BARTER
A system of exchange by which goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money. It is distinguishable from gift economies in that the reciprocal exchange is immediate and not delayed in time.
Bartering is one of those things that one might hear about, but never try. We learn about it in school as a form of currency that was used back in the “olden days”, but once we pass the, “I’ll trade you this pack of gum for that jaw breaker.” stage of life, bartering becomes something we just don’t think about. I mean, really, be honest! When was the last time you thought about trading one item for another? Right. It’s all about the cold, hard cash.
Well then, why on earth am I writing a post about it?
Remember the Goat Share we did in 2012 into 2013. I would consider that experience our very first adventure into bartering and it was great! But honestly, I didn’t think of it as intentionally as maybe I should have!
Let’s back up a couple of months, shall we? A friend of a friend is working on setting up a Charcuterie featuring local meats, the only legal raw milk in the state of NM and several other items. This shop is set to open as soon as possible (with no set date as of yet) and the owner would like to build a bit of an online presence to build excitement as well as reach out to a demographic that one might not normally associate with farmers, ranchers and butcher shop owners.
Now, I am by no means an expert at building an online presence for a business, but I have gained a bit of experience over the past several months and felt as though I might be able to offer a few tidbits of information that could help them on their way into the 21st Century. I agreed to chat, had a couple of short meetings and agreed to be on-call for questions, brainstorming sessions, etc. In turn, split between two different meetings, I was offered a chicken and two heritage turkeys!
These offerings blew me away! My first thought was, “No, no, no…you don’t have to do that!”
Then, I thought, “Well, that was so incredibly generous! How many hours am I going to have to work to feel as though these are paid off?!”
But then…then, I started thinking about not only the worth of these delicious birds, but also about my own worth and the value of the work that I put out. This, my friends, is a whole new ball game!
Here’s the thing, we are so conditioned to believe that our worth is dependent on the pay check we bring home. We believe that we must have the newest, shiniest toy and that we must pay for it in cash. Or, if we don’t have the cash, we can simply put it on the credit card because 1) no one will know and 2) “I can just pay it off.”
But here’s the truth…Our worth is not determined by the newest, shiniest toys or by the monetary compensation someone else decides to give us. Our worth is determined by our work ethic and our values and by how much we are willing to give of ourselves and our time and by how much we are willing to ask to receive in exchange. And it’s all about the perspective of each person making the deal.
Now, in looking back at our Goat Share experience, I can more clearly see the benefit to both parties! The owner of the goats traded her time for our time, straight out. She got the benefit of being able to spend time doing other things that were important to her and we got the benefit of 1) learning how to milk a goat as well as some basic best goat care practices and 2) actual goats milk to take home, drink and make cheese and soap with! Win, win!
Now, bartering is one of those lost arts, right? So many of us don’t do it, don’t think about it and wouldn’t even know where to begin! So, is there a point in trying to find situations in which bartering can actually work? In my opinion, the answer is yes! But how?
Step One – Believe that you can trade one thing or skill for another!
Step Two – Assess your worth and what you have to offer! Do you make an item that someone else might want? Do you have a skill that is unique or unique to someone who you would like something from?
Step Three – Get out there and start talking to people! You’ll never know who is willing to barter with you if you don’t ask! Check out Craigslist, visit your local Farmers Market often and with good intentions!
Will this work in a grocery store? Probably not, but the more you get out there and build relationships with actual people, the more you’ll see what you can offer them and, in turn, what they can offer you.
The end result is truly priceless and, if you’re lucky, just might involve an incredibly delicious heritage turkey or two!
Now it’s your turn! I’d love to hear about your adventures in bartering! Have you done it? How? Was it mutually beneficial? If you’ve never bartered before, let’s do some brainstorming! What skills do you have to offer that someone else might find beneficial?
xoxo,
M
Linking up to Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #103, The HomeAcre Hop #52, The Homestead Barn Hop #141, One Project at a Time and From the Farm
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I love the idea of bartering, but asking for discounts is something I am not comfortable doing. I dunno why..
Bartering is the best! I hope to find someone who loves gardening more than I do to come and take over all my raised beds and whatever yard they want to till up. I supply the land, water, chicken poop compost and enthusiastic support. They grow food. Win, win!
Joan, I think your idea is brilliant! You will, no doubt, find someone who is willing to trade you your space for fresh grown veggies! Put it out there 🙂
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I love bartering! Thanks for sharing on The HomeAcre Hop! Hope you will stop by again today!
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Thank you for sharing with the Clever Chicks Blog Hop!
Kathy Shea Mormino
The Chicken Chick
http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com
I’m a HUGE proponent of bartering. Absolutely love it. My husband and I worked our local farmers market this past summer and bartered produce for meat, cheese, pastries, beans, wheat and even heirloom popcorn. We felt like kings.
Such a wonderful, lost tradition. It truly brings JOY. 😉
Heirloom popcorn?! I’ve never heard of such a thing! You have me completely intrigued!!! Also, so glad to hear about your adventures in bartering! It really is a great deal of fun 🙂
YES! This is so spot on. Thanks for sharing your story. I believe as a lot more communities ‘re-localize’, they’ll be reverting back to bartering and adopting local forms of exchange, I barter with my family all the time, more in exchange for skills but it works!
Bartering skills is a fantastic barter!!! I am hopeful and excited about the ‘re-localizing” movement as well…I think it’s past time to take a few steps back 😉
This is a great idea, especially for home-processed goods and meat from the local locker. Since you can’t legally sell these things, a fair trade is a good way to diversify your resources!
Ah yes…such things are such a gift!!!
I barter when I feature a local small business on my blog for free in exchange for them driving traffic to my resources. It has fostered some new relationships and built upon existing. I also offer health coaching consultations to new clients on occasion and in exchange, I usually get a long-term client or a referral.
Wonderful post! I have traded yoga and cooking classes for massages in the past. It worked out well for both of us!
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I started bartering last year, and it feels amazing! I’m so much more appreciative of the things I get from trading skills and items. I have mainly bartered for food (trading on cooking strengths), but I also barter for my services as a nutritional therapy practitioner on occasion.
I agree…the level of appreciation is so different when you barter!
I enjoyed your post. I’ve been thinking on this topic a lot lately! You’re right it’s all about the perspective of each person making the deal. My husband LOVES to barter. He just did some excavation work for a friend and we ended up with half of a grass fed beef in our freezer!! I love a win win situation. 🙂
During the summer, my 80 year old neighbor trades me blueberries for eggs. A great barter for me, because my blueberry bushes won’t be producing for quite a while! My biggest score: I bartered a puppy for a riding lawn mower.
Love this! We barter for many things as well. I feel the value of the $ has decreased so much and things have gotten WAY expensive. No one can afford anything anymore. But trade some labor in a garden for a meal? Sounds enticing to me! we traded a breeding pair of pigs for 2 from that first litter. We’ve traded the services of our boar for the use chicken processing trailer. If you can find someone who is willing to barter, it makes life so much easier!
I bartered yesterday. I had a friend who needed plumbing help. My husband fixed her sink, we got deer meat. It’s a wonderful thing.
Brilliant! Food for labor…and delicious food none-the-less! Cheers!
Such good ideas! Would love to do bartering, I will keep these in mind.