Bartering for goods & services to stretch your budget is one of the best ways to provide for your home when you don’t have the funds. There are so many ways you can barter that people often over look. Take into consideration some basic rules of thumb when you are working to pay down debt, find financial freedom or just want to save a little money for a rainy day. Check out all of our Spending Freeze posts.
Bartering For Goods & Services To Stretch Your Budget
Know your strengths. When offering to barter for something, don’t just throw out there you would like to barter. Make sure you know what your strengths are. Give them what they need and want to hear. You can’t expect someone to barter with you when they don’t know what you have to offer. Be prepared to know what areas you have strength or ability to offer. If you are bartering for summer vegetables, offer them home canning services so they can potentially sell more of their crop year round. Perhaps you can offer to clean their home, babysit their children or even make them some amazing homemade freezer meals. Make sure before you approach for bartering you know what you have to offer.
Make the exchange of goods and services happen at the same time. Many times bartering has ended unhappily when someone gave an individual goods then never received their services offered. Make sure you are both protected by agreeing to your exchange at the time of service.
Market your services appropriately. Don’t under value what you have to offer. Make sure that you know the current market rate for what you are offering as a bartering trade. If you are trading someone for 5 hours of house cleaning at $10 an hour, don’t give them a hand made quilt that would normally sell for $200. Make sure you are getting the correct equivalent financial product for your service or goods.
Never be afraid to ask. There are many situations where bartering works wonderfully. You can offer to do cleaning service or substitute teach in your local daycare for discounted services. You could trade a neighbor for their fresh fruits or vegetables. You may be able to barter your own house cleaning service in exchange for a hair cut, style and color. Never be afraid to ask the people you are working with for services or products if they work in trade or bartering.
Bartering for goods and services to stretch your budget is one of the best ways to make ends meet. You can easily focus your work on securing great products, needed services or even someone on retainer for future needs when you have something to offer them in trade.
We’ve watched some reality TV shows this year based in Alaska where people barter almost more than they buy. It’s been very interesting to watch the process, and I love how they get their needs met with bartering.
Ideas of items or services you can barter:
- Babysitting services
- Haircuts/Trims
- Lawn care services
- Pet Pooper Scooper services
- Tutoring services
- Services that go along with your profession.
- Cooking services
- Cleaning services
- Fresh Produce, eggs, or meat. My father-in-law has bartered his free-range brown eggs for other items with neighbors.
- Clothing (Especially baby/children’s clothing)
- Lawn care equipment. My father-in-law has bartered lawn mowers that he has repaired for car parts.
- Guns. I have seen men barter guns a lot in my local area for different items or cash.
- Books, movies, video games and CD’s.
Leave a Reply