Have you ever traded someone? Other then your pb&j sandwich to the kid down the lunch room table?
I never knew that I had anything to trade.
In times of a depressed economy people do move to using old fashioned trading instead of purchasing things with cash. It seems to work well. Instead of needing to come out of pocket for something, you can provide a good you produce or some sort of service in return.
Our old house (built in 1930) was sorely in need of re-wiring to update it and make the electrical system safe. That would cost us about 15,000$. THAT would take us forever to save. If we even ever did. My husband met an electrician who asked him about remodeling a bathroom. HH had the good sense to ask him if he would be interested in bartering. The electrician had his bathroom remodeled, and we got our house re-wired. Win-win for all involved. (Though poor HH was exhausted for a few months working on the electricians bathroom every weekend, but it was worth it!).
That is kind of an extreme. Not everyone needs that kind of work done or has those skills to offer in return. Maybe you can sew in exchange for using a neighbors tractor to till your garden. Or maybe you can offer to baby sit for free two nights a month in return for some help working on your car.
Recently HH's friend, who lives a similar simply lifestyle offered to start "horse trading" with us. He loves my soap, and my husband likes to eat deer meat (but not hunt). I keep him and his family supplied, he'll keep HH supplied. Sounds great to me! It is less expensive then buying meat at the store. Deer meat is also a very lean meat, which makes it healthier for HH too!
Do you have any experience trading goods or services? How did it work out for you?
My husbands' grandfather bought us a car and I paid it back by cleaning his house a few times a week. We were just starting out and had NOTHING. It felt good to work off the loan! OH, and is there anything more fun than soap making?!
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