Financial Foundations of Merging into Collaborative Union

Navigating the journey from individual economic provision
to integration into the "Rich By Association" SHARE Economy

Transitioning to collaborative living within a communitarian setting can feel like a significant shift, even for those who have spent four years building relationships with others across the global network of communitarian unions. However, through consistent engagement, both on-line and face-to-face, associates will be greatly aided to make a smooth transition from separatist subsistence living to eco-social “Rich By Association”  “common” wealth sustainable economic security by creating a solid foundation of trust, shared values, and for the majority, gain firsthand experience pooling and sharing resources at Gatherings and sustainable living tutorials as well as hands-on workshops.

The period of association leading up to formal entry into the lifestyle and love-style of Deep Union provides a strong foundation that enables the shift into a common purse union to be a natural progression rather than a sudden leap.

Building a bridge to "Collaborative" Economic Security
through Personal Budgeting

As novice communitarians enter the fifth year of association, the next step involves merging finances to fully integrate into a COMMON PURSE PROVISIONING model. Simplifying personal finances is an essential step in preparing for COMMUNAL UNION, enabling contribution to, and benefit from, the collective economic foundations upon which deep union is built and draws from to satisfy current and future resource needs.

Thriving within a ‘common’ wealth “Rich By Association” shared prosperity eco-social co-living environment requires shifting from the mindset and habit of personal accumulation to a collaborative provisioning model that prioritizes collective economic security over individual financial subsistence.

Simplifying finances entails streamlining income and expenses with a view to living from a COMMON PURSE while also contributing to  local, regional and global COLLABORATIVE PROVISIONING COMMITTEES. Learning to plan, produce and distribute ‘COMMON’ WEALTH to support the life, liberty and happiness of those that SHARE in the unions, lays the groundwork for a thriving, self-sustaining network of communal unions, where all contribute according to ability and receive according to need.

Tracking Income & Expenses

An essential step for associates seeking to merge into DEEP UNION is the task of simplifying finances through gaining a clear understanding of their current financial situation. By now, those who have spent a number of years PREPARING TO SHARE will already be familiar with tracking their income and expenses. Knowing the exact place where our money goes – whether it is for food, clothing, accommodation, transport, health care, or recreation, provides a baseline for what we can expect to contribute and receive when we convert to a CO-LIVING arrangement that includes living from a COMMON PURSE.  

This clarity will also allow those seeking to transition to COMMUNAL LIVING to identify areas where personal expenses can be reduced, while also making it easier to decide which resources to bring into the collective, and those that need to be sold, donated, recycled or repurposed.

Key Actions: Those seeking to merge into a collaborative living union, must ‘prove’ that they have the skills and discipline to contribute to the financial health, growth and security of the communal union they intend to join. For these reasons, the following financial stewardship practices are now implemented:

  • Create a budget that focuses on needs, rather than wants
  • Track finances for an entire year
  • Seek guidance from the Collaborative Provisioning Committees to create a financial plan that includes projected income and expenses for a 2 year period from the commencement of acceptance into a communal union

Learning the Ropes of Personal Budgeting

Within the context of collaborative living, financial management becomes a shared responsibility. For this reason, the initial personal budget projections include personal needs coupled to collaborative living expenses, such as accommodation, food, utilities, healthcare and transportation. Since the goal is to contribute to and benefit from sustained economic security created by participatory-governed planned collaborative provisioning that meets everyone’s basic needs, budgeting becomes less about accumulating personal wealth and more about mastering the skills associated with responsible stewardship of communal resources that provide support for the collectives.

For those transitioning to ‘common purse’ collaborative living, it is best to start small by setting aside funds to contribute to communal savings, or else a group fund that covers joint purchases. This approach gradually builds the habit of thinking in terms of collective needs rather than continuing to struggle to cover the costs associated with the reality of J.O.B (Just Off Broke) delusional individual separatist financial independence.

