcgrath, jonathanmcintosh

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A round-up of what we’re reading right now.

Lululemon Athletica founder Chip Wilson raises women’s hackles by blaming women’s bodies for the shortcomings of his company’s yoga pants. [Via Christian Science Monitor]

Nutrient-dense fruits and veggies aren’t only good for eating. Learn about nine foods that are powering your beauty products. [Via Well+GoodNYC]

Made from plants, this artificial egg can be used in everything from cakes to mayonnaise – without a chicken ever coming close to the production process. [Via Veg Friend]

Meet the scientists working on color-changing wallpaper. No seriously. [via Wired]

Collaborative consumption (bike-sharing, car-sharing, Airbnb, etc.) is becoming a big deal. Find out how it could change how our cities function. [Via Governing.com]

Image: Naturopathica

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All over America, people are rediscovering the bicycle, and thanks to city-wide bike sharing programs, they don’t have to buy a bike to join in the fun.

The United States is overweight, suffocating in pollution, and mired in traffic jams. Civic leaders struggle with high-tech solutions for these problems, all the while, a simple, cheap solution is right under their noses: the bicycle.

Bike sharing, a popular type of collaborative consumption, aims to reintroduce urban residents to the beauty and convenience of the bicycle. These programs allow anyone, tourist or native, to borrow a bike for temporary use. Most city bike sharing programs  encourage people to join for a monthly membership fee, and then pay a certain hourly fee for trips longer than 30 or 60 minutes. The idea is to keep people out of their cars and cabs for short-distance trips, and all over America, it’s working.

1. Washington D.C.

One of the first city-wide bike sharing programs in the nation, Washington D.C.’s Capital Bikeshare launched in 2010 with 1,100 bikes and 110 stations. In just a few short years, response has been so positive that the program has expanded rapidly. Capital Bikeshare now makes more than 1,800 bicycles available to commuters via 200+ stations across Washington, D.C., Arlington, VA, and Alexandria, VA. The program reports more than 300,000 members and at least 250,000 trips by bicycle each month.

2. Minneapolis

Formed through the Twin Cities Bike Share Project, Nice Ride Minnesota has been permanently changing the way people experience and perceive Minneapolis for nearly three years. A yearly membership only costs $65 and gives members access to 1,550 bikes located at 170 stations spread around Minneapolis and Saint Paul. According to Nice Ride, local commuters have taken more than 700,000 rides on Nice Ride bikes in 2013 alone.

3. Denver

Also founded in 2010, Denver B-cycle was the first large-scale municipal bike sharing system in the United States. All rides under 3o minutes long are free, so long as you’re a B-cycle member. The program started with 500 bikes and 50 stations, but just this year, 31 new stations were added, nearly doubling the number of bikes available to Denver residents and visitors.

4. Chicago

The Windy City is the latest American metropolis to launch a bike sharing program. In late June, just as Chicagoans were celebrating the Stanley Cup win, Divvy Bikes became available for the first time. With nearly with 4,000 bikes and 400 stations spread out across the city, Chicago’s program is definitely one of the most ambitious. Divvy is available for use 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And by providing twice as many docking points as bicycles, the program ensures that an available dock is always available for returning bikes.

5. New York City

Also debuting in 2013 was the long-anticipated New York City bike sharing program. Called Citi Bike (thanks to corporate sponsor Citi Bank) the program boasts well over 4,000 bicycles and 300 stations, although plans call for a target number of 10,000 bikes across the city. The stations are solar-powered and modular to allow for easy installation. Each station consists of a variable number of docking ports for the bikes, plus a touchscreen kiosk for the purchase of Access Passes, and a map of local bike lanes, other Citi Bike stations, and places to buy a helmet.

Images: ejchang, Capital Bikeshare, Nice Ride Minnesota, denverjeffrey, Divvy Bikes, Citi Bike

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Alicia Silverstone hopes to provide assistance to fellow vegan moms who are struggling to feed their newborns breast milk.

