Do You Barter? You Should Try It!

Whenever I bring up bartering, people usually laugh and think I'm joking. It’s like they believe it’s some ancient practice from the days before money took over. But honestly, that's just not the case! Bartering is alive and well today, with folks trading everything from their time to random items they have at home to get what they want or need. Let me break it down for you.

What exactly is bartering? Bartering is basically swapping goods and services between two people without any cash involved. It’s actually the oldest way to trade! If you picture it as something that only happened ages ago when people exchanged animal skins for salt, you’d be kind of right but also totally missing the point. Just take a look at any school cafeteria - it's a bartering paradise! Kids are all about trading lunch items. For example, my son recently swapped his PB&J for some Cheez-Its. I’ve done my fair share of bartering too: I’ve traded tutoring sessions for haircuts, allowed a mule to graze on my property in exchange for hay, and even swapped a Dodge truck for three acres of land (seriously, I’m not joking!). My husband’s been in on it as well - he’s traded land clearing work for a flatbed trailer, fixed an engine for a canoe, and even swapped an air compressor for a tractor part. My dad has traded airplane engine work for kayaks and a Gator football ticket for parking at the game. As you can see, my whole family enjoys bartering!

Bartering is definitely not a thing of the past, and it can help you save some serious cash if you're open to it. So here’s my little challenge for you: think about what skills you have or things lying around that you could trade. If you’re curious, check out a Facebook group like The Barter Page or look for buy, sell, trade groups in your area to see how bartering could work for you. Bigger cities, like Gainesville, usually have more bartering options, and I’ve spotted some cool stuff being offered in the Gainesville Bartering & Trading group on Facebook. A friend of mine even managed to get some fencing work done by responding to a bartering ad.

Bartering is far from an outdated practice! It’s definitely worth considering when you’re looking for a good or service, are in no rush, and have something to offer in return. It’s a practical way to trade goods and services and offers a creative way to save money and help others, in return.  I really hope you give it a shot!