Print your own Money

It appears that local currencies are more popular than they have been since the Great Depression.

In some towns, groups of local businesses have banded together to create their own local currencies, thus encouraging people to support locally own businesses. Yes, they literally print their own money (it appears that this is indeed legal, within certain limits).

Perhaps the best-known example is the Ithaca Hours system, created during the 1991 Recession in Ithaca, NY. Ithaca is similar to other places with thriving local currencies (e.g., Madison, Wisconsin; Burlington, Vermont; Corvallis, Oregon). It is a university town which is open to unusual ideas, yet small enough that no counterfeiter could safely circulate a fake currency for more than a day or two.

If you are really interested in the subject, this 1 h 20 min interview with the founder of Ithaca Hours offers an excellent overview. Otherwise, go enjoy the rest of this Summer weather.