We’ve heard of car sharing, bike sharing, and other collaborative consumption efforts, but what about sharing breast milk? Your initial reaction might be shock, but it’s actually not uncommon for women to supplement their own milk production in times of emergency or physical inability. There are both formal “milk banks” and informal sharing circles.

Now, actress, author, and vegan activist, Alicia Silverstone, has launched her own peer-to-peer breast milk sharing program, called “Kind Mama Milk Share.” The program is intended to provide an alternative for those mothers who have made the decision to be vegan, and want to raise their newborns in the same way.

On her blog, The Kind Life, Silverstone recounts the experience that inspired her to start the milk share.

A couple weeks ago, another mama I know gave birth to a son…because of a breast reduction surgery, she found she wouldn’t be able to make enough milk for him, no matter how much precious boobie time they spent together. She tried reaching out in her community for donor milk, but it was almost impossible to figure out what kind of lifestyle choices the donors had made.”

Vegan mothers who find themselves in similar situations are often forced to turn to formulas in order to ensure proper caloric intake. Yes, there are vegan formulas, but just like the dairy-based version, it’s a poor substitute for mother’s milk.

In a move that clearly plans to mobilize Silverstone’s significant online following, she’s encouraging vegan mothers who need milk to connect with those who have extra milk by commenting on her website. There are already more than 100 comments offering or requesting milk on the post, though it’s unclear whether Silverstone will be creating a dedicated page for “Kind Mama Milk Share”.

Would you participate in a sharing program of this nature or encourage your friends to do so? Share your thoughts in a comment. 

Image: maessive

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This is third post in our series on the Sharing Economy. Part One explained how sharing services can help you save money. Part Two highlighted ways collaborative consumption can reduce waste and our impact on the planet. Today’s installment will demonstrate how participation in the sharing economy can boost local economies and rebuild important community ties.

The sharing economy is more than swapping clothes or finding a cheap place to stay on vacation. While saving money and reducing waste are pleasant by-products of a sharing lifestyle, they’re not the end goal. The most exciting, promising, and truly revolutionary thing about moving from a “that’s mine” culture to a “this is ours” mentality is a refocusing of our attention on what’s really important: each other.

Embracing collaborative consumption, especially peer-to-peer sharing, requires us to acknowledge the wants, needs, talents, and resources of those around us. Consumerism teaches us that everyone is competition. We compare ourselves to our peers, using ownership of material possessions as a measuring stick of self-worth. That kind of judgement won’t last in the sharing economy.

When liberated from the burden of ownership, we gain access to knowledge and resources, become more active citizens, and are supported by a network of friends and neighbors who collaborate to solve problems. Simply put, when people share, communities become stronger. Here’s how:

1. Restores Relationships

Whether it’s made up of neighbors on a cul-de-sac, members of a church, or far flung friends on a social networking site, community is what makes sharing economy possible. In fact, some have even suggested calling it “the relationship economy.” Unfortunately, we’ve become very isolated as a society. Sure, we talk with coworkers and hang out with friends. But when’s the last time you greeted a passerby or borrowed a cup of sugar from your neighbor? We’ve become withdrawn, reluctant to share our thoughts and feelings, never mind our precious possessions. But in order to swap, barter, or rent, we must initiate contact, negotiate terms, and sometimes, go out of our way for our fellow humans. This exercises our relationship muscle, and helps us reconnect with those we previously ignored.

2. Creates Stability

Whether it’s debt, unemployment, illness, or family issues, our communities are full of unstable families, just barely making it from day to day. When times our tough, collaborative consumption reminds us to utilize the wealth we have, and share it with others. Lending libraries, food swaps, ride sharing, nanny sharing, time banks and community supported agriculture allow those with limited liquid assets to access tools, food, transportation, child care, and perhaps even work with dignity. These sharing services require a small investment on the part of each member so that all can reap a big reward. Participants realize they are not alone, and that sharing is a shortcut to accessing what they need.

