by M. Jeanette Mays

Created on: March 15, 2009

Today you woke up, made your coffee or tea and turned on the television. BREAKING NEWS! OUR MONEY IS NO LONGER WORTH ANYTHING! Can you imagine that? Looking into your wallet and coming to the realization that the paper inside can't be used to purchase anything, pay bills or buy your family food? What would you do?

To most, the above would sound very far fetched but as much as I could go into it, I won't. Let's deal with the reality of what is going on right now. Most people in this country are living either paycheck to paycheck or wondering when and if there will be another paycheck. The news says we are in a recession. From the looks of it, it would seem more like a Depression. For those interested, you can research the Great Depression in the early 1900's and draw your own conclusions. With all that is going on, there is a way to keep moving forward.

BARTERING.

In years gone by, bartering or trading goods and services, was how people got what they needed to survive. People had a "thing" they did, whether growing eggs, fixing shoes, sewing clothes, people traded their goods and services with each other and people got what they needed to live. It was common place for someone to do yard work or household chores for someone and receive eggs or other foodstuffs in return. Even now, in this country, there is a small group of people who are still engaging in the practice of bartering. I was reading a bartering website in the state of Oregon, and people are actually bartering their services for housing!

With the economy in the state it is in, what better way to "supplement" our incomes than with bartering? When I say this, what I mean is not bringing in more money but taking less money out of your wallet to pay for things that you could easily trade for. Want to save money on childcare? Trade childcare with another family who needs it or help an elderly woman clean her home or yard in exchange for childcare. If you grow vegetables, grow some extra and trade your extra food for a service you would normally pay someone for. Surf the Internet, you'll be amazed at all the different ways you can get into bartering.

What this all really comes down to is getting back to community and helping others while helping ourselves. Face it, most of us need help and whether you believe it or not, we all have abilities that we have overlooked for too long. Start looking around and see if you can find bartering groups in your community. If not, get together with a few people in your community, church or job and start one. We can decrease the effects of the economy on our homes by realizing that the Work of Our Hands is and will always be Worth More than the Dollar.

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