The Vicky Challenge. Bartering.

My added extra ways to save today is bartering. I was talking to Vicky about this. When I lived at the beach I was given a lot of crayfish. I always said "yes thank you" even though I do not eat them. (Allergic to shellfish sadly...)
I learned to cook crayfish and freeze them. Over the years I traded them for so many things including services like the electrician fixing wiring! I cannot fathom turning down something so valuable.
Similarly when something comes your way that you cannot use I think of how it can still be an asset to your household...
So we were talking about this and I had said how I hear all the time of people turning down goods or wasting goods and I think its crazy! Why wouldn't people trade it instead?  Worse I have heard of people not using a gift card as there was nothing they wanted in the store! So the gift card was wasted!! Why wouldn't they use it for a present for the gift cupboard or an item to trade or sell? I just cannot fathom it!  I will share with you Vicky's reply....

bartering-exchange goods or services for other goods or services without using money

Bartering? Why barter? Bartering can be a helpful tool in our endeavours to save and not having to have cash of any kind is what makes it such a great tool. 

We have bartered for many things over the years and ultimately it is a win win situation. Thinking outside the box helps. We have all been given items that we will never use, but they can become worth something to us! Instead of just getting rid of those items trade them with someone else! It doesn't have to be worth the exact same amount or be the same size as long as both parties are happy with the deal that is all that matters. And it saves money. There are so many things that can be bartered, just about anything really. And in days of old it was a way of life. 

Here are a few examples of how bartering has benefited our household:

My husband traded his time of cutting a small tree that the person couldn't afford to pay for having it cut down and my husband got the wood from the tree.

A big box of shelled sunflower seeds for my chickens that cost me 2 quarts of tomato juice that I canned.

All of this crochet cotton cost me a few items that I got for free with coupons.

The possibilities are many! A neighbour that I used to walk with was moving and gave me a big L.L. bean rug that was not my style, but I hung onto it and then a friend of mine needed that rug and traded me a food saver that was given to her. So we both got something we needed and it didn't cost either of us any money out of pocket! And I used that food saver for about 10 years before I had to replace it so not bad for the price of an ugly rug. 

XOXO

Vicky

Thanks Vicky. Plus you always make me laugh. i.e. how you got a food saver for ten years out of an ugly rug! I call that a bargain! This also reminds me of another Vicky story. She had an old ring she also thought was (also) ugly. So recently she headed off to the jeweller with it and found out it was worth quite a few hundred dollars. So she sold it and turned that ugly ring into pantry stock and has been stocking up since. So that was an at home trade.... old ring for a well stocked pantry! 

The other day Helen had the chance to get two free very good wooden beds.  She immediately sold them on EBay and made a LOT of money from them! I know other people who would say no thanks I don't need a bed. 

So that is my tip for the week. Think of how you can trade/barter. See what you can turn into something else that you do need. Excess fruit can be gifts, sold, traded.... Skills can be wonderful commodities to trade. This is an area that can really lead to big savings. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Trade it!

Ok so my savings for the week were:

More jam making. $30

More meals that used up figs! I will say I saved $30 on groceries.

More soap making! (ok I have finished soap making for the year now!) $40 worth of gifts I think here.

More painting. Also sanding, undercoating, washing and scrubbing.  I will say $200 at least saved there.

Packed all work lunches. $100.

Bargains... the four heart shaped cake tins. Three into the gift cupboard. They were $40 I paid $10 saving $30.

I was about to buy seedlings when my friend Karen sent me Coriander seeds. I also planted parsley seeds and saved the money which would have been about $8.

That's $438 all up.

I hope you had a good week. Sharing how you saved gives ideas and inspiration to others and to me!

Also what do you have that is an underutilised asset that could be traded or sold? Keep your eyes out for such things as they can be a real injection of help to your household.