What would life look like without money?

In my world there is no money. There are no shops, no markets and no malls. We exchange what we have for what we need. For example, when I need new shoes, I go to the shoemaker.

I give my work and he gives shoes for it.

In the morning I decided I wanted to learn English. I went to the teacher. She said: 'I will give you an English class if you bring me lunch.' I went to the farmer.

The farmer said: 'I will give you a bag of rice if you work for me for two hours.' I worked for two hours, but I wanted a chicken, too. The farmer said I had to work three more hours. I did. I went home with the rice and the chicken. It was already 3 p.m. I cooked the chicken with rice. I was hungry, so I ate some. It was already teatime.

I packed the food and went to the teacher. She was very hungry, because she didn’t have any students yet. She ate her lunch, then gave me a class. I learned to speak about food. Then she said: 'I will teach you how to speak about vegetables if you bring me some tea.'

I was thinking hard, where to get tea leaves. I remembered that one of my friends had a tea bush. I picked some apples in my garden and went to my friend. I asked her: please give me some tea leaves. She asked: 'what will you give me in exchange?' I gave her the apples. She was fine with it.

I went back to the teacher and made her tea. She asked: ‘don’t you have milk? I like tea with milk.’

I went back to the farmer, but the farmer said he didn’t have any cows, no milk. I was thinking hard, where to get milk. I remembered that there was another farmer far away.

I asked my father if I could use his bike to go to that place. He said yes, if I wash it first. I did. Then I went to the other farmer. He said he would give me some milk if I cleaned his house. I did. I went back to the teacher with the milk, but she was asleep.

It was midnight already. I was also tired. I went home. In the end I was thinking: what did I do today? I had only one English class.

• What would your life be like without money?
• What would you do if you need food?
• What can you give in exchange?
• Do you think money is important?