There is likely no future civilization without UBI (Universal Basic Income). Increasing automation combined with increasing population size implies that either dramatic population reduction is needed or that basic income be adopted. There is reason to expect dramatic population decline, but not before the needed jobs disappear.
With UBI, we can expect a large part of the population without paid employment. The last time such a large segment was off the payroll was the 19th century, during which most women worked at home. They made two substantial contributions, which were participation in cottage industries and the creation of negative expenses.
On a ledger, money not spent is equivalent to money earned; negative expenses matter. Producing one’s own food or heating water with solar energy reduces pressure on the household budget. Recycling an item instead of buying a new one is like getting a used item as a gift.
A 19th century home produced very little trash. This is because women, whose time was unrecorded and uncompensated, were motivated to actively recycle. Clothes were mended until they became rags, and rags were mended until their fragments were woven into mud room rugs.
Domestic thrift is discouraged in an economy in which everyone is a potential employee. Potential employees must ask how long they must work to produce a can of corn versus how long they must work to earn enough to buy a can at the supermarket. Thew difference is usually hours versus minutes. However, in a future economy in which full employment might not be possible/permitted, home thrift/production is something instead of nothing.
Cottage industries of the 18th century included spinning, weaving, cobbling, laundry, and match-making. In cases in which a worker had to deal with a single distributor, exploitation was the norm. However, modern versions like etsy show that such work can be equitably remunerated.
- One can imagine assembling IoT (Internet of Things) devices that never phone home, which is a market niche that for profit-companies refuse to explore.
- Antique furniture was built to last centuries, and modern furniture can be built using the same techniques. These items are investments, not expenses. They do not depreciate, and might well appreciate in value. A buyer who is willing to buy particle board furniture every three years might be willing to buy solid furniture in monthly payments.
- A large part of the expense of photovoltaic panels is their assembly. The photovoltaic cells themselves are relatively inexpensive. The assembly of the panels do not require unusual skills or equipment.
- Cargo bikes are notoriously expensive, but a person with welding skills can assemble them from the components of used or abandoned bikes.
- A food club requires time for administration, but the administrator may not be compensated without turning the club into a business. However, an administrator might be compensated by members who provide favors such as baby-sitting.
- Cars spend most of their time in parking lots. Five cars may be owned by a collective of ten people; the cost of membership is half a car.
There is a future awaiting us, and the sooner we embrace it, the less difficult the transition shall be. What cottage industries or cost saving measures can you imagine?