"Money, by definition, is simply something for which we choose to trade the hours of our life - what we'll call "life energy." Defining money as something we trade our life energy for gives us significant information. Our life energy is more real in our actual experience than money. While money has no intrinsic reality, our life energy does - at least to us. It is precious because it is limited and irretrievable, and because our choices about how we use it express the meaning and purpose of our time here on earth." Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez.

For those wishing to regain control of their finances, a couple of books, interestingly both with the same title but quite different content:

• Your Money or Your Life - Joe Dominguez
• Your Money or Your Life - Alvin Hall

...and some useful websites:

Ecology Building Society
www.ecology.co.uk
The Ecology is a mutual building society dedicated to improving the environment by promoting sustainable housing and sustainable communities. Savings placed with the Ecology fund mortgage lending on: energy efficient housing, ecological renovation, derelict and dilapidated properties, small-scale and ecological enterprise, low-impact lifestyles.

Ethical Investment Research Service
www.eiris.org
The Ethical Investment Research service provides the independent research into corporate behaviour needed by ethical investors to enable them to make informed and responsible investment decisions.

Fair Shares
www.fairshares.org.uk
Fair Shares is a Charitable Trust set up in January 1998 to explore the practical applications of using time as a currency to rebuild communities in the UK. Learning from the achievements of 'Time Dollar' schemes, which now operate in over 200 communities across the USA, Fair Shares has 6 time banks in Gloucestershire over the past 3 years.

The Freeconomy Community

www.justfortheloveofit.org

A Freeconomy is a moneyless society in which no money changes hands and there is no duality between giving and receiving; here they are seen as the two sides of the same non-monetary coin.

Freeconomy is a manifestation of trust, kindness, community and love.

Letslink UK
www.letslink.org
LETS - Local Exchange Trading Systems or Schemes - are local community-based mutual aid networks in which people exchange all kinds of goods and services with one another, without the need for money.

The National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux
www.nacab.org.uk
The Citizens Advice Bureau Service offers free, confidential, impartial and independent advice. Citizens Advice Bureaux help solve problems every year which are central to people's lives, including debt and consumer issues, benefits, housing, legal matters, employment, and immigration. Advisers can help fill out forms, write letters, negotiate with creditors and represent clients at court or tribunal.

Triodos Bank
www.triodos.co.uk
One of Europe's leading ethical banks.

The Co-operative Bank
www.co-operativebank.co.uk
Another ethical bank…

www.smile.co.uk
…and their internet subsidiary.

Steve Erlick
www.freewebs.com/prosperity
Irreverent, hard hitting information about prosperity, abundance, money and debt by author and workshop leader Steven Erlick. Following a major illness from which he recovered, Steve was "forced" to do the things he had put off for years. He closed his business, gave up chasing the buck and started to do the things that inspired him -writing and teaching. He has never been so happy.