Bartering is a good way to get what you need or want without spending money. While it can be an essential part of frugal shopping or simple living, it can also just be a satisfying way to exchange something you don’t need for something you do need or want. In some cases, it may be the only way to get an item you want. You’ve probably had the experience of wanting something that someone did not want to sell, but when you offered them an item they really wanted, they were more than eager to trade. You might have traded baseball cards or Barbie doll clothes when you were in grade school - that was bartering. It’s that easy and fun.

Bartering has many forms. You can trade services - can you paint, bake, repair a car, babysit? You can trade items - maybe you can get a beautiful dresser in exchange for that dusty exercise bike. Think about the things you enjoy doing and do well enough that you’d be comfortable doing it for “pay.” Make a list of all the items in your house that you don’t use, but someone else might be thrilled to have.

Once you have a list of things or services to barter with, try some of the online sites or local bartering groups. Craigslist.org is a good place to list things to trade locally or to find local barter groups. In your ad, list what you have to trade and state what you’d like to trade for.

Walletpop.com lists several online bartering websites
(Article: Bartering’s Big Comeback) http://www.walletpop.com/economizer/how-to-barter

BarterBucks.com
BarterBee.com
HomeExchange.com
U-exchange.com
swapstyle.com
swapthing.com

Other bartering websites:
Barterfest.net
Swaptree.com (books, music)
bizx.com
natecorporatebarter.com (for businesses)
BarterBart.com
bbu.com

If you are interested in starting your own bartering club, BarterNews.com has an excellent and detailed article: http://www.barternews.com/barterclubs.htm

A bartering website can give you more possibilities than a simple exchange with another person. With the bartering websites, you may have the ability to trade your item to one person and receive your exchange from another. This is usually done by a point or “bartering dollar” system. Do your research before you sign up with a bartering website. Some sites are free and some sites have large membership fees. Before you pay $300-500.00 to join a bartering site, be sure that you have enough items or services to trade to make it worth the fee and also take a look through the site’s inventory to be sure that the types of items offered are exactly the types you are looking for. It would also be wise to Google the site to see if there are any forums with comments or complaints about the site.

Bartering is nothing new. It’s probably the oldest form of exchange or trade. Your ancestors probably traded a fur for a bushel of nuts or fruits. If you are uncomfortable with your first barters, see if you can find a friend who enjoys bartering and ask if they will step you through your first trade.

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Submitted by Simple Life . www.simplelifecorp.com
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