Collaborative consumption has been described as the “What’s Mine is Yours” movement. It’s also an idea which Time magazine has listed in its top ten world changing ideas.

Simply put if you have something that you’re not using, or that you can share you can probably save other people money by offering to do so.

Sometimes people offer what they have for free, sometimes they charge. Either way, it’s typically a what goes around comes around situation, so you usually get a kickback somewhere along the line.

Pets & Vacations
You’re going away. Your bags are packed, the passports are up-to-date and your cram-me-in-like-a-sardine budget airline flights are booked. There’s just one problem: the pets. What do you do with Rover and Whiskers? In this situation most pet owners reluctantly turn to a kennels – reluctantly due to both cost and the pet’s well-being – but Trusted Housesitters solves that problem by connecting pet owners with pet-loving travellers who are willing to pet sit in return for the chance to stay in your home while you’re away. It’s the perfect trade-off; you’re not using your house so why not let someone else, someone who’ll also water your plants, walk Rover and feed Whiskers, stay there?

Homeowners can sign up for a free six month membership and post a listing online which appear on the latest sitter jobs page. Opportunities are predominately in Australia, New Zealand and other English-speaking countries, but membership is rapidly growing creating posts in almost every country in the world.

Airport Parking
You want to leave your car at the airport but don’t want to have to take out a second mortgage for the privilege. Why not park in someone else’s drive?

Many home owners have parking spaces that they don’t use, and an increasing number are turning to websites like Park At My House to rent them out. This style of airport parking offers a considerable saving to the airport alternatives: for example this listing just five minutes from JFK is available for $8 per day. .

Taxi Sharing
Going to the airport? Why not share a taxi? Well you probably don’t know anyone else who’s going is why which is the problem taxi.to hopes to solve.

Shared taxis solve a few travel problems. Firstly, it’s considerable cheaper to share a taxi than to take one alone. Share it with one person and you split your cost in half with two and you’re only paying a third, and so on.

Shared taxis also help to reduce CO2 consumption, and consequently reduces reliance on fuel.

James is a freelance tech writer with a passion for collaborative consumption and P2P startups.