by Matthew Hennessey

Created on: October 13, 2008   Last Updated: October 24, 2008

Bring Back Old Time Bartering

I'll give you three summer squash for two gallons of milk. I'll change the oil in your car if you can watch my kids for a couple of hours on Saturday. Cattle farmers trade beef with vegetable farmers, carpenters doing repairs in exchange for electrical work. In the proverbial nutshell, bartering is the practice of two or more parties exchanging goods and services without using money.

The concept and practice of bartering is as old as history itself. Before formal currency and an established market based society, the only way to get what you needed to survive was to trade something. Performing labor for housing and food was common of course, but the wealthier people would trade goods that they produced or goods which they needed or wanted. Then, as now, the wealthy folks were the ones with the most stuff to trade.

Bartering still exists, and has always enjoyed a cult following. Numerous websites and books, bartering clubs for both individuals and businesses are available for those who wish to take advantage of this beneficial and often pleasurable tradition. In these tough times, as in the past, bartering is growing even more popular, and is a practice that may save you and your family money.

Start your own bartering club in your neighborhood, town, school, or organization. As an added bonus, it can help bring the community together, form new friendships, and create an overall better quality of living in so many ways.

Bartering is also an excellent form of recycling. The old saying, "One's junk is another's treasure" is very true. You may not want that orange loveseat that has been sitting in your basement since 1972, but the young couple who moved in down the street are really into retro 70's furnishings. And hey, he knows how to fix computers! An easy, simple solution that makes everyone happy, doesn't cost a dime, saves the seat of love' from the landfill, and you might make a couple of nice new friends in the process.

In a barter situation, one must use the same common sense as when paying with cash. Is the product or service you are looking to trade worth what the other party is willing to give you? As wholesome, charming and fun as bartering may be, there are people who will try to cheat you in a bartering situation as readily as in a cash transaction. Not everyone is out to cheat you of course, but following a simple set of rules is a smart idea.

Many common barter transactions are simple and straightforward: I'll trade you my child's

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