Over time, as 5th Year Associates integrate into the participatory governance structure of Collaborative Provisioning Committees, they will have input into decision-making processes that determine how shared resources are allocated.

Key Action: Begin participation in Collaborative Provisioning Committees that provide opportunities to engage with common purse budgeting, where planned ‘common’ wealth production and distribution is determined by collective input, based on current and projected needs of local and regionally networked communal unions. This includes the need for sufficient quantities and high-quality clean-green organic living foods, mobile accommodation, renewable energy generation equipment installation and maintenance, along with Right Livelihood productivity and distribution enterprise development provisioning.

Becoming Debt-free

One of the most empowering financial steps 5th Year Associates take before fully integrating into collaborative living, is to work toward becoming debt-free. Reducing or eliminating personal debt simplifies an Associate’s financial situation, easing both current and future strain. This financial stability enables a smoother transition into an evolved eco-social collaborative lifestyle and love-style, allowing for fuller participation in contributing and benefiting from the communal union’s common purse financial prosperity and security.

While it may not always be possible to completely clear all personal debts before, or even during the 5th Year of association, creating a debt-reduction plan and consistently implementing it, will significantly reduce high-interest obligations with the result of freeing up resources to make the transition easier.

Key Action: Prioritize debt reduction, especially high-interest loans or credit card balances to enter collaborative union with financial stability.

Saving & Sharing

Collaborative living requires a mindset shift from saving to achieve personal financial independence – to building ‘common’ wealth sustainable economic security. This collective approach benefits both individual communitarians as well as the network of locally and regionally connected communal unions; which together, strengthen the greater economic stability of the global communitarian union association.

For those in their fifth year of association, actively reshaping how personal resources are stewarded is likely already part of their integration plan. However, this practice becomes even more essential as they move closer to full participation in the communal union they intend to merge into as part of adopting an eco-social collaborative lifestyle and love-style. 

The communal savings, contributed to now will be used to support the SHARE economy—whether that involves purchasing inputs to grow organic living foods within the Kitchen Gardens and permanent agriculture Food Forests, or purchasing other food supplies in bulk, securing accommodation facilities and transport options for the union, or else ensuring that healthcare needs are met for everyone.

In this context, saving is not just an individual act but a contribution to a larger effort that benefits the entire communal association. Through participation in the Collaborative Provisioning Committees, associates now play an active role in deciding how these resources are used, ensuring that all financial, labour and material resources are directed toward the most pressing needs of the group.

Key Action: Associates begin now, or continue contributing a portion of their income to communal savings, and or, joint purchases to support the communal unions current support obligations as well as long-term Right Livelihood economic development projects.

Participating in the Governance
of a Planned Collaborative Economy

In a collaborative SHARE economy, financial management is deeply intertwined with the concept of participatory governance, where decisions are made collectively, resulting in all members having a voice in how resources are used. This form of governance empowers everyone to take ownership of the communal union’s financial viability and ensures that wealth is produced and distributed based on individual need coupled to collective capacity.

For novice communitarians, stepping into these roles early on, helps them learn the ropes of budgeting for shared living. The Collaborative Provisioning Committees provide a practical platform to grasp the complexities of managing communal finances, which includes sourcing goods and services, along with planning for future growth and sustainability. By participating in these committees, members ensure that their collaborative living association, remains responsive to everyone’s needs.

Key Action: Join Collaborative Provisioning Committees to gain hands-on experience in financial decision-making processes. Learn to budget for a planned economy where wealth is produced and shared according to need guided by eco-social principles and practices.

Successful Transitioning to the SHARE Economy

Simplifying finances for collaborative living is a transformative process that requires both personal and communal shifts in how resources are managed. For those in their fifth year of association, implementing this change requires more than adjusting to a new financial system – it also involves fully embracing the principles of shared responsibility, participatory governance, and planned provisioning. By learning to budget wisely, reduce debt, and actively contribute to collective resource stewardship, novice communitarians will ease their own transition, while also strengthening the economic sustainability and security of the entire network of collaborative living communitarian unions.