Bartering - why don't people do it more?

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2006
Bartering - why don't people do it more?
13
Wed, 07-08-2009 - 1:53pm

Bex's post on "Some Good News" about

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-10-2003
Wed, 07-08-2009 - 2:33pm

Other then the beer barter, my friends and I barter our skills all the time. When doing home renovations we will work for a weekend at one friends home and then spend a weekend at another. It saves us all money as we don't have to pay for labour.


There are now links on Kijiji and Craigslist for Bartering. Its making a comeback!


Bex -


"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift -thats why its called the present."


Bex -

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Wed, 07-08-2009 - 3:02pm
I bartered last year for a load of mulch.

Norma


"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus


iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-1998
Wed, 07-08-2009 - 3:56pm
We barter a lot in our circle. I do childcare for my haircolour(I pay for the supplies) and cuts for me and hubby. I have sewing skills that I swap for other things as well.


We also do a lot of work bees when larger projects need done, such as my new roof,putting in new flooring at SIL's, painting the house, putting the foundation in for the garage. I usually keep watch on the kids while the other adults do the heavy work.


I think barter and swapping is making a comeback.


Sharon





iVillage Member
Registered: 08-04-2008
Wed, 07-08-2009 - 4:03pm

There are sanctioned barter groups, and taxes are still involved with those.


-Marie




iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2006
Wed, 07-08-2009 - 4:15pm
Taxes on bartering! Good Grief why does Uncle Sam have to blast the fun out of even bartering!
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-25-2009
Wed, 07-08-2009 - 4:32pm

Don't ask, don't tell!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
Wed, 07-08-2009 - 7:43pm

I remember years ago when I sold stuff at a flea market in early December.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-22-2004
Wed, 07-08-2009 - 10:50pm

In my case I have bartered several times and I suck at it!!! I have one pending now even though based on my past experience I really shouldn't - I think I have a tattoo on my forehead that says "Sap"! The only reason I'm trying again is that this time, I'm hoping to keep my item with me until the service I'm trading for is done. In the past I've given of my time (babysitting or tutoring since I'm a certified teacher) and in return a chore was to be done for me (usually yard or home repair type stuff). I'd immediately start giving my time and skills and they'd tell me when they could come by to start the chore. Only things would come up and the chores would never get done or only partially get done and I'd still be working with the kids.

This time my new neighbor offered do my yard for ten dollars an hour - either it was bugging him that it's rarely done or he heard from his landlord that I always pay others to do it. I was going to take it because with our allergies and asthma we can't do it and end up paying anyway. Then last week he asked if I wanted to sell the old car sitting behind my garage and how much would I take (mind you, the car is only here because I think it would cost me to tow it to junk yard and I'm not investing in a radiator). I named a really low price and he said he'd see if he and his girlfriend could do it. (I know he'd like them to have two vehicles because he has to drive her to/from work etc) Couple hours later it occurred to me that instead of either of us having to come up with cash, we could just trade the price of the car for that many hours of yard work. He said he liked the idea but we didn't work out specifics of switching the title over or moving the car yet and I haven't seen him since.

If it's like the other times and people I've bartered with in the past, he'll come to me with a plausible reason that he needs to do the car right now, promise to still do the yard for the right hours and I'll go for it. Then I probably won't get the hours of lawn work and I'm so conflict avoidant that I won't do anything about it. (Another old neighbor still owes me $350.00 from a deal he offered and though I called for a while and do mention it when I see the right people, I can't seem to get it back or get the work done and it's been over a year.)

Now, on the other hand, my sister and her husband live by bartering and have for years. He's a trained mechanic so they've traded car work for carpeting and instillation, work on their in-ground pool, roofing etc. and it always goes great for them.

I'm missing the bartering gene I think. I can come up with great scenarios but I can't make them go through properly.

Kudos to all of you who make it work!!!

Lissa (hopeful but not holding my breath that this time will be too different)

Avatar for sohappilyme
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 07-09-2009 - 10:57am

We actually barter a LOT. DH does mechanical repairs for other stuff. A couple of months back he did a 10 hour repair for what he'd normally charge $750 for a man in exchange for three vehicles in various need of repair. The guy had estimates for the thing DH fixed (I can't remember what it was - I am SO not mechanical) for $1,000 to $1,500. The man wanted $400 for the three vehicle he traded the work for, so to him DH was working for $400. For anyone else, DH would have made $750 instead of $400. BUT he took the transmission out of one truck and fixed his - a process that saved us about $200. Then he traded the rest of the truck to another guy for something else. He took more parts off another one and junked the rest and we made about $170. The last truck he fixed and sold for $800. So, time aside, we made $1170 and fixed his truck (way better gas mileage). DH is forever trading trucks and truck parts, though.

He does a lot of work for a couple of farmers and charges them a lower rate than most folks. So one man gives us free hay for our horse (some of you know how expensive hay is!) and the other gave us a $10,000 boat on a $5,000 trailer just because he wasn't going to use it anymore. The hay supply and boat came on top of cash payment.

Plus last year my kids went to our church VBS for free in exchange for me doing the cakes for the closing ceremony. That was off the record, but it worked for both of us!

We LOVE bartering!

Sarah


sahm, wahm, homeschooling mom to

Sarah
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 07-09-2009 - 2:18pm

Get this one..... unheard of.


I recently bartered a website for free legal counsel to finish my almost-done divorce.


I think I got the better end of the deal.


I also think it was an act of God for the opportunity to have even presented itself.

 

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