Generates Solidarity

When people know and share with each other, they become unified. Instead of fearful isolation, sharing communities live with openness, generosity, and solidarity. Once we remember how awesome it is to be a part of each others’ lives, we’re more willing to become involved in other aspects of our communities as well. Being part of a community means sharing responsibility as well as rewards. The sharing economy encourages us to crowdsource solutions to community-wide problems as well as our own. All over the world, citizens are reengaging with their governments, looking for ways to get involved in the planning of budgets, support of local business, and development of neighborhoods. Sharing forces us to realize our similarities, and helps organize our efforts to realize common goals.

Image: pushthisbutton

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Fueled by a rapid rise in collaborative consumption companies, the Sharing Economy has been hailed as “the next big thing” and one of “10 ideas that will change the world”. But what the heck is it, and why should we care? This is the first in a short series of posts that will explain why everyone’s so excited about sharing, and how it can save you money, time, and even rejuvenate your social life.

Every day, we waste energy, space, and money, because we’re obsessed with the idea of owning things. Most of these things see about 10 minutes of use before we move on to the next “must have” item. The things we do use on a daily basis are built to break, and when they do, we toss them in the trash on our way out the door to buy replacements.

In the sharing economy, access is more important than ownership. It’s not the CD we want, it’s the joy of listening to the music. It’s not the cordless drill we need, but the hole it makes. Collaborative consumption companies make it easy to pay a little bit to gain access to what we need without the high cost of buying it or the burden of maintaining it. The sharing economy focuses our attention on connection and collaboration, turning neighbors into a support system and wasted assets into affordable solutions.

There are two basic types of collaborative consumption: B2C (business-to-consumer) and P2P (peer-to-peer). B2C sharing services typically operate like a normal company, where you pay a fee to access a shared resource. P2P sharing services exist to help people share what they’ve got with each other. P2p sharing can take the form of renting, bartering, or swapping, but anyway you slice it, it’s by people for people.

Since we’re all watching our budgets these days, we decided to kick off the series with a selection of stellar sharing services that can save you money without sacrifice. If you’ve got a story about how the sharing economy has helped you save money, please share it in the comments!

1. Parents

Why buy new when your kids only grow out of it in six months? thredUP is a online P2P consignment store where you can find gently used, brand name clothing for a fraction of the price. reCrib does the same thing for gear, providing a marketplace where parents can list and purchase everything from baby swings to toys. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, gather up a few friends to share a nanny or host a baby food swap.

2. Entrepreneurs

These days everyone’s got an idea for a start-up but no one has enough capital. Coworking spaces are communities where location-independent professionals gather to share expenses and talent. Most are highly social, a hotbed of collaboration, and offer printers, conference rooms, and lots of free coffee. Need to brush up on your HTML skills but don’t have the time or money for a college course? Skillshare lets you learn just about anything from anyone, MaestroMarket lets you pick the brain of industry experts, and crowdfunding platforms give you access to much needed dollars when the time is right.

3. Fashionistas

You know how you love to borrow outfits from your best friend? Well now imagine you have thousands of best friends, all with big closets full of awesome clothes. Rent the Runway works directly with over 170 top designers so you can rent dresses, accessories, and more for just a fraction of the price. Bag Borrow or Steal uses the same concept, only with top brand handbags, jewelry, watches, and more. Looking for fashion you can keep? Attend a clothing swap or browse the P2P swapping site Swapstyle.com.

4. Travelers

Seeing new places and experiencing new cultures is life-changing, albeit a pricey adventure. Just like clothing swaps give you access to a community closet, travel sharing sites can give you access to the houses, guest beds, cars, and local knowledge of friendly people around the world.P2p lodging marketplaces like Airbnb let you rent a loft in New York, an artists’ pad in San Francisco, or a villa in Italy, all for a tiny fraction of what it would cost commercially. Once you’ve arrived, car sharing services like Zipcar, RelayRides, and Getaround can put you in touch with the perfect set of wheels, or if you prefer to keep it non-gassy, look for a local bike sharing program. Believe it or not, there are even sites designed to help people swap houses for the summer or for keeps!

Image: Phillip Taylor PT

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