A Few Thoughts on the Art of Bartering for Preparedness

March 27th, 2010 |

Bartering used to be one of those things you didn’t hear much about. People who think they’re prosperous don’t stoop to do that sort of thing. But then things changed drastically with our economy, and bartering and swapping have become trendy.

Some barter on a regular basis to save money. Others are practicing for the day when barter will be necessary if the money system collapses.

A few days ago Karen Geiser wrote a post called “The Art of Bartering” on the Lehman’s Country Life Blog. Her farm family regularly barters things like garden produce, flowers, eggs, and computer skills in exchange for things they needed or wanted.

Geiser says she feels wealthier. Bartering helped their family appreciate their skills and resources as well as those of others. It has fostered creativity and generosity. If you want to barter, she recommends coming up with your own tally of skills and resources, as well as things you need. Assign dollar values to the items and services. Then ask a few friends to do the same.

To read “The Art of Bartering,” click here.

A Web site for bartering is BarterQuest.com.

Click here for info on starting a community treasure chest